How Much Does a Patio Cost in Hertfordshire? Visual Patio Size & Cost Guide (2026)
Patio Costs Hertfordshire | Craig McGibbon Ltd, Hertfordshire
Introduction
If you're planning a new patio, one of the first questions you'll naturally ask is:
“How much is this going to cost?”
Unfortunately, most patio pricing guides simply throw out a cost per square metre without helping you understand what that space actually looks like. I have certainly been guilty of this.
After designing and building gardens across Hertfordshire for more than 20 years, I've found that most homeowners struggle to visualise patio sizes. A 25m² patio might sound large to one person and small to another.
To make things easier, I've created a series of visual patio planning guides that show what different patio sizes can realistically accommodate, together with typical investment ranges and installation times.
While every project is unique, these examples should help you understand what's possible and provide a useful starting point when budgeting for your own garden project.
What Different Patio Sizes Actually Look Like
Couples Patio – 12.6m²
Family Patio – 25.2m²
Couples Patio – 12.6m² Entertaining Terrace
This compact patio measures 4.2m x 3.0m and is designed to provide a comfortable outdoor space for couples or smaller households.
Despite its modest footprint, it comfortably accommodates outdoor dining and relaxed seating. It's a popular option for smaller gardens, new-build properties and homeowners looking to improve the area immediately outside their patio doors.
Typical investment for a patio of this size is usually between £6,000 and £8,000+, depending on materials, access, drainage requirements and ground conditions.
Typical installation time is around 3–4 working days.
Family Patio – 25.2m² Outdoor Living Space
One of the popular patio sizes we build is around 25m².
At 6.0m x 4.2m, this layout provides enough space for family dining, entertaining guests, a BBQ area and a separate seating zone while maintaining comfortable circulation around the furniture.
For many family gardens, this size represents the sweet spot between functionality and budget.
Typical investment is generally between £10,000 and £16,000+, depending on specification, access and site conditions.
Typical installation time is around 5–8 working days.
Why Patio Prices Vary So Much
Material choice
Access
Ground conditions
Excavation
Drainage
Detailing
Steps and level changes
Specialist paving products
There are numerous elements that can increase the costs of your patio terrace;
Material Choice - the choice paving material will have an affect on the cost, for example sawn sandstone is typically more expensive than natural sandstone, a can be more expensive than porcelain paving. However. the material cost only forms approximately 10 to 15% of the overall cost.
Access to the garden - the minimum flat access width required is 0.9m to allow materials to be moved in, in wheelbarrows but also a mini digger for excavation. This access should be step and slope free. If access is tricky for example over steps, through a garage, steep, a long distance between front and back gardens, there will be an increase in costs.
Ground conditions - where there is heavy clay or soft sub-soil structure additional excavation may be required to improve ground stability, and/or increasing the depth of the foundations. As a result there will be an increase in costs for labour, plant hire and waste disposal.
Additional excavation - costs are based on a typical excavation, often removing an old patio, maybe extending into the lawn area to make it larger. Where there is additional excavation to reduce heights, or demolishing structures to create the area for the foundation footprint there will be an increase in costs for labour, plant hire and waste disposal.
Drainage of surface - the surface water from the rain needs to be managed. If the terrain does not allow the water to be drained off onto a lawn or flower beds then drainage needs to be added. Typically linear or point drains are added, these need to be connected to a soakaway or one installed. Large patios should also manage the surface water as lawns and borders would become saturated, so drainage would need to be installed.
Pack size -Whilst some paving is sold in per meter squared increments, some paving come is a specific pack size; for example 15.2m2. To minimise waste and cost, it is recommended the pack size with a 10% allowance for waste correlated to the size of patio to be laid.
Detailing - Complicated shapes or patterns of a patio terrace will affect the costs, complicated shapes, patterns, curves and detailing will slow the construction productivity. As the construction will take longer, which often increases the labour costs independent of the material costs.
Steps and level changes - the construction of steps and retaining or supporting walls will increase the labour and materials costs, also may result in extra excavation and waste disposal.
Special paving products - there maybe special paving products that fall outside the scope of this guide, which may increase the price. For example, reclaimed Yorkstone due to it’s nature of variable sizes and thickness between individual slabs makes it very labour intensive and therefore time consuming to construct a patio terrace from. Not only is the product more expensive than typical patio paving to purchase, the complexities with constructing the terrace would increase the labour costs by 4 to 5 times more than a typical patio product.
“A patio is only as good as what sits underneath it.”
What's Usually Included In A New Patio Installation?
Excavation
Waste removal
MOT Type 1 sub-base
Bedding layer
Paving installation
Jointing
Edge restraints
Drainage falls
Site clean-up
What Is Usually Not Included?
Outdoor furniture
BBQs
Outdoor kitchens
Planting
Garden lighting
Pergolas
Water features
Aftercare Costs
Regularly cleaning your patio terrace will help maintain it’s good looks. This can be done with a stiff broom and hope pipe to sweep away any dirt.
Annually a solution of Lithofin Outdoor cleaner should be applied and a pressure washer with a wide spray used to clean the surface. In shady gardens it may also be necessary to treat with Lithofin Algex to control the appearance of algae.
Natural stone will naturally attract black spot lichen, it can be treated bi-annually with an appropriate black spot remover and a pressure washer with a wide spray to clean and revitalise the surface.
The treatment product costs are minimal. You can hire someone to clean the patio, costs would depend on the size and how ‘dirty’ the patio terrace was. We would charge around £525 per day for labour.
