How Much Does a New Patio Cost in Skegness?

Typical price ranges for a fitted patio

Most fitted patios in and around Skegness come in somewhere between £80 and £180 per square metre, including materials, groundwork and labour. A modest 15 square metre patio off the back door might be around £1,400 to £2,500. A larger 30 square metre entertaining area in a quality stone or porcelain could be £3,500 to £6,000 or more.

These are rough guides, not fixed prices. Every garden is different, and a proper quote should only come after someone has looked at your site, checked the ground and measured up.

• Concrete slabs: usually the cheapest option, roughly £70 to £110 per square metre fitted
• Indian sandstone: a popular middle ground, often £90 to £150 per square metre fitted
• Porcelain: harder to cut and lay, typically £120 to £180 or more per square metre fitted
• Block paving or natural granite: varies widely depending on pattern and edging

Why the ground underneath matters so much on the coast

The ground round Skegness is flat and low lying, with sandy soils near the seafront and heavier marsh clay further inland towards Burgh le Marsh and Wainfleet. The water table can sit close to the surface, especially after a wet winter. That makes the sub base and drainage the most important part of the job.

A patio that lasts needs the topsoil dug out, usually 150mm to 200mm deep, then a compacted layer of MOT Type 1 before the slabs go down on a full mortar bed. Cutting corners here is how you end up with rocking slabs, puddles against the house and weeds pushing through within a couple of years. If a quote is much cheaper than the others, ask exactly how deep they plan to dig and what goes underneath.

Other things that affect your quote

Beyond size and slab choice, a handful of practical details can add a fair bit to the final bill. It is worth thinking about these before you ask for quotes so you can compare like with like.

• Removing an old patio, lawn or concrete, plus skip or grab lorry hire to take the spoil away
• Access: if everything has to go through the house or down a narrow side path by barrow, labour time goes up
• Levels: sloping ground, steps or low retaining walls add materials and hours
• Drainage: a channel drain or soakaway may be needed if the patio falls towards the house or sits on clay
• Finishing: pointing style, edging, and any raised beds or borders built alongside
• Cutting: curves, circles and lots of cuts around drains or trees take longer, especially with porcelain

Choosing materials that cope with sea air

Being close to the coast means your patio deals with salt in the air, wind blown sand and plenty of damp. Porcelain shrugs this off well and stays easy to clean, which is why it has become popular locally despite the higher cost. Sandstone looks lovely but is porous, so it can pick up green algae in shady spots and benefits from sealing.

Cheaper concrete slabs can weather and fade faster in exposed spots in Ingoldmells or Chapel St Leonards. If your garden is open to the wind, spending a little more on a denser material usually pays off over the years.

Timing and getting fair quotes

Spring and early summer are the busiest times for landscaping round Skegness, so booking in autumn or late winter can mean shorter waits. Laying slabs in frost is best avoided, but most work can go ahead through milder winter spells.

Ask for at least two or three written quotes that list the sub base depth, slab type, bedding method and waste removal. If you are paving a front garden larger than 5 square metres, check that the design either uses permeable materials or drains onto a lawn or border, otherwise you may need planning permission from East Lindsey District Council.