Case study · Streatham SW16 · August 2026
Louise's back garden in Streatham was patchy grass and old paving that never looked tidy. We cleared it, built a compacted Type 1 sub-base and paved the whole space in light grey porcelain, with channel drains at the garden room, a new manhole cover and a gravel strip along the side. Five days, £6,480 including VAT.
Where we started
Louise's back garden in Streatham was dominated by patchy, worn grass and old paving, with a garden room at the far end that the garden did nothing to show off. It was hard to keep tidy and there was nowhere level to sit out.
Louise wanted the whole space paved so it would be clean, level and usable all year, with water draining away properly at the garden room doors. It is a typical request for patios in Streatham, where back gardens are often small enough that paving the whole area gives the most usable space.
Before & after
The tricky parts
Step by step
We lifted the existing paving, dug out the worn grass and soil to the depth the new patio needed, and took all the waste away.
The area was levelled and a Type 1 MOT sub-base was laid and compacted. This is what keeps porcelain paving flat over clay ground, which is common in Streatham.
Channel drains were installed along the garden room, and the manhole cover was set to the finished paving level, before the slabs went down.
The 600 × 1200 mm and 600 × 900 mm porcelain slabs were laid on a sharp sand and cement bed, then the joints were grouted.
We finished the side with a gravel strip, cleaned the porcelain down and removed all remaining waste.
Video
The finished work
Budget
The back garden paving came to £6,480 including VAT, materials, labour and waste removal: £4,960 for the main area of about 5m × 5m and £1,520 for the smaller 1.8m × 2.5m corner. The channel drains, manhole cover and gravel strip were part of the job. See more prices and options on our patios in Streatham page.
Get a free quoteQuestions
Thinking about something similar? These are the questions we hear most.
This back garden in Streatham SW16 cost £6,480 including VAT for just under 30 square metres of porcelain across two areas, including the sub-base, channel drains, manhole cover, gravel strip and waste removal. Every garden is different, so we quote after a free survey.
When paving runs up to a building, rainwater needs a way out that is not the doorstep. A channel drain collects it along the threshold and takes it away, which protects the doors and stops puddles forming.
Type 1 MOT is a crushed stone sub-base that is laid and compacted under the paving. It spreads the load and stops slabs sinking or rocking, which is especially important on the clay ground found across much of Streatham.
This one took five days on site, from lifting the old paving to the final clean. Larger gardens, steps or walls would take longer.
Yes, our base is in Norbury, so Streatham, Streatham Hill, Norbury and Thornton Heath are all close by. See all our landscaping in Streatham.
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020 3633 5529 info@finelandscape.co.ukFine Landscape Ltd
31 Tylecroft Road, Norbury, London SW16 4BL
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