6 m × 3 m · 18 m²
Fits: 4-Seater Bistro Set + Steps
Small Bistro Patio
Approx. 18 m² — a table for 4 with room to walk round it.
About 6 m × 3 m · across the back of a typical semi
~£3,330 all-in · 18 m² × £185 porcelain
Father & son · Stockport & East Cheshire · £0 deposit
Patios, driveways & landscaping in Bramhall & Stockport.
David & Callum Mercer dig out heavy Cheshire clay to the full British Standard depth, build every patio and driveway on a deep compacted stone base, and back it with a written 10-year guarantee. No deposit, no subcontractors.
Pownall Park, Bramhall (SK7) · 68 m² porcelain terrace
25 Years · Father & Son
David & Callum Mercer on site daily — zero subcontractors
150–250mm MOT Type 1
BS 7533 laser-graded sub-base + 40mm full wet mortar bed
10-Year Guarantee
Written protection against sinking, rocking slabs & frost lift
★ 4.9 Google (96)
BS 7533 & SuDS Compliant · £5m Public Liability
WHAT DOES 30 m² ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?
Real garden sizes, real all-in prices.
Square metres are hard to picture on paper, so here are the most common Cheshire garden and driveway sizes with real dimensions, furniture scale, and all-in prices including excavation, waste removal, stone sub-base, laying and pointing.
6 m × 3 m · 18 m²
Fits: 4-Seater Bistro Set + Steps
8 m × 4 m · 32 m²
Fits: 6-Seater Dining Table + Corner Sofa
Standard Family Patio
Approx. 32 m² — a 6-seater table plus a corner sofa.
About 8 m × 4 m · four strides out from the back door
~£5,920 all-in · 32 m² × £185 porcelain
10 m × 5 m · 50 m²
Fits: Dining, Lounge & Pergola Kitchen
Large Entertaining Terrace
Approx. 50 m² — the full width of a 4-bed detached house.
About 10 m × 5 m · dining, lounging and a barbecue corner
~£9,250 all-in · 50 m² × £185 porcelain
9 m × 5 m · 45 m²
Fits: 2 Family SUVs Side-by-Side
2-Car Side-by-Side Driveway
Approx. 45 m² — two family cars with room to open the doors.
About 9 m × 5 m · permeable, so no planning needed
~£6,300 all-in · 45 m² × £140 block or resin
Pace it out: stand at the back door and stride along the house, then stride out into the garden. Multiply the two numbers and that is roughly your square metres. Indian sandstone works out cheaper at £115/m² (an 18 m² bistro patio is about £2,070). David measures it exactly at the free survey.
01 · WHY CHEAP PATIOS SINK
Why so many Cheshire patios sink or rock and why ours stay put.
Stockport and East Cheshire sit on heavy, wet clay. A patio laid on a thin base and five blobs of mortar lets rainwater sit under the slabs, freeze and lift them. Ours go down on a deep, solid base with no gaps underneath.
Solid mortar under every inch of every slab
- ✓ No hollow gaps, so water has nowhere to sit and freeze.
- ✓ Laid to a gentle slope so rain runs off into a drain, not towards the house.
- ✓ Covered by our 10-year written guarantee against sinking and frost lift.
Five dabs of mortar on a thin base
- ✗ Most of each slab sits over empty air, so corners crack and rock.
- ✗ Rain fills the gaps, freezes, expands and pops slabs loose.
- ✗ Leaves dark damp rings showing through sandstone.
THE 214mm PATIO BUILD-UP
Our patio in five layers, 214mm deep
- 20mmPorcelain or sandstone slabAnti-slip porcelain barely soaks up water, so moss and frost struggle.
- 4mmBonding slurry on every slabGlues the slab to its bed so it can’t work loose in winter.
- 40mmFull bed of mortarSolid underneath, with no gaps for water to collect.
- 150mmCompacted crushed stoneThe firm base that stops sinking, rolled flat in two layers.
- BaseHeavy membrane over the clayStops wet clay squeezing up into the stone.
