Patio ideas and patio design, with UK costs
Size your patio around the furniture with chairs pulled out and room to walk past. Choose sun or shade to suit when you sit outside, and plan where rainwater will drain before choosing paving. Compare porcelain, sandstone and concrete slabs, and use the cost table for UK prices for each.
By Garden Stylist AI. Last updated
Plants in this patio design
Allium 'Purple Sensation'
Dutch garlic 'Purple Sensation'
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- RHS H6, AGM
- US zone
- zone not published
- Soil
- chalk, loam, sand
- Size
- 1m x 50cm
RHS page, checked Oct 2026
Astelia chathamica
silver spear
- Light
- Sun or part shade
- Hardiness
- RHS H3, AGM
- US zone
- zone not published
- Soil
- clay, loam
- Size
- 1.5m x 1m
RHS page, checked Oct 2026
Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'
- Light
- Sun or part shade
- Hardiness
- RHS H6, AGM
- US zone
- 5a to 9b
- Soil
- chalk, clay, loam, sand
- Size
- 1.5m x 1m
RHS page, checked Oct 2026
Fatsia japonica
Japanese aralia
- Light
- Sun to full shade
- Hardiness
- RHS H5, AGM
- US zone
- 7b to 10b
- Soil
- chalk, clay, loam, sand
- Size
- 4m x 4m
RHS page, checked Oct 2026
Geranium [Rozanne] ('Gerwat')
cranesbill [Rozanne]
- Light
- Sun or part shade
- Hardiness
- RHS H7, AGM
- US zone
- 5a to 8b
- Soil
- chalk, clay, loam, sand
- Size
- 1m x 1m
RHS page, checked Oct 2026
Hakonechloa macra
Japanese forest grass
- Light
- Sun to full shade
- Hardiness
- RHS H7, AGM
- US zone
- 5a to 9b
- Soil
- chalk, clay, loam, sand
- Size
- 50cm x 50cm
RHS page, checked Oct 2026
Plants in this patio design
What makes a good patio design?
A good patio is big enough for the furniture and the people who sit at it. Place it where you will use it. The photo above is a paved patio redesigned as an AI generated example in a modern style. Grasses and perennials are planted beside the slabs.
Think about these before you pick a material:
- Where the sun is in the morning and the evening, because that decides when you will sit out.
- Whether you want one large area or a smaller patio with a path to a second spot.
- How the water will drain, since a patio needs a fall towards a suitable drainage outlet, keeping runoff away from the house.
- How much planting you want against the paving.
Planting softens a patio. The table further down includes plants for beds, pots and gaps.
Which patio material should I choose?
Porcelain, sandstone and concrete slabs differ in appearance, maintenance and price. Porcelain is dense and easy to clean. Sandstone has a natural, varied look. Basic concrete slabs can be a lower-cost paving option and come in many finishes. The table shows UK installed prices from named cost guides, with an illustrative 15 m² porcelain estimate calculated from the per-square-metre range.
| Job (UK, installed unless stated) | Typical rate | Worked example | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porcelain patio, installed | £90 to £150 per m2 | 15 m²: £1,350 to £2,250 | Fantastic Services, MyJobQuote |
| Indian sandstone patio, installed | £75 to £130 per m2 | Fantastic Services, MyJobQuote | |
| Concrete slab patio, installed | £50 to £90 per m2 | Fantastic Services, MyJobQuote | |
| Gravel area/driveway, laid with membrane | £40 to £100 per m2 | MyJobQuote, MyJobQuote |
UK averages including labour, read from the named cost guides on 16 October 2026. London and the South East usually sit at the top of each range. Get at least three quotes.
The ranges overlap. The cheapest option in practice depends on the quote and the state of the ground. Location, access, excavation and waste removal can all affect your quote.
What is the cheapest way to make a patio?
