Designed around use
Positioned for sun and sized for furniture, so it becomes a space you sit in rather than look at.
Bolton & Greater Manchester
Custom-designed patios in Bolton,shaped around how youactually use the garden
A patio designed for where the sun lands and how many people sit out, then built on an excavated, compacted base with falls set away from the house. Fixed price, 10-year workmanship guarantee.
10 years in business · 10-year workmanship guarantee · £2m public liability cover
10 years
Working across Bolton as Greenerlawn
10-year
Workmanship guarantee
£2 million
Public liability cover
One team
In-house, no subcontractors
Fixed price
Free site visit, price that holds
Overview
What a custom-designed patio involves
A patio is an outdoor room, so we start with how it will be used: how many people sit out, where the sun is at six in the evening, whether a table needs clear space around it, and how you get to it from the back door. Size, shape and position come from those answers rather than from a fixed rectangle against the house.
Once the layout is agreed, the build is the same disciplined sequence every time: excavate, compact a stone sub-base in layers, set falls away from the building, lay on a full mortar bed, then joint and restrain the edges.
We lay porcelain, natural Indian stone, block paving and concrete slabs, every type of paving except resin, so the material is chosen to suit the position rather than whatever we happen to fit.
Who it is for, and when
- Seating and dining areas cut into an existing lawn
- Barbecue and outdoor-kitchen zones
- Sun-trap corners away from the house
- Sunken or raised terraces on sloping plots
- Replacing a cracked, rocking or sunken old patio
- Small courtyards where every inch counts
What it costs to ignore
Why so many patios end up in the wrong place
The most common mistake is not the build: it is the position. A patio laid tight against the back wall of a north-facing house sits in shade every evening, stays damp, grows algae and gets used twice a year. Moving it a few metres to catch the evening sun costs nothing extra at design stage and changes how often it gets used.
The second mistake is size. Patios drawn to a budget rather than to a table and chairs leave no room to pull a seat back, so the space feels cramped the moment it is furnished. We set out the area on site so you can see it before anything is dug.
Then there is the build itself. Spot-bedded slabs, no fall, or paving finished above the damp-proof course all cause the same trouble a couple of winters on: rocking slabs, standing water and damp brickwork.
Common mistakes we get called out to fix
- Positioning the patio in permanent shade out of habit
- Sizing the area without allowing for furniture and movement
- Spot-bedding slabs on dabs of mortar instead of a full bed
- No fall, or a fall running back towards the house
- Choosing polished slabs for a shaded, damp corner
- Skipping edge restraint so the perimeter creeps and dips
Our process
How we run a patios job
The same sequence every time, so you know what is happening and when.
Step 1
Free design visit
We walk the garden, check sun, levels and access, and mark out possible positions and sizes so you can see the space before committing.
Step 2
Fixed-price quote
One written price covering excavation, waste, sub-base, paving, jointing, edging and any steps or drainage. It does not change once we start.
Step 3
Excavation and sub-base
Dig out to depth, spoil away, stone laid and compacted in layers with the falls set away from the building.
Step 4
Laying and cutting
Slabs laid on a full bed, cut cleanly around walls, drains and borders, with lines and levels checked as we go.
Step 5
Jointing, edges and steps
Joints filled and finished, edges restrained, and any steps built with consistent risers so they feel safe underfoot.
Step 6
Clean down and handover
Surface washed off, waste and tools away, and we walk it with you. Balance due on completion with your 10-year workmanship guarantee.
What you get
The difference it makes
Stays level
A compacted base and full-bed laying mean no rocking slabs and no sinking corners.
Drains properly
Falls set away from the house, with channels or gullies where the levels need them.
Low upkeep
Material chosen for the position, so it washes clean instead of needing constant scrubbing.
Finished properly
Steps, edges and cuts detailed by hand rather than left rough where they meet walls and borders.
One team accountable
Groundwork, drainage and paving by the same small team, with one number to call.
In detail
Layout, materials and level changes
These are the decisions we work through with you on the design visit.
Position, sun and shelter
We look at where the light falls through the day and where the wind comes from before fixing a position. A patio set away from the house to catch late sun often works far better than one squeezed against the back wall, and a low wall, fence or planter can shelter it enough to be usable in spring and autumn.
Access matters just as much. Carrying plates twenty metres down a wet lawn gets old quickly, so we usually connect a detached patio back to the house with a paved path.
Shape, size and setting out
Square and rectangular patios suit formal layouts and cut with the least waste. Angled and curved shapes can make a small garden feel wider, but they need more cutting, which we allow for in the fixed price rather than discovering later.
We set the area out on site with lines and slabs before digging, because a shape that looks right on paper does not always read the same in the garden.
Choosing the material
Porcelain is dense and colour-stable, needs little more than a wash, and gives the flattest, most contemporary finish. Natural Indian stone has riven texture and colour variation that suits brick and traditional planting, and weathers over time. Concrete slabs cover larger utility areas economically, and block paving handles curves, levels and vehicle traffic.
Grip in the position it sits matters more than the sample in your hand, shaded, north-facing corners need a textured surface rather than a polished one.
Steps, levels and retaining
Sloping gardens need the levels resolved first: cut and fill, a retaining wall or sleeper edge, and steps with even risers. Consistent risers are what make steps feel safe rather than makeshift.
This overlaps with our timber and groundwork scope, so a terraced patio can be quoted as one job with one team on site.
Guaranteed, insured,
fixed price
The same terms on every job, domestic or commercial. Read more about how we work.
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- On all work we carry out. Exact exclusions: Not Provided.
- 10-year grass guarantee
- The manufacturer guarantee on the grass, passed straight on to you.
- £2 million public liability
- Full cover in place on every job we carry out.
- Clear payment terms
- 25% deposit to book your slot, balance on completion. Quotes and site visits are free.
Common questions
Patios questions,
answered straight
Anything not covered here, ask Shaun Brickell directly on 07757 559036.
How much does a patio cost in Bolton?
It depends on size, material, access, how much excavation and waste removal is involved and any steps or drainage, so we price on site. The visit and written quote are free and the price is fixed once agreed.
How long does a patio take to build?
A straightforward seating area is usually a few days including groundwork. Larger terraces, or jobs needing retaining walls, steps and drainage, take longer, the expected duration is set out in the quote.
Can you design the patio for me?
Yes. We set out position, size and shape on site around how you use the garden and where the sun lands, and talk materials through against your house and planting.
Does the patio have to go against the house?
No, and often it should not. If the evening sun is at the far end of the garden, we position it there and pave a path back to the door.
What guarantee comes with the work?
A 10-year guarantee on our workmanship, and we carry £2 million public liability cover on every job.
How do payments work?
A 25% deposit secures your slot and covers materials. The balance is due on completion, once you have seen the finished job and you are happy with it.
Which areas do you cover?
We work across Bolton, Horwich, Westhoughton, Farnworth, Kearsley, Little Lever, Blackrod, Bury, Radcliffe, Atherton, Chorley and the wider Greater Manchester area.
Often done at the same time
Paving & Patios
Porcelain, natural Indian stone, block paving and concrete slabs, every type of paving except resin. Groundwork, falls and drainage done by the same team that lays the surface, with a fixed price and a 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Pathways
Front paths, side passages and walkways through the garden, laid in porcelain, sandstone or block paving on a compacted base with proper falls and edge restraint.
Groundwork & Base Prep
Excavation, compacted sub-base, edging and falls carried out fully in-house by the same team that lays the lawn or paving on top. This is the stage that decides whether a garden still looks right in ten years.
Also see our homepage and the areas we cover across Bolton and Greater Manchester.
Free quote
Get a fixed price for your
patios in Bolton
Tell us roughly what you are after and we will arrange a time to come and look. No charge for the visit, no charge for the quote, and no pressure afterwards.
- Phone
- 07757 559036
- Opening hours
- Open 7 days, 7:30am – 6:30pm
10 years in business · £2m public liability cover · 10-year workmanship guarantee