Full BS 7533 specification (for the curious)
- Surface: 20mm R11 rectified Italian vitrified porcelain (<0.05% water absorption) or 22mm calibrated Indian sandstone, 5mm resin joints.
- Bond: SBR polymer & cement slurry brushed over 100% of each slab underside.
- Bed: 40mm 4:1 washed sharp sand & cement full wet bed, laser-set to a 1:80 fall into flush ACO channels.
- Sub-base: 150mm MOT Type 1 (0–31.5mm crushed limestone) in two 75mm lifts with a 90kg plate compactor; 250mm in three lifts on driveways.
- Separation: 150gsm woven geotextile over trimmed boulder-clay formation.
02 · INSTANT PATIO & DRIVEWAY PRICE CHECK
Check your all-in price before you even ring us.
Pick a surface, then tap a size or slide to your own. You’ll see the all-in price, what that size looks like in real life, and how much clay comes out.
Italian Porcelain Patio (£185/m² all-in)
About £5,920 all-in
That’s about: a 6-seater table plus a corner sofa
Clay Excavated
9.6 tonnes
Crushed Stone Base
7.2 tonnes
Foundation Dig
214mm (150mm sub-base)
On-Site Duration
5–6 working days
SPEC GVL-S01 · BS 7533 PATIOS
20mm R11 Italian Vitrified Porcelain Patios
£185 / m² all-inLarge 600×900mm Italian porcelain slabs on our 214mm build-up. A Standard Family Patio (approx. 32 m² — 6-seater table + corner sofa) is ~£5,920 all-in. Patios in detail →
214mm Dig
150mm Type 1
4mm SBR Slurry
R11 Anti-Slip
SPEC GVL-S02 · NATURAL STONE
Calibrated Natural Indian Sandstone Patios
£115 / m² all-in22mm calibrated Kandla Grey, Raj Green or Rippon Buff sandstone on a full mortar bed, sealed underneath so damp rings can’t show through. A 25 m² patio is £2,875 all-in.
22mm Calibrated
Full Wet Bed
Resin Pointed
10-Yr Guarantee
SPEC GVL-S03 · 310mm SuDS DRIVES
SuDS Permeable Block & UV-Resin Driveways
£140 / m² all-in310mm dig, 250mm of compacted permeable stone, granite kerbs set in concrete and a flush drain at the door. A 2-Car Side-by-Side Driveway (approx. 45 m²) is ~£6,300 all-in. Driveways in detail →
310mm Dig-Out
250mm Sub-Base
2008 SuDS Legal
3.5T Axle Rated
SPEC GVL-S04 · RETAINING WALLS
Green-Oak Sleeper Retaining Walls & Steps
From £210 / lin.mStructural 200×100mm green-oak sleepers on concrete footings, screwed together, with a membrane and a perforated drain behind so water can’t push the wall over. Retaining walls & steps →
200×100mm Oak
ST2 Footing
French Land Drain
12V IP67 LEDs
SPEC GVL-S05 · BOUNDARY JOINERY
DuraPost & Western Red Cedar Screening
From £130 / lin.mSteel DuraPost or heavy concrete posts set 600mm deep in concrete, with horizontal cedar slats or pressure-treated panels. Fencing, gates & turf →
600mm Post Footing
Concrete or Steel Posts
Canadian Cedar
Hit-and-Miss or Slatted
SPEC GVL-S06 · DRAINAGE & TURF
French Land Drains & Rolawn Medallion Turf
From £38 / m²Dry out a waterlogged clay lawn with 100mm perforated land drains laid in a herringbone pattern in washed shingle, fresh sandy topsoil and Rolawn Medallion turf. Lawn drainage →
100mm Perforated Pipe
70/30 Sandy Topsoil
Granite Mowing Edge
Rolawn Medallion
03 · SAME-CAMERA GROUNDWORK PROOF & FIXED PACKAGES
Drag to inspect what sits underneath — then pick your turnkey garden package.
Every customer gets dated stage photos of the 214mm excavation, geotextile membrane, and plate-compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base before a single porcelain slab is laid.