Compare gravel and basic concrete slabs if cost is your priority, and ask for quotes covering the same preparation and drainage work. Laying it yourself saves labour but you still need materials, equipment and waste disposal. Choose the base to suit the ground, surface material and expected use.
Can I lay slabs onto soil?
No, slabs need a base. Soil shifts as it gets wet and dry, and slabs laid straight onto it can settle unevenly and become unstable. A lasting patio sits on a compacted layer of crushed stone with a bedding layer on top, laid to a fall towards a suitable drainage outlet so water runs off and away from the house.
If your ground is soft or the patio is large, a contractor can tell you how much base you need.
What plants go around a patio?
Check each planting position for sun, shade, soil depth and drainage, because conditions can differ around the same patio. The table has the plants from the modern design above plus creeping thyme for sunny well-drained joints with occasional foot traffic, a climber for walls and two shrubs that may suit containers. Suitability depends on cultivar, eventual size and winter conditions. Check the sun and soil columns for your own patio.
| Plant | RHS hardiness | USDA zones | Light | Soil | Height x spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch garlic 'Purple Sensation' (Allium 'Purple Sensation') | H6, AGM | zone not published | Full sun | Chalk, Loam, Sand | 1m x 50cm |
| silver spear (Astelia chathamica) | H3, AGM | zone not published | Sun or part shade | Clay, Loam | 1.5m x 1m |
| feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' (Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster') | H6, AGM | 5a to 9b | Sun or part shade | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand | 1.5m x 1m |
| Japanese aralia (Fatsia japonica) | H5, AGM | 7b to 10b | Sun to full shade | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand | 4m x 4m |
| cranesbill [Rozanne] (Geranium [Rozanne] ('Gerwat')) | H7, AGM | 5a to 8b | Sun or part shade | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand | 1m x 1m |
| Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) | H7, AGM | 5a to 9b | Sun to full shade | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand | 50cm x 50cm |
| wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) | H5 | 4a to 9b | Full sun | Chalk, Loam, Sand | 10cm x 50cm |
| star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) | H4, AGM | 8a to 10b | Sun or part shade | Chalk, Loam, Sand | 12m x 8m |
| heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) | H5 | 6a to 9b | Full sun | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand | 2.5m x 1.5m |
| Japanese pittosporum 'Nanum' (Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum') | H3 | 8a to 10b | Sun or part shade | Chalk, Loam, Sand | 1m x 1m |
Facts from each plant's RHS Find a Plant page and the NC State Extension plant toolbox (USDA zones), checked 16 October 2026. Each plant links to its source on the plant list page.
For a Mediterranean look, the Mediterranean page covers more plants for sun and drainage.
How big should a patio be?
Mark the shape out with string or a hose and put the furniture inside it. Leave room to move around the table with the chairs pulled out.
Keeping existing beds may reduce the paved area and its cost. The 15 m² example in the cost table is illustrative. Marking out that size is one way to judge whether it suits your plot.
Porcelain, sandstone or concrete: which lasts longest?
There is no single longest-lasting choice, because product quality, installation, drainage and maintenance all matter. Porcelain resists staining and does not usually need sealing. Natural sandstone can stain and may need sealing, and it weathers and softens over time. Individual porcelain, sandstone and concrete slabs can usually be replaced.
Think about the finish as well. Check that the paving is suitable for outdoor use and has evidence of slip resistance when wet. Ask suppliers for a sample and look at it outside in your own light to judge colour, texture and glare.
How do I link a patio to the rest of the garden?
A patio sits best when the planting around it continues into the borders beyond. In the cottage render above, the planting runs from the edge of the slabs into the lawn borders. A path can connect the patio to the far end of the garden.
For the lawn and borders beyond the patio, see the back garden page. If your space is small, the small spaces page shows how to fit a patio into a courtyard.
Can I use my own patio photo yet?
Rendering from your own photo is not available yet. You can pick a photo, choose the patio preset and join the waitlist for launch updates.
The patio preset is on the waitlist page.
