The 7 most common driveway repairs we do
1. Sunken areas (block paving)
Blocks drop by 10–30mm, usually near vehicle turning points or at the entry. Caused by sub-base failure in that spot. Fix: lift the sunken blocks, rebuild the sub-base under them, re-lay. £180–£450 per repair.
2. Failing edges / perimeter walk
Blocks at the edge tilt outward over time when edge restraint fails. Fix: excavate perimeter, pour concrete haunching, re-set the edge course. £300–£800 depending on edge length.
3. Weeds growing in joints
Jointing sand has eroded, seeds now find soil. Fix: power-wash joints, apply weed killer, refill with kiln-dried sand, optional seal. £250–£600 for most drives.
4. Tarmac potholes
Impact damage, frost heave, or base failure. Fix: cut out a clean square, rebuild sub-base if needed, hot tarmac infill, rolled level. £120–£350 per pothole.
5. Tarmac surface crazing / cracking
Small spidery cracks across the surface. If it's cosmetic, a sealant overlay fixes it. If cracks go deep, area needs cut-and-patch. £200–£900.
6. Cracked / stained individual blocks
One or two damaged blocks stand out on an otherwise fine drive. Fix: lift damaged blocks, install replacements matched from your spare stock (or sourced). £40–£120 per block.
7. Oil stain removal
Professional poultice-based stain lifters, hot-wash technique. Works on 80% of stains even after a year. £80–£300 per stain area.
We quote repairs like this:
1. Come out. 2. Look. 3. Tell you the repair cost OR tell you honestly that replacement is cheaper long-term. We don't talk you into a full rebuild. That's the wrong business.
When repair is the wrong answer
We'll tell you to replace if:
- More than 30% of the drive is failing.
- The sub-base is fundamentally wrong (too thin, no MOT1, no compaction).
- Drainage is missing entirely.
- The repair cost is more than 60% of the replacement cost.
Anything less and we repair. Every time.
Repair timeline
- Small fixes (single block, small pothole, joint refresh): Same-day or next-day.
- Medium (sunken section, edge rebuild, oil stain): 1 working day.
- Large (multiple areas, partial base rebuild): 2–4 days.
Our repair guarantee
Repairs carry a 5-year workmanship guarantee — separate from the 15-year new-drive guarantee. If the area we repaired fails in 5 years, we come back and redo it free.