Local service
Patios in Livingston
Replacing builder's slabs and soggy lawns with level, well-drained porcelain and stone patios.
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We design and lay patios in Livingston and nearby Murieston and Dedridge – porcelain, natural stone and paving on a properly prepared base, finished on time and for the price we quoted.
The most common patio job we see in Livingston is a replacement. A house built in the 1990s or 2000s came with a few rows of thin concrete slabs on a sand bed outside the back door. Twenty years on, they've sunk, rocked, gone green and the joints are full of weeds. The lawn beyond is often wet for half the year. A new patio fixes both.
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Patios in Livingston: how we work
Starting with what the builder left
Under many Livingston gardens there's a thin layer of topsoil over clay and compacted subsoil, sometimes with brick and concrete left over from the build. Water can't drain through it, so slabs laid straight on top move and puddles sit by the house. We dig out to firm ground, take away the rubble, and build up a compacted stone sub-base. Where the ground is especially wet, we add a soakaway or a channel drain so water has somewhere to go.
Setting levels against the house
On estate homes the patio usually sits right against the back wall and patio doors. We keep the surface below the damp-proof course and set a gentle fall away from the house, so rain runs into the garden, not towards the door.
Laying for the long term
Slabs go on a full mortar bed rather than dabs, porcelain is primed on the back, and joints are filled with a compound that keeps weeds out.
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Patio ideas for Livingston gardens
Make the patio bigger
Builder's patios are often too narrow for a table and chairs. Taking it out to 3 or 4 metres makes it a usable room.
Porcelain for low maintenance
Livingston back gardens are often overlooked and partly shaded by fences, which encourages algae. Porcelain resists it far better than concrete slabs.
Add privacy
A raised bed or a section of slatted screen along one side gives the patio some shelter from neighbouring windows.
Combine with a path
A path from the patio to the shed or bin store saves walking across a wet lawn.
Turf what's left
If the lawn is tired, we can prepare the ground and re-turf at the same time.
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Choosing materials
Porcelain is the most popular choice in Livingston for its clean look and easy care, usually in greys that suit modern brick and render houses. Sandstone gives a warmer, more natural look and works well in larger gardens in Murieston and Bellsquarry. See porcelain patios and natural stone patios for the detail.
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Where we lay patios around Livingston
Across all of Livingston, from Dedridge, Eliburn and Craigshill to Murieston, Bellsquarry and Adambrae, plus East Calder, Mid Calder, West Calder and Kirknewton.
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What affects the cost of a patio in Livingston
Removing the old patio
Builder's slabs come up quickly, but the sand and rubble beneath them need digging out and taking away.
Ground conditions
Compacted clay and builder's fill mean a deeper sub-base, and very wet gardens may need a soakaway.
Size
Taking a 1-metre strip out to a 3 or 4-metre patio is the biggest single factor.
Material
Porcelain and good sandstone cost more than concrete slabs, but last far longer and need less upkeep.
Access
Mid-terrace homes in Craigshill or Ladywell without a side path mean carrying everything through the house.
Extras
Steps, raised beds, edging or a path to the shed.
You get a written quote that lists each part, so you can see where the money goes.
Livingston patio FAQs
Can you reuse my old slabs?
Builder's slabs are usually thin, porous and stained, so they're rarely worth relaying. If you have better-quality stone, we'll reuse what we can.
My garden is always wet. Will a patio make it worse?
Not if the drainage is planned. A patio laid to fall onto a soakaway, gravel edge or channel drain can actually make the garden drier near the house.
How long will the work take?
Most Livingston back-garden patios take around a week, including removing the old slabs and preparing the ground.
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Get a quote for a patio in Livingston
Send us a photo of your back garden and a rough size. We'll come out to measure up and quote. Call or text 07426 792387 or request a free quote. See also our patios page and other services in Livingston.
Free quotes
Get a free, no-obligation quote
Call or text 07426 792387, or send photos through the quote form.