Project notes
Red block with a pattern inset
A red block drive with a pattern inset, laid in front of a double garage. The inset is cut in by hand after the main field is down, which is where the time goes on a patterned drive.
See more of our workBlock paving driveways in Milton Keynes
Herringbone, borders and colours to suit your house, on a base that will not sink. Terry is on site while his team lays it.
- 2 to 3 days on site
- Lasts 25 years plus
- Free site visit
2026 award winnerBest Driveway Service in Milton Keynes
5.0★★★★★104 reviewsCharcoal herringbone block paving with a silver border and new fence panels
- 299public reviews on five platforms
- 17 yearson the tools
- 10 yearswritten guarantee on drives and patios
- Freesite visit and written price
Award winner 2026
Best Driveway Service in Milton Keynes
Awarded by the Quality Business Awards 2026, with a quality rating of over 95%. Terry still quotes every job himself.
The straight answer
Is block paving the right driveway for your house?
Block paving is the right choice for most Milton Keynes houses. It is laid in 2 to 3 days, lasts 25 years plus on a proper base, comes in patterns and borders that suit the house, and can be lifted and relaid if it is ever dug up.
Who it suits
Anyone who wants the drive to look like part of the house rather than a car park. Block paving gives you a pattern, a border and a colour to match the brick, and it works on the small semi fronts in Bletchley just as well as a long drive in Woburn Sands. It is the drive Terry recommends first, because if the water board, the gas board or a plumber ever has to dig it up, the same blocks go back and you cannot see the join.
Who it does not suit
If you want one smooth surface with no joints at all, look at resin bound. If you have a very large area and the budget is the main thing, tarmac costs less per square metre. Block paving sits in the middle on price.
Our work
Block paving drives we have laid round here.
Drag the handle to compare. Every photo is one of our own jobs round here.
Narrow tarmac drive to brindle block paving with a charcoal border
Old tarmac between the hedges to brindle block paving with a channel drain
How we build it
What is under a drive that lasts.
The surface is the last few centimetres. Everything that decides whether it sinks, cracks or puddles is underneath, and that is exactly the part a cheap quote leaves out.
- Paving blocks (50mm)Laid by hand in your pattern, cut tight to every edge, then fine dry sand brushed into the joints and compacted.
- Sand (30mm)Sharp sand levelled so every block sits at the same height and follows the gentle slope that carries rain away.
- Crushed stone (200-250mm)200mm to 250mm of crushed stone laid in layers and compacted with a plate. This is what stops a drive sinking.
- Firm groundDug out 250mm to 300mm, with the old surface and any soft ground taken away. A membrane goes down where the ground needs it.
Step by step
How Terry lays a block paving drive.
What happens, in order, from your first message to parking on the new drive.
- You get in touch
Ring Terry or WhatsApp a photo of the front. He replies the same day with a rough idea and a day to visit.
- Visit and written price
Terry measures up, checks where the water goes and where the cars turn, then gives you one written price and a day count.
- Dig out and base
The old surface goes in the skip. The edging is set in concrete, the slope and drainage go in, then the stone base is compacted in layers.
- Level and lay
Sand levelled, blocks laid in herringbone with the border cut in by hand, then compacted and fine dry sand brushed into the joints.
- Clean up and guarantee
Site swept, waste gone, and the guarantee in writing. Terry tells you when you can park on it, usually the next day.
What moves the price
Why two block drives the same size can cost differently.
The square metres are only part of it. Terry walks you through each of these on the visit.
Shape and cuts
Curves, corners, manhole covers and a border all mean cutting. Herringbone with a contrast border takes longer than a plain field.
What is under the old surface
Old concrete to break out, soft clay or tree roots change how deep we dig and how much stone goes back.
Where the water goes
A channel drain at the garage, a soakaway, or a slope to the lawn. Whatever keeps water off the house and off the road.
Access and the kerb
Room for a skip or grab lorry, and whether you need a dropped kerb to reach the drive.
Block paving sits in the middle of the three surfaces on price. WhatsApp a photo for a rough idea first. The written price comes after Terry’s free visit, once he has measured and seen what is underneath.
Reviews
What people say about their block paving.
