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Block Paving Driveways in York

A driveway is only as good as what is underneath it. Ours are dug out to depth, based with compacted MOT type 1, edged with haunched restraints and laid in a proper bond so the blocks lock together and stay where they are put.

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The problem with a cheap drive

Sinking, spreading and weeds

Nearly every failed driveway fails for the same three reasons. It was not dug deep enough, so the sub-base is too thin to spread the weight of a car. The edges were laid without a haunched restraint, so the blocks creep outwards and the pattern opens up. Or the falls were never set, so water sits in the middle instead of running off to a channel.

None of that shows on day one. It shows in year two, when the tyre tracks start to dish and the weeds find the gaps. Getting it right first time costs a little more and lasts twenty years longer.

We excavate to between 200mm and 300mm depending on what the drive has to carry, lay and whacker the sub-base in layers rather than one deep lift, and bed the blocks on sharp sand screeded to a consistent depth. Edges are set on concrete and haunched on the outside face.

Included as standard

Full excavation and muck away. Old tarmac, concrete or gravel lifted out and taken off site.
Geotextile membrane. Laid over the formation to stop the sub-base sinking into soft subsoil.
MOT type 1 sub-base. Compacted in layers with a plate compactor, not tipped and levelled.
Concrete haunched edgings. Kerbs and edge courses that hold the whole field of blocks in place.
Drainage designed in. Falls away from the house, plus channel drains or a soakaway where they are needed.
Kiln dried sand jointing. Brushed and vibrated in, with the option of a polymeric sand upgrade.

Choose your bond

The pattern changes how it performs

Bond is not only a looks decision. Some patterns interlock far better under turning wheels than others. Tap one to see where it works best.

45° Herringbone

The strongest bond for a driveway and the one we use most. Because no joint runs in a straight line in any direction, the blocks lock against each other and resist the sideways force of a car turning on the spot. It costs a little more in labour because every edge needs cutting in at an angle, and it wastes slightly more block, but it is the pattern least likely to creep.

Start to finish

How a driveway goes in

Site visit and setting out
Darren measures up, checks where the water currently goes, looks at access for the muck away and the deliveries, and talks through blocks, borders and bond.
Dig out
The old surface comes up and the formation is excavated to depth. Everything is loaded out and carted away the same day where access allows.
Membrane and sub-base
Geotextile over the formation, then MOT type 1 laid and whacked in layers until it rings solid underfoot.
Edgings and drainage
Kerbs, edge courses and any channel drain are set on concrete and haunched, with the levels and falls fixed at this stage.
Screed and lay
Sharp sand screeded to an even depth, then blocks laid to the chosen bond, working forward off the laid surface so the screed is never walked on.
Cuts and compaction
Edges cut in on a saw bench, then the whole drive vibrated down with a plate compactor on a rubber sole plate.
Joint, sweep and hand over
Kiln dried sand brushed in and vibrated, surplus swept off, and the drive left ready to use straight away.

Recent driveways

Around York

Brindle blocks

Charcoal drive

Sett paving

Resin bound

Common questions

Driveway questions

How much does a block paved driveway cost in York?

Most block paved driveways come in between £90 and £130 per square metre supplied and laid, so a typical two car drive of around 45 square metres lands somewhere between £4,000 and £6,000. The figure moves with the block you choose, how much has to be dug out and carted away, whether drainage or a dropped kerb is needed, and how easy the access is for a mini digger and grab lorry.

How long does a driveway take?

A standard domestic driveway takes between four and eight working days. The dig out and sub-base usually take the first two days, edgings and drainage the third, and laying, cutting and jointing the rest. Bad weather during the dig can add a day, but block paving itself can be laid in light rain.

Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?

You do not need planning permission if the surface is permeable, or if rainwater is directed to a lawn, border or soakaway within your own boundary. Permission is normally needed if you lay more than five square metres of impermeable surface at the front of the house and let the water run off onto the road. Dropping a kerb across a public footpath is a separate application to the local highways authority, and City of York Council can point you to the right form.

Can you lay a new drive over the existing one?

No, and anybody offering to is storing up a problem for you. Laying over an old surface raises the finished level, often above the damp course, and leaves you relying on a base that was never designed for it. The old surface comes out first, every time.

What is the difference between block paving and resin?

Block paving is individual concrete or clay units laid on sand over a sub-base, and single blocks can be lifted and replaced if a service needs digging up. Resin bound is stone mixed with resin and trowelled onto a solid base, giving a seamless surface with no joints for weeds. Resin is usually quicker to install if a sound base already exists, while block paving copes better with heavy turning traffic and is easier to repair.

Is a block paved driveway a DIY project?

Laying a driveway is possible for a competent DIYer on a small, flat area, but getting the falls, sub-base depth and edge restraints right is where most amateur jobs fail within a couple of years. Compacting a sub-base properly needs a plate compactor rather than a garden roller, and cutting blocks accurately around a bond takes practice. Most people find the risk of getting the groundwork wrong outweighs the saving, especially since a failed base means digging the whole thing out again.

How do I choose the right driveway contractor?

A reliable driveway contractor should explain the dig-out depth, the sub-base material and how the edges will be restrained before any price is given, rather than jumping straight to a total. Ask to see recent local work, check they carry insurance, and get the quote in writing with materials and labour itemised separately. A contractor who wants to lay over the existing surface to save time is usually one to avoid.

What to expect

Before any of that starts

A free site visit comes before any price is given, followed by a written, itemised quote covering materials, labour and muck away. Machinery and skip access get discussed at the visit rather than assumed. Weather can shift a start date by a day, but the drive is left clean and usable at the end of every working day, not just the last one.

Why DH Hardscapes

Why Choose DH Hardscapes for Your Driveway

Every Layer Done Properly

No corners cut on excavation depth, sub-base compaction or edge restraints. The parts you never see once the drive is finished get exactly the same attention as the surface you do, because that is what decides whether it lasts twenty years or five.

Herringbone as Standard

The strongest interlocking bond, 45 degree herringbone, is used by default rather than a cheaper alternative that saves labour. It costs a little more in cutting time, but it is the pattern least likely to creep or open up under a turning car.

One Point of Contact

Darren sees every job through from the first site visit to the final sweep, so there is one number to call throughout and no handoff between a salesperson, a quoting team and a separate fitting crew.

Get a price for your driveway

Free site visit, written quote, no obligation.

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