PorcelainPatiosinBournemouth&Poole
A patio surface that will not crack, stain or fade, laid on a sub-base built to take it, not a garden bed dug out and levelled by eye.
Fixed price, confirmed after a site visit.
- 20mm rectified porcelain, laid on a compacted sub-base
- Falls set so water runs off, not towards the house
- Covered for two years once it is down
★★★★★Checkatrade approved · Google Guaranteed
- 2 yearsWarranty on work
- Owner-ledOne team throughout
- In-houseBy our own team
- CSCS · SSSTS · NVQ 2Qualified team
What It Is
What is a porcelain patio?
Porcelain paving is a dense, rectified tile, usually 20mm thick outdoors, fired at high temperature so it barely absorbs water and will not stain, fade or frost-crack the way natural stone can. It is laid onto a sub-base built to the same standard as a driveway, because a rigid slab has almost no give: any movement in the ground underneath shows as a lipped joint or a cracked corner. It suits a clean, contemporary patio where a flat, consistent finish matters more than the natural variation of stone.
- Dense, low-porosity surface that resists staining
- Laid on the same compacted sub-base as a driveway, not a bed dug out by eye
- A consistent, factory-finished surface, tile to tile
Three steps to a level porcelain patio
The same three steps whether it is a small courtyard or a full garden patio.
011. Site visit and consultation
We measure up, look at access and drainage, and talk through porcelain options and layout.
022. Fixed-price quote
An itemised price for the whole job, sub-base included, before any work starts.
033. Dig-out, sub-base and lay
Old surface out, sub-base compacted to depth, falls set, then the porcelain laid, jointed and cleaned down.
Porcelain versus the alternatives
Porcelain, natural stone and block paving all do the same job differently. Here is how they compare on the things that matter once the patio is down.
| Porcelain | Natural stone | Block paving | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface finish | Consistent, factory-made, tile to tile | Natural variation, no two slabs identical | Uniform blocks in a jointed pattern |
| Staining and moss | Low porosity, resists staining and moss | More porous, can stain and grow moss over time | Joints can grow moss without upkeep |
| Movement and cracking | Rigid: needs a true, flat sub-base or joints lip | More forgiving of minor ground movement | Individual blocks can be lifted and reset |
| Upkeep | Occasional wash down | Periodic sealing on some stones | Occasional re-sanding of joints |
Swipe to see every column
What is included as standard
The same for every porcelain patio we lay.
Full dig-out
Existing surface and turf removed and taken away.
Compacted sub-base
Sub-base laid and compacted in layers to the right depth.
Falls set for drainage
Levels and falls set so water runs off the patio, not into it.
Rectified porcelain, laid and jointed
20mm outdoor porcelain, cut to fit, with tight, even joints.
Edge restraint
A proper edge so the patio does not creep or spread at the perimeter.
Two-year workmanship warranty
Covered for two years. If it settles or shifts, we come back and put it right.
Pricing
What a porcelain patio costs
Every porcelain patio is priced after a site visit
The price depends on the size of the patio, what state the ground is in underneath, access for machinery, and how much of the old surface has to come out first. A site visit lets us give a fixed, itemised price rather than a figure that will not survive contact with your garden.
- Size and layout of the patio
- What is already there and how much comes out
- Access for machinery and where the spoil goes
- Ground conditions and drainage needed
How we build your porcelain patio
The same process whether it is a small courtyard or a full garden patio.
Consultation and site visit
We measure up, look at access, drainage and ground conditions, and talk through porcelain options and layout.
Fixed-price quote
An itemised quote for the whole job, sub-base included, before anything starts.
Dig-out, sub-base and lay
Old surface out and muck away, sub-base compacted to depth, falls set, then the porcelain laid, jointed and cleaned down. We come back for a walk-round once it has settled.
Porcelain patios we have laid
A spread of finishes, not six photos of the same slab.
Reviews From Porcelain Patio Customers
Feedback from homeowners across Bournemouth and Poole who had a porcelain patio laid by our team.
Philip Keighley
Jack visited my property to assess the work needed to introduce a stylish area of porcelain paving for the main entrance. He talked me through what was needed, provided me with a firm price that was very competitive and carried out the work several days later once I had purchased the porcelain paving. Jack's approach to the job was professional throughout, he responded to my enquiry quickly and the standard of the completed job is first rate. I am extremely pleased with the finished result. I would happily recommend Jack for any groundworks or landscaping and will not hesitate to use Jack again for any future projects.
Michele Peters-Phillips
What a transformation Jack did to my back garden! I love it, and I couldn't be happier! 😊 All the old decking (that had gone rotten) was ripped up and removed, and replaced with new beautiful porcelain slabs with black edging bricks and railway sleepers. I spoke to Jack about what I needed and he has 100% delivered. There were some awkward bits we came across during the job, but I went with Jack's expert advice. I now have a garden that is not only safe for me and my dog, but is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to spend time some time out there now 😊. Jack is so polite, friendly, professional and helpful; nothing is too much trouble! I would recommend Jack and Four Groundworks and Landscaping to everyone! I've even got Jack booked in to do some more work for me in the future. Thank you Jack for all your hard work! 😊
Sarah G
The guys did a great job of laying new turf and porcelain tiles! Recommended a boarder for tiles which look fantastic! Very happy 😊 can now enjoy the garden for summer!
