Thin Mortar Bed
A mortar bed under 40mm leaves hollow spots beneath larger slabs, which rock and crack under foot traffic.
40-50mm Full Bed
A full mortar bed at 40-50mm depth supports every slab edge and eliminates flex points across the surface.
Natural Stone
A natural stone surface that suits your garden’s size, ground conditions, and drainage, quoted as separate lines before work starts.
What Goes Wrong
The slab choice gets the attention, but the base and jointing decide whether the surface lasts.
A mortar bed under 40mm leaves hollow spots beneath larger slabs, which rock and crack under foot traffic.
A full mortar bed at 40-50mm depth supports every slab edge and eliminates flex points across the surface.
Cambridgeshire clay shrinks and swells seasonally, a shallow sub-base lets slabs shift and water pool underneath.
A compacted sub-base of at least 100mm on clay ground resists seasonal movement and keeps the surface level.
Sand-only joints wash out quickly, letting weeds establish and water track beneath the slabs from the edges.
A suitable jointing compound locks each slab edge, reduces weed ingress, and slows moisture tracking under the bed.
A flat patio on clay ground holds surface water, which accelerates algae growth and staining on porous sandstone.
Falls are set away from the house during the mortar bed stage, with an ACO channel drain added where needed.
Scope of Work
From slab selection through to jointing, every element is included in the quote before work begins.
Raj Green slabs on a full mortar bed with compacted sub-base, edging course, and jointing compound.
Kandla Grey slabs laid to a drainage fall, with slab cutting to fit irregular plots or smaller town-house yards.
Excavation, Type 1 compaction with a plate compactor, and depth check before any mortar bed is laid.
Falls set away from the house; ACO channel drain incorporated at the patio edge where required.
600x600mm or random-coursed formats to suit plot size.
Mortared edging to define and stabilise the patio perimeter.
Cut-to-fit for corners, curves, and irregular boundaries.
Jointing compound applied to all slab edges after laying.
Stone & Ground
Colour choice and slab size matter, but sub-base preparation on Cambridgeshire clay determines whether the surface stays level.
Raj Green and Kandla Grey are the most common colour choices, and slab sizes range from 600x600mm to larger random-coursed formats. Larger slabs require more precise bedding to avoid hollow spots, and the cutting requirement increases on smaller or irregular plots, both factors affect the final cost.
On clay-heavy ground, a compacted sub-base of at least 100mm is laid before any mortar bed goes down. The mortar bed itself is typically 40-50mm, and falls are set away from the house during this stage. An ACO channel drain can be incorporated at the patio edge where surface water needs a defined exit route.
Indian sandstone is porous and will absorb algae and staining over time without maintenance. A suitable jointing compound seals the edges of each slab and reduces weed ingress. The quote covers slabs, sub-base, mortar bed, edging course, and jointing as separate lines so the full supply-and-lay cost is clear before work starts.
Why Choose Us
We schedule a survey of Cambridgeshire ground conditions. Every element of the job is quoted upfront.
Sub-base depth is specified for Cambridgeshire clay and your site.
An on-site visit assesses drainage, ground level, and slab fit before the job is priced.
Slabs, sub-base, mortar bed, edging, and jointing quoted as separate lines, no hidden totals.
The installer advises on Raj Green versus Kandla Grey based on your garden’s aspect and use.
Huntingdon, Godmanchester, St Ives, and Brampton are covered without travel surcharges.
The Process
01
Tell us the size, what is down there now, and how the ground drains after rain.
02
An on-site visit checks sub-base requirements. An itemised written quote follows.
03
The installer excavates, compacts the sub-base, lays slabs to fall, and joints the finished surface.
Pricing Estimates
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Small Indian sandstone patio | £1,900-£2,900 |
| Medium Indian sandstone patio | £1,800-£2,400 |
| Large Indian sandstone patio | £2,400-£4,600 |
Describe the size, what is down there now, and how it drains, and we’ll schedule a ground survey. The dig, sub-base, drainage, and paving are quoted as separate lines.