How Much Does a New Patio Cost in Cornwall?

Typical price ranges per square metre

For a professionally laid patio in Cornwall, including excavation, a compacted sub-base, bedding and jointing, most homeowners pay somewhere between £90 and £200 per square metre. Where you land in that range depends mostly on the paving you choose and the condition of the ground underneath.

As a rough guide, a modest 15 to 20 square metre patio behind a typical St Austell or Truro semi usually comes in somewhere between £2,000 and £4,500. Larger or more complex jobs with steps, retaining walls or drainage can easily go beyond that. These figures are guidance only; a site visit is the only way to get a firm price.

• Concrete or budget utility slabs: roughly £70 to £100 per m² laid
• Indian sandstone or limestone: roughly £100 to £150 per m² laid
• Porcelain: roughly £120 to £180 per m² laid, as it needs a slurry primer and careful cutting
• Local granite or Cornish slate: roughly £150 to £250 per m² laid, depending on thickness and finish

What pushes the cost up on Cornish sites

Cornwall throws up a few challenges that you will not always see in price guides written for flatter parts of the country. Plenty of gardens here are on a slope, and levelling a sloping plot often means cutting into the bank, building a retaining wall or adding steps, all of which add labour and materials.

Ground conditions matter too. Around St Austell and the clay country, heavy clay subsoil holds water and moves with the seasons, so a deeper, well compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base is essential. Elsewhere you may hit granite bedrock or old mine waste not far below the surface, which can slow digging considerably.

• Poor access: narrow lanes, terraced houses and gardens with no side gate mean more barrowing and sometimes a smaller digger
• Waste removal: a skip or grab lorry for spoil typically adds £250 to £450, plus a council permit if the skip sits on the road
• Drainage: soakaways, channel drains or linking into existing drainage can add several hundred pounds
• Removing an old patio or concrete base before starting

Why drainage and the sub-base are worth paying for

Cornwall gets a lot of rain, often driven sideways by Atlantic winds, and coastal properties also deal with salt and algae. A patio that looks fine in June can start to rock, pond or turn green by February if the ground work was skimped.

A proper job includes digging out to the right depth (usually 150 to 200mm), laying and compacting the sub-base in layers, setting a fall of around 1 in 60 away from the house, and keeping the finished level at least 150mm below the damp proof course. This is the part you cannot see once the slabs are down, which is exactly why it is where cheaper quotes tend to cut corners.

Planning, permeability and conservation areas

Most back garden patios do not need planning permission, as long as they are roughly at ground level. Raised decks or platforms over 30cm high are different and may need consent.

If you are paving a front garden of more than five square metres, the surface should either be permeable or drain onto a lawn or border rather than the road. Cornwall also has a large number of conservation areas and listed buildings, from Fowey to St Ives, so if your home falls into one it is worth checking with Cornwall Council before choosing materials.

Getting an accurate quote

When comparing quotes, make sure each one covers the same scope. Ask what depth of sub-base is included, how the patio will drain, whether waste removal and skip hire are in the price, and what jointing method will be used. A low headline figure can grow quickly once extras are added.

It also helps to have a rough idea of size and paving choice before anyone visits, and to mention any known issues like soft ground, standing water or awkward access. The more a contractor knows upfront, the more reliable the quote will be.