BESA Building & Groundworks - Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Devon, South & South West England

Dorset · Hampshire · Somerset · Devon

Patio Laying

Natural stone, porcelain and multi-tone sandstone, laid on proper drainage foundations — not a bed of sand and hope. The kind of finish that still looks sharp five winters on.

Limestone patio laid by BESA Building & Groundworks against a period stone and flint house

Built the way it should be, not the way it's quickest

Most patio failures — cracked slabs, pooling water, joints opening up after a hard winter — trace back to what's underneath, not the paving itself. We come from a drainage background, so we treat the sub-base and falls on every patio with the same care we'd give an actual drain, not as a box to tick before the slabs go down.

Every patio gets a properly excavated and compacted sub-base, correct falls away from the house, and bedding suited to the material — whether that's a honed limestone terrace against a period stone-and-flint elevation, or a multi-tone sandstone patio running the length of a garden.

What we lay

How we approach it

We excavate to the correct depth, install and compact a proper sub-base, and set falls so surface water runs away from the house rather than sitting on the patio or against a wall. Where a soakaway or drainage connection is needed for the runoff, we design and install that as part of the same job — no need to bring in a separate contractor to sort the water once the stone's already down.

Ready to get started?

Call us directly or send your details through the form and we'll get back to you, usually the same day during working hours.

Call 0800 043 4200

Frequently asked questions

Why does my current patio keep flooding or pooling water?
Usually because it was laid flat or with the wrong fall, so water has nowhere to go. Getting the fall and drainage right at the groundwork stage is what actually prevents this — it's not something you can easily fix afterwards without relaying.
Can you match paving around existing walls, steps or features?
Yes — this is exactly the kind of detail we pay close attention to. Cuts around thresholds, manholes, downpipes and boundary walls should look deliberate, not like the paving simply ran out.
Can you install drainage as part of the patio job?
Yes — since drainage is our main trade, we can design and install a soakaway or surface water connection as part of the same visit, so the patio has somewhere for water to actually go.
WhatsApp us Email us Call 0800 043 4200