07398 794085info@ns-landscaping.co.uk
Open 6am–8pm, 7 days a weekInverness & the Highlands
NS & Sons Landscape Gardening
07398 794085Get a Free Quote
Service

Patio Installation
in Inverness &
the Highlands.

Patios built from the ground up, proper sub-base, drainage designed in, edges restrained, joints filled cleanly. Block paving, porcelain slabs and concrete flags. Not surface-laid, not likely to sink in three winters.

Verified on MyBuilder 15+ years' combined experience Free written quotes

15+ Years

Combined experience

MyBuilder

Verified profile

Homes & Commercial

Restaurants, hotels, gyms

6am – 8pm

7 days a week

Highlands-wide

Inverness & surrounding

Overview

The service,
in plain terms.

What it is

Full patio installation, from marking out and excavating, to laying a compacted sub-base with drainage, to installing block paving or slabs of your choice, with proper edge restraints, jointing and final wash-down.

Who it's for

Homeowners upgrading a tired old patio or creating one where there wasn't one, house-movers landscaping a new garden, hotel and restaurant terraces and beer gardens, and any property owner who wants an outdoor space that reads as premium rather than budget.

When you need it

When an existing patio has sunk, cracked, become slippery or is heaving with weeds through the joints. When you're extending or opening up patio doors. When garden furniture keeps ending up on grass because there's nowhere flat to put it. Or when you're finishing off a wider landscaping job.

Why professional matters

The visible slabs are only 20% of a patio. The other 80% is what's underneath, sub-base compaction, drainage falls, edge restraint, correct laying course. Skip that and any patio, no matter how expensive the top layer, sinks, cracks and pools water within a few winters.

What happens if you leave it

The cost of
putting it off.

Sunk, sagging patios pool water

A patio laid without proper sub-base or falls holds puddles after every rain shower, gets slippery in winter, and eventually cracks as freeze-thaw works on the standing water.

Weed-jointed patios look neglected fast

Patios pointed with the wrong material, or dry-jointed with kiln sand and forgotten, turn into weed farms inside two summers. Once the weeds are in, they're hard to get out without lifting slabs.

Cheap surface-laid patios crack under load

A patio laid on a thin bed of sand over grass will hold a picnic table for one summer and start cracking the moment a builder's van backs onto it or the ground below settles unevenly.

Why it's worth it

What you actually
get for the money.

Built on real foundations

Compacted Type 1 sub-base at the right depth means the patio won't sink, no matter how many years of Highland freeze-thaw it goes through.

Drainage designed in

Falls set correctly at excavation stage, water runs off cleanly to soakaway or drainage rather than sitting on the slabs.

Clean, cut edges

Wet-saw cutting at obstacles and edges (not chipped hammer breaks), producing a finish that reads as intentional and looks premium.

Weeds stay out

Properly-jointed patios (resin or mortar rather than dry sand) don't seed weeds through the joints two summers in.

Adds real property value

A well-built patio in a good material actually adds resale value. A cheap patio, especially one already sinking, subtracts from it.

Choice of premium materials

Porcelain, natural stone, concrete slab and block paving all handled, with honest advice on what suits your garden and budget.

Our process

How the job
gets done.

  1. 01

    Design, measure & materials

    We walk the area with you, agree the shape and material (block paving, porcelain, concrete slab, natural stone), check falls for drainage, and quote a fixed total.

  2. 02

    Excavation & sub-base

    Ground excavated to full depth. A layer of Type 1 MOT sub-base compacted in stages so the finished bed will actually take load.

  3. 03

    Drainage & falls set

    Correct falls (roughly 1:80) built in so water runs off the patio, away from the house, into either a soakaway or existing drainage as appropriate.

  4. 04

    Lay, cut & align

    Slabs or blocks laid on the correct bedding (mortar for slabs, sharp sand for block paving), cut cleanly on the wet saw where they meet edges or awkward angles.

  5. 05

    Joint, restrain & clean

    Edge restraints installed, joints filled with the right pointing material (resin, mortar or kiln-dried sand depending on material), and the whole patio washed off.

