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Which block paving pattern should you choose?
The common block paving patterns are herringbone, stretcher bond, basketweave and random mixed sizes, usually finished with a border of blocks laid end on. Choose by where cars will drive, how much cutting the shape needs, and the look you want, then ask the installer to explain their choice.
Last reviewed:What are the main block paving patterns?
Block paving is laid as a pattern of small, rectangular blocks bedded on sand over a compacted base. The pattern is the way those blocks are arranged. Here are four common layouts.
Herringbone. Blocks laid in a zigzag, each one set at a right angle to its neighbour. It can run at 90 degrees or 45 degrees to the edge of the drive. Each block in a herringbone sits against its neighbours on several sides. Ask the installer whether they would use it for your drive, and why.
Stretcher bond. Rows of blocks laid end to end, with each row offset by half a block, like bricks in a wall. It is simple and tidy, and it can make a narrow path look longer.
Basketweave. Pairs of blocks laid side by side, alternating direction, so the surface looks woven. It is a decorative pattern often used on patios and paths.
Random or mixed sizes. Blocks of two or three sizes laid in a repeating or random layout. It can look softer and older, especially with a tumbled or weathered block.
Most patterns are finished with a border, also called an edge course or soldier course: a row of blocks laid end on round the outside. It holds the pattern in place and gives a clean line.
QuoteZila starts in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach first, and anyone in the UK can post a paving job.
How does the shape of the drive affect the choice?
Every pattern has to be cut to fit the border. Square or rectangular areas need few cuts. Curves, angles, manhole covers, steps and the edges of a bay window need many.
A 45-degree herringbone meets a straight edge at an angle, so every block along the border has to be cut. A 90-degree herringbone or stretcher bond meets a straight edge squarely and needs fewer cuts. On a curved drive, every pattern needs cutting along the curve.
Cutting concrete or clay blocks makes dust. HSE says using cut-off saws on paving, blocks or kerbs can produce very high levels of silica-containing dust, and lists limiting the number of cuts during design or layout as one way to reduce the risk [S3]. HSE also lists a block splitter, and getting material cut off-site, as alternatives [S3]. Ask the installer how they will cut and keep the dust down, especially near open windows and neighbours.
What about drainage and planning?
The pattern does not decide how a drive drains. The blocks, joints and base do. Some blocks are made to let water through wider joints into a permeable base. Others are laid tight and need the surface to slope towards a drain or a border.
For a front garden, this matters. The Planning Portal says you will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway uses permeable surfacing, such as permeable concrete block paving, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally [S1]. It says that if the surface to be covered is more than five square metres, planning permission will be needed for a traditional impermeable driveway that does not drain to a permeable area [S1].
GOV.UK's guidance on permeable surfacing of front gardens explains different ways to build a paved area that controls rainfall runoff, using permeable surfaces or soakaways and rain gardens [S2]. Ask your installer which approach they are quoting, and get it in writing.
How do you choose a pattern you will be happy with?
- Look at real drives. Photos from the installer's past work, or drives in your own street, show how a pattern looks at full size.
- Think about the direction. A pattern laid across a long, narrow drive can make it look wider. One laid along it can make it look longer.
- Match the house. A crisp herringbone in grey suits some houses. A tumbled mixed-size block in warm colours suits others.
- Plan the border first. A border in a contrasting colour frames the pattern and hides small differences at the edges.
- Keep the same pattern for repairs. If you may extend the drive later, choose a block and pattern that will still be easy to match.
Who lays block paