A driveway carries vehicle loading and needs a deeper sub-base and thicker units than a patio or path, which carry foot traffic only.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026
Written by Sarah Bancroft, Design Specialist
| Element | Driveway | Patio | Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading | Vehicles | Foot traffic and furniture | Foot traffic |
| Typical sub-base | 150mm – 250mm compacted Type 1 | 100mm compacted | 75mm – 100mm compacted |
| Unit thickness | 50mm – 80mm blocks or setts | 20mm – 40mm slabs | 20mm – 40mm slabs |
| Edge restraint | Haunched concrete, essential | Recommended | Recommended |
| Drainage | Falls plus soakaway or permeable base | Falls away from building | Falls to adjacent ground |
Standard patio slabs are not suitable for a driveway because they are too thin to carry vehicle loading and crack under point loads.
Where the look of a slab is wanted on a driveway, use driveway-rated units of the correct thickness on a driveway build-up.
We build patios and paths as part of a driveway project so materials and levels tie together across the frontage.
Standalone landscaping and garden design falls outside what we do. Our work is driveways, vehicle accesses and the hard surfacing that connects to them.
A driveway is built to carry vehicle loading with a deep compacted sub-base and thick paving units. A patio carries foot traffic only, so its build-up is shallower and its units thinner.
Not directly. The existing path build-up will be too shallow for vehicles, so the area is excavated and rebuilt to driveway specification.
Send your measurements, or ask us to measure on site. We quote by material, sub-base build-up and drainage solution, so you can compare like with like.