Access through the house
With no side access, all the broken concrete and soil came out through the house, and every bag of Type 1 and every slab went in the same way.
Case study · Brixton SW2 · June–July 2025
Autumn Brown sandstone patio and sleeper retaining wall in Brixton
Alexandria's garden in Brixton had old concrete, a brick wall and uneven ground, and the only way in was through the house. We broke out the concrete, dug out the soil and carried it all out through the house, removed the brick wall and kept the tree. The new patio went down on a Type 1 base compacted in layers, in Autumn Brown Indian sandstone from a project pack, with eco drains connected to the manhole and a new manhole cover. A sleeper retaining wall holds an upper area ready for soil and grass later, paved above in the same stone, and a slatted fence runs down the right side. Two weeks, around £18,000 all in.
- Location
- Brixton, SW2
- Client
- Alexandria
- Price
- Around £18,000, all in
- Time on site
- 2 weeks
- Paving
- Autumn Brown Indian sandstone, project pack
- Access
- All materials and waste through the house
Where we started
The brief
Alexandria's home in Brixton has a narrow garden reached only through the house. It was covered in old concrete and soil, with a brick wall in the way and a mature tree worth keeping.
The aim was a clean, level patio now, with a raised area held back by a retaining wall that could be finished with soil and grass later. Everything, in and out, had to go through the house. It is a good example of the patios in Brixton we build where access is tight.
Before & after
The same garden, before and after
The tricky parts
What went into it
Step by step
How we built it
Breaking out and clearing through the house
The old concrete was broken out and the soil dug out, all carried out through the house.
Breaking out old concrete beside the house in Brixton 
Garden cleared and dug out ready for the new base Brick wall out, tree kept, fence up
The brick wall was removed, the tree retained, and a slatted fence fitted down the right side.
Retained tree beside the new sandstone paving 
New slatted fence along the side of the garden Sleeper retaining wall
A sleeper retaining wall was built to hold an upper area ready for soil and grass later.
Sleeper retaining wall with the upper area ready for soil 
Sleeper wall beside the sandstone paving and eco drain Sandstone, eco drains and the manhole cover
Autumn Brown sandstone was laid on the compacted Type 1 base, with eco drains connected to the manhole and a new manhole cover.
Eco drain running across the new sandstone patio 
Sandstone patio with eco drains and manhole cover
Video
Before and after on video
Alexandria's garden in Brixton before the work, with old concrete and soil.
The finished Autumn Brown sandstone patio, sleeper retaining wall and slatted fence.
The finished work
The finished garden
“Brilliant job from start to finish. The paving looks fantastic and the garden feels totally transformed.”
Budget
What it cost
This project came to around £18,000 all in: breaking out the concrete, digging out the soil and removing the brick wall with everything going through the house, a Type 1 base compacted in layers, Autumn Brown Indian sandstone on two levels, eco drains connected to the manhole, a new manhole cover, a sleeper retaining wall and a slatted fence, over two weeks. See our patios in Brixton page for more.
Get a free quote- Price
- Around £18,000, all in
- Time on site
- 2 weeks
- Paving
- Autumn Brown Indian sandstone, project pack
Questions
About sandstone patios with access through the house
Thinking about something similar? These are the questions we hear most.
How much does a sandstone patio cost in Brixton?
Alexandria's garden in Brixton SW2 came to around £18,000 all in for clearing concrete and soil through the house, a Type 1 base, Autumn Brown Indian sandstone on two levels, eco drains, a manhole cover, a sleeper retaining wall and a slatted fence, over two weeks.
Can you build a patio if the only access is through the house?
Yes. On this job all the concrete and soil came out through the house and all the materials went in the same way.
What is Autumn Brown Indian sandstone?
It is a warm, multi-toned natural sandstone in browns, buffs and rust. A project pack mixes several slab sizes for a random pattern.
Can you keep a tree when building a patio?
Yes. Here the existing tree was kept and the paving worked around it.
What is a sleeper retaining wall for?
Timber sleepers hold back soil where there is a change of level. Here the wall holds an upper area ready to be filled with soil and turfed later.
Do you build patios near Brixton?
Yes, including Tulse Hill, Herne Hill, Clapham and Stockwell. See all our landscape gardeners in Brixton.
Free survey
Is your only access through the house?
Tell us about your garden and we will arrange a visit and a written quote.
020 3633 5529 info@finelandscape.co.ukFine Landscape Ltd
31 Tylecroft Road, Norbury, London SW16 4BL
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