POWNALL PARK, BRAMHALL (SK7) — SAME-CAMERA STAGE COMPARISON
← Drag Handle Left / Right →
DAY 2: 214mm DIG + 150mm COMPACTED MOT TYPE 1
DAY 6: 20mm R11 PORCELAIN + FLUSH ACO DRAIN
Essential Indian Sandstone Patio (25 m²)
£2,875 all-in
- ✓ Full 214mm micro-digger excavation & licensed grab-lorry clay muck-away
- ✓ 150gsm woven geotextile membrane + 150mm plate-compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- ✓ 22mm calibrated Natural Indian Sandstone (Kandla Grey, Raj Green, or Rippon Buff)
- ✓ 40mm 4:1 full wet mortar bed, 4mm SBR bond bridge & weatherproof resin jointing
- ✓ 10-Year Written Sub-Base Guarantee
Most Chosen · Save £420
R11 Porcelain Terrace, ACO Drain & Oak Sleepers (30 m²)
£7,080 all-in
- ★ Everything in the Essential Patio specification, plus:
- + Upgrade to 20mm R11 Italian Vitrified Porcelain (600×900mm rectified slabs) with mitred bullnose step edges
- + Flush ACO HexDrain threshold channel along bi-fold or patio doors
- + 6 linear metres of 200×100mm green-oak sleeper raised planter bed with rear French drain
- + 4× recessed 12V IP67 warm-white LED step & sleeper riser lights
Multi-Level Sloping Garden & Terrace Transformation (55 m²+)
From £17,250
- ★ Everything in the Porcelain Terrace Package, plus:
- + Structural multi-tier retaining walls in 200×100mm green oak or rendered hollow-core blockwork on concrete footings
- + Wide porcelain bullnose steps linking lower dining terrace to upper garden level
- + 100mm perforated herringbone land-drain network across heavy clay lawn
- + 70/30 sandy topsoil, Rolawn Medallion turf & Western Red Cedar boundary screening
04 · FATHER & SON · VERIFIED LOCAL DOSSIERS
Built personally by David & Callum Mercer — never farmed out to subcontractors.
The two people who arrive with the Leica rotary laser level to measure your garden are the exact same two people who drive the Kubota digger, compact the Type 1 stone, and mitre every porcelain slab.
DAVID MERCER (54) & CALLUM MERCER (28)
One Project at a Time from Start to Finish
Based at Yard 7, Newby Road Industrial Estate, Hazel Grove (SK7 5DA), we own our own narrow-access 710mm Kubota micro-diggers, tracked dumpers, and 90kg plate compactors — so we never leave your garden half-dug waiting on hire-shop machinery.
BS 7533 Spec
Grab-Lorry Muck-Away
10-Yr Guarantee
Final Invoice: £13,950
POWNALL PARK, BRAMHALL (SK7)
68 m² Two-Tier R11 Italian Porcelain Terrace, Oak Planters & Flush Bi-Fold ACO Drain
Excavated18T Clay
Sub-Base150mm Type 1
Duration8 Working Days
"Three quotes came in — two couldn't tell us how deep they dug, and David handed us a printed section drawing showing 150mm Type 1, 40mm full mortar bed and SBR slurry on every slab. Two winters on and not a single puddle." — Sarah & Richard Bradshaw, Bramhall (SK7)
Final Invoice: £13,300
SWANN LANE, CHEADLE HULME (SK8)
95 m² SuDS Permeable Charcoal Block & UV-Resin Driveway with Silver Granite Kerbs
Excavated26T Clay
Sub-Base250mm Type 3
Duration7 Working Days
"Our old tarmac drive flooded by the garage every heavy downpour. David and Callum dug out 310mm, put in 26 tonnes of permeable stone and granite kerbs in concrete, and finished on day seven. Bone dry in torrential rain." — Simon Whittaker, Cheadle Hulme (SK8)
Final Invoice: £7,600
STRINES ROAD, MARPLE (SK6)
Tiered 200×100mm Green-Oak Sleeper Retaining Walls, French Land Drain & Bullnose Steps
Excavated14T Bank
Drainage100mm French
Duration6 Working Days
"Our back garden in Marple was a steep, waterlogged clay bank. David and Callum carved it into two level terraces with oak sleepers, shingle land drains behind every wall, and wide stone steps with warm lights." — Claire & Matthew Hughes, Marple (SK6)