Materials we work with

Block paving, durable, versatile, easy to repair (individual blocks can be lifted and re-laid), available in a wide range of colours and patterns. Our default for anything that needs to take vehicle load or high foot traffic. Porcelain slabs, ultra-durable, virtually maintenance-free, don't fade or stain, non-slip variants ideal for Highland weather. More expensive up front, cheaper to own long-term. Concrete slabs, cost-effective for larger areas, huge choice of finishes from smooth to riven-stone effect. Natural stone (sandstone, limestone, granite), beautiful, but needs correct sealing and careful jointing to age well in a wet climate. We'll walk you through the trade-offs at quote stage.

Why the sub-base matters more than the surface

A patio is a load-bearing structure that has to survive years of frost, saturation and use. Everything you can see (the slabs) is supported by everything you can't (the sub-base). We excavate to full depth, lay 100–150mm of Type 1 MOT aggregate compacted in layers with a plate compactor, then set the laying course (sharp sand for block paving; mortar for slabs) on top. Skip or thin the sub-base and the patio sinks, no exceptions.

Drainage: the difference between usable and useless

A patio without correct falls is a patio you can't use two days after rain. We build in a fall of roughly 1:80 across the finished surface, imperceptible visually but enough to drain water clear. Where the patio abuts the house, drainage falls away from the wall; where it drains into a soakaway or existing surface-water system, we design the connection properly rather than leaving water to find its own way.

Edge restraint and jointing

Every patio needs to be restrained at the edges or the slabs slowly walk outward. That's a concrete haunch under the edge blocks for block paving, or a mortar edge and matching haunch for slabs. Jointing depends on material: kiln-dried sand for block paving, resin-based jointing compound for porcelain and natural stone (best long-term weed defence), or traditional mortar pointing where the look calls for it. Cheap patios skip both and start moving within a year.

Residential and commercial patios

For homes: garden patios, seating areas, extension aprons, front-of-house paths and steps. For commercial customers: hotel terraces, restaurant beer gardens, gym outdoor areas, laid to the same standard, timed around opening hours where needed. Commercial patios usually spec porcelain or a heavier-duty concrete for slip resistance and long life under high footfall.

FAQ

Common
questions.

Straight answers on cost, timing, materials and what happens after the job's done. Anything else, call 07398 794085.

How much does a new patio cost?+
It varies hugely with size, material choice and site conditions. Porcelain or natural stone will cost more than concrete slab; a small square patio will cost less than a large wraparound. We give a fixed quote after visiting the site, factoring in excavation, materials and finish.
How long does a patio take to install?+
A standard-size patio (roughly 20–30m²) usually takes 5–8 working days from excavation to final wash-down, weather permitting. Larger or more complex jobs, porcelain, natural stone, multi-level, run longer. We give a realistic timeframe with the quote.
Can you replace an existing patio?+
Yes. We can lift and dispose of the old patio, excavate to a proper depth, and lay a new one on correct foundations. If the existing sub-base is sound (rare) we'll say so and factor that into the quote.
What materials do you recommend for a Highland garden?+
Porcelain if budget allows, it's virtually maintenance-free, doesn't stain and handles freeze-thaw beautifully. Block paving is a strong middle-ground: durable, repairable and available in warm tones. Natural stone is beautiful but wants sealing and careful maintenance in our climate.
Do you handle the drainage?+
Yes, drainage falls are built in at excavation stage, and we can install soakaways or connect to existing surface-water drainage where needed. Groundwork and drainage are part of the patio job, not extras.
Will weeds grow through the joints?+
Not if the patio is jointed correctly, resin-based jointing for porcelain and natural stone, mortar for slabs, kiln-dried sand for block paving. Dry-jointed budget patios do seed weeds within a couple of summers.
Can I get a patio installed as part of wider landscaping?+
Yes, that's often the smart order. Combining a patio with fencing, turf, raised beds or a full garden reset saves cost and produces a joined-up finished garden rather than a patchwork of separate jobs.
Which areas do you cover for patios?+
Inverness, Nairn, Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Aviemore, the Black Isle, Muir of Ord and Beauly.
Ready when you are

Get a patio you'll
actually enjoy using.

Fixed price, honest material advice, built on real foundations. Tell us the space and we'll come and quote it properly.

Get a Free Quote Call 07398 794085

Free quotes · No obligation · Cash or bank transfer · 6am–8pm, 7 days

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