5.0★★★★★104 reviewsFeatured review
5/5
“We chose Unique Driveways MK Ltd to install a brand new block paved driveway and we’re absolutely delighted with the finished result. Terry was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout, and his team worked incredibly hard to complete the job to a very high standard. Everything was handled…”
Adam Murphy, Google review, excerpt
5/5
Terry and his team did a superb job on our block paving driveway. they were professional and fast, did a great job with the installation. Communication was excellent. They left the finished site clean and tidy, and looking a million times better than the old tarmac driveway and lawn.
5/5
I had Unique driveways come out to do my drive, Terry come out to do the quote and was very friendly and professional, we had gravel driveway we decided to go for block paving to keep It as low maintenance as possible. The team were amazing left the job clean and tidy at the end even rated my cups…
5/5
Terry and his hard working crew did a wonderful job on the drive. It was so good I then had them replace my decking with the same bricks as the drive which is also wonderful. Would not hesitate to recommend them. They were great. B. King
Before you choose
Six questions to ask any installer.
Ask everyone who quotes the same six. Tap a question for our answer, then compare like with like.
How deep will you dig out, and what goes back in?
We dig out the old surface and soft ground and lay 200mm to 250mm of compacted stone in layers before anything you can see goes down.
What holds the edges in?
Concrete-set edging on every drive. Without it the outside blocks creep and the edge crumbles.
Where will the rain go?
Every drive is laid to a gentle slope so rain runs off, away from the house, with a channel drain at the door or garage where it is needed.
Is the price in writing?
Yes. One written price after the free visit. It sets out the start date and days on site, the base depth, the edging and drainage, the dig out and waste, the 10-year written guarantee, our insurance and the 14-day cooling off.
Who will actually be on site?
Terry quotes every job himself and is on site while his team lays it.
What if something goes wrong later?
A 10-year written guarantee on the workmanship, printed on your quote, and a number Terry still answers after the job. See what it covers.
Questions people ask Terry.
How long does a block paving driveway take in Milton Keynes?
Two to three days for most two-car drives, from digging out the old surface to sweeping the sand in. You can usually park on it the day after we finish, and Terry confirms it on the day.
How long does block paving last?
Twenty-five years or more when it is laid on 200mm to 250mm of compacted stone with concrete-set edging. The blocks themselves last far longer than that; it is the base that decides it.
Do I need planning permission for block paving?
Standard block paving counts as a solid surface, so over 5 square metres in a front garden it needs to drain to a lawn or border on your own land, which is how Terry plans it. A permeable block paving system lets the rain through and needs no permission. If more than 5 square metres drains onto the road, you need permission.
Will weeds grow between the blocks?
A little growth in the joints is normal on any block drive after a few years. A sweep, a wash when it needs it and a full clean, re-sand and reseal every 3 to 5 years keeps it clean, and we offer cleaning and sealing as a separate job.
What if the water board or a utility digs up my drive?
That is the strength of block paving. The blocks are lifted, the trench refilled and the same blocks relaid, and you cannot see where it was done. Resin and tarmac cannot do that.
What patterns and colours can I have?
Herringbone is the strongest pattern for a drive and the one Terry recommends under cars. Stretcher bond and basketweave suit paths and borders. Charcoal, brindle, black and silver grey are the usual colours in MK, with a contrast border to pick out the house brick.
Where we lay it
Block paving across Milton Keynes.
Not sure block paving is the one? Compare all three on the driveways page. We lay block paving across MK, from Bletchley to Newport Pagnell, and the cost guide tells you what moves the price. Read every review first if you like.
Every town we cover
Free site visit
Talk to Terry about your job.
Call Terry or WhatsApp a photo of the space. Or answer four quick questions below and send them to Terry by email.
- Free, on site, no obligation
- One written price, agreed before we start
- Terry replies the same day, Monday to Saturday
- 14-day cooling off
Step 1 of 4
What do you need?
Roughly how big?
Where is the project?
Milton Keynes and surrounding towns. We will confirm coverage when we contact you.
How should we contact you?
Prefer to talk now? Call 07444 589896.
We will use these details to respond to your enquiry. Privacy notice.
This opens a draft in your email app. Press Send there to complete your enquiry, or call Terry directly.
We could not confirm your request arrived. It may still have got through, and your answers are still here. Please try again, or call Terry on 07444 589896 to be sure.
Email this request insteadYour email should be ready to send.
Your email app should have opened with your enquiry filled in. Press Send there and Terry will be in touch.
Nothing opened? Copy these details into an email to uniquedrivewaysmk@gmail.com, or call Terry.
Your request has been received.
You asked about .
Got photos of the space? Send them now and Terry can look before he rings.