Final Invoice: £8,950
WOODFORD ROAD, BRAMHALL (SK7)
42 m² Quartz R11 Porcelain Dining Terrace, Oak Planters & Western Red Cedar Screening
Excavated11T Clay
Sub-Base150mm Type 1
Duration6 Working Days
"Callum's mitred porcelain step edges and recessed 12V lights look like an architectural hotel terrace. Everything was laser-levelled to the millimetre and our front drive was jet-washed spotless before they left." — Dr Helen & Mark Armitage, Woodford (SK7)
Final Invoice: £7,280
HANDFORTH ROAD, WILMSLOW (SK9)
52 m² Honey-Gold UV-Stable SuDS Resin-Bound Driveway & Charcoal Granite Sett Border
Excavated15T Clay
Sub-Base250mm Type 3
Duration5 Working Days
"We didn't want planning permission delays for a new two-car drive. David specified a full SuDS permeable resin-bound system with charcoal granite borders. Zero weeds, zero puddles, and rock-solid under two electric SUVs." — Andrew & Fiona Bell, Wilmslow (SK9)
Final Invoice: £9,500
CHESTER ROAD NORTH, POYNTON (SK12)
64 m² Charcoal Tegula Block Driveway, Silver Granite Sett Apron & Flush ACO Channel
Excavated19T Clay
Sub-Base250mm Type 1
Duration6 Working Days
"We loved that it was just David and Callum on site every morning at 7:45am — no subcontractors, no mess, and a written 10-year sub-base guarantee handed over at the end." — Peter & Gillian Thornton, Poynton (SK12)
05 · STOCKPORT, EAST CHESHIRE & KNUTSFORD
Book a free 30-minute survey with David’s laser level.
We cover ten areas from the Heatons to Knutsford, all within about 35 minutes of our yard in Hazel Grove (SK7 5DA). David measures your ground and the slope, checks your side gate (our digger needs 710mm), brings full-size slabs to try against your brickwork, and emails a fixed, itemised price within 48 hours.
Yard 7 · Hazel Grove (SK7 5DA)
What David Brings to Your 30-Min Survey
- Leica rotary laser level to measure fall & DPC height
- 710mm side-gate check for our Kubota micro-digger
- Full-size porcelain & stone sample slabs to view in daylight
STEP 1 OF 3
33% Complete · Takes 30 Seconds
1. Postcode Check
2. Project Scope
3. Survey Slot
✓ Got it, thank you
Rather talk? Site & Yard Hours: Mon–Sat 7:30am–6pm — David’s mobile rings first (0161 570 8698); if we’re on the digger, reception takes your postcode and David calls back after 5pm.
How can a narrow side gate fit your digger & dumper? +
Our Kubota U10-5 micro-excavator and tracked high-tip dumper have hydraulically retractable tracks that narrow down to 710mm (28 inches) — narrow enough for most side gates and garden paths. We lay heavy-duty 12mm ground-protection boards along your drive and side path so existing surfaces stay unmarked.
Do I need council planning permission for a new driveway? +
Not when we build to the 2008 SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) regulations. By laying permeable UV-stable resin-bound aggregate or Marshalls Priora permeable blocks over a 250mm open-graded Type 3 crushed granite sub-base — or directing surface water into a flush ACO channel connected to a soakaway within your boundary — you normally won’t need planning permission. We’ll confirm at the survey.
How do your stage payments & 10-year guarantee work? +
We take £0 upfront deposit to book your date in our diary. You pay the stone/materials invoice only when the pallets are physically craned onto your driveway on Day 1, and you pay the labour balance only on completion once we walk the finished levels together and hand over your signed 10-Year Sub-Base & Frost-Heave Guarantee certificate.