Case study · Bromley BR1 · October 2026
Freddy's old patio was small, uneven and hard to use. We took it back to bare ground, re-routed the pipework, poured a new concrete base and laid a larger patio in beige porcelain, with porcelain-clad steps down to the lawn.
Where we started
Freddy's semi-detached house in Bromley had a patio that no longer did its job. It was smaller than the family wanted, the surface had become uneven, and it did not make the most of the space directly outside the back doors.
The aim was a bigger, level patio across the full width of the house that would be easy to keep clean, with a safe, smart step down to the lawn and a matching path along the side of the house. It is typical of the porcelain patios in Bromley we are asked to build: more usable space directly outside the back doors, with low maintenance.
Before & after
The tricky parts
Step by step
The old patio and the uneven ground beside the house were broken out and dug down, and the waste was taken away.
With the ground open, the pipework was re-arranged to suit the new layout. Timber formwork was then set out to the finished height and shape of the patio, including the line of the step.
Instead of laying slabs on a thin bed over loose ground, we poured a concrete base across the whole patio area inside the formwork. It gives the large porcelain slabs a flat, solid surface to sit on, and is the main reason this patio will stay level where the old one sank.
The beige 600 × 900 mm porcelain slabs were laid on the base, starting along the side path and working across the main patio. Large slabs mean fewer joints, which makes the patio quicker to sweep and keeps weeds out.
The full-width step was built and its faces clad in matching porcelain. The manhole cover was set flush within the paving, the joints were pointed, and the patio was cleaned down for handover.
Video
The finished work
Budget
This project came in at £12,000–£15,000, including materials, labour and waste removal. The main things that shaped the price were the larger patio area, the concrete base, the porcelain-clad step and the pipework and manhole work. A simpler patio on good existing ground would cost less; more steps, walls or drainage would cost more. For other options and prices, see our page on patios in Bromley.
Get a free quoteQuestions
Thinking about something similar? These are the questions we hear most.
Porcelain is thin and very rigid, so it needs a flat, solid surface underneath. A concrete base stops individual slabs rocking or cracking, especially with large 600 × 900 mm slabs like these, and suits ground that has been dug out and built back up.
Yes. The cover has to stay accessible, so we don't pave over it. We set it to the finished level of the patio so it sits flush and doesn't become a trip point. If an old patio has sunk or cracked around a cover, our patio repairs in Bromley page explains the options.
Porcelain hardly absorbs water, so most dirt sits on the surface and sweeps or washes off. Large slabs also mean fewer joints for dirt and weeds to settle in.
This one took 10 to 14 days on site, including breaking out the old patio, pipework, the concrete base, laying, the step and cleaning. A smaller patio with no drainage work would be quicker.
Yes, across the whole borough, including Beckenham, Shortlands, Chislehurst, Orpington, West Wickham, Hayes and Keston. See all our landscaping work in Bromley.
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