Porcelain patio projects
The kind of porcelain patio work we cover around Bournemouth and Poole. Full project write-ups are on their way.
Common worries, answered honestly
The questions we get asked most before work starts.
Will the garden be a mess for weeks?
A dig-out is messy for a couple of days while the old surface and sub-base go in. We sheet the path and keep the site swept down every evening.
Will it stay flat, or crack at the joints?
Porcelain has almost no give, so the sub-base underneath is compacted in layers to the right depth before a single tile goes down. That is what stops a lip forming at the joints.
What if a tile settles or cracks later?
Everything we lay is covered for two years. If it settles or shifts, we come back and put it right.
What a failing patio usually tells you
If your existing patio has started to move, this is usually why.
The patio has dipped or gone uneven within a year or two
What it actually isUsually a sub-base that was never compacted properly, or was left too shallow, so the ground underneath moves.
What it needsA full dig-out and a compacted sub-base at the right depth. Porcelain has no give in it, so this step is not optional.
Weeds and moss keep coming back through the joints
What it actually isOften a sign the sub-base and jointing were not built to keep water and seed out, not just poor upkeep.
What it needsProper edge restraint and tight, correctly filled joints stop most of it before it starts.
Water sits on the surface after rain instead of running off
What it actually isThe falls were never set, or were set the wrong way, when the patio was laid.
What it needsFalls are set deliberately during the sub-base stage so water runs off the patio rather than sitting on it.
Porcelain patios: cost, planning and the ground underneath
What a porcelain patio costs depends on more than the tiles themselves. Size and shape of the area, what has to come out first, and how much the falls have to be corrected all move the price. So does access, and how far materials and spoil have to be carried.
A patio on a slope that needs building up costs more to prepare than a flat, open plot. So does one behind a narrow side gate with no vehicle access. A site visit is how we turn that into a fixed price rather than a guess.
Most porcelain patios do not need planning permission, because a patio at ground level is normally permitted development. That is a general position rather than a guarantee for every property. A conservation area, a listed building, or a large area of new hard surfacing near a boundary can change it, so it is worth checking where any of that applies.
The ground under a garden in Bournemouth or Poole is not the same from one street to the next, and what is visible at the surface is not proof of what is underneath. That is why the sub-base gets dug out and built up to a depth confirmed on site, not assumed from a postcode or from what the last patio was sitting on.
Porcelain has less tolerance for an uneven sub-base than a more forgiving material like natural stone. A few millimetres out is enough to show as a lipped joint. That is why this step gets treated the same way a driveway sub-base would, not as an afterthought under a patio.
Porcelain patio questions
The questions we are asked most before booking a site visit.
How much does a porcelain patio cost?
It depends on the size, the ground it is going on and how much has to come out first. We give a fixed, itemised price after a site visit rather than a figure that gets renegotiated once we start digging.
Will a porcelain patio crack or lip at the joints?
Not if the sub-base underneath is right. Porcelain is rigid and has almost no give, so it is laid on a sub-base compacted in layers to the correct depth, the same way a driveway would be.
Do I need planning permission for a porcelain patio?
Most ground-level patios fall under permitted development and need no permission, though a conservation area, a listed building or a large area of new hard surfacing can change that. Worth checking if any of those apply to your property.
How long does a porcelain patio take to install?
It depends on the size and what has to come out first. We confirm a timeline at the site visit once we know what we are dealing with underneath.
What happens if it settles or shifts later?
Everything we lay carries a two-year workmanship warranty. If anything settles or shifts in that time, we come back and sort it.
Are you on Checkatrade and Google?
Yes. We are an approved Checkatrade member and hold Google Guaranteed status. Behind that are over 15 years in groundworks and landscaping and the trade cards to go with it: CSCS, Street Works, SSSTS and NVQ Level 2.
Choosing the right patio
Porcelain is not right for every garden. Here is what else we cover.
Porcelain patios around Bournemouth and Poole
We cover the wider Bournemouth and Poole area. A few of the towns we work in most:
Poole
Coastal gardens and tighter town plots, where access for machinery often decides how the job runs.
Poole coverageChristchurch
Older properties and riverside gardens where drainage usually needs thinking about before the patio goes down.
Christchurch coverageBroadstone
Established family gardens, often with an existing patio or path to take out first.
Broadstone coverageParkstone
A mix of period and newer homes, where levels can vary more than the street suggests.
Parkstone coverageGet a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk? Call Four Groundworks & Landscaping on 07886 075828
Porcelain jobs as we post them
Porcelain is unforgiving about falls and joint width, so both are worth looking at closely. Each patio goes up on our Instagram the week it is finished.
See more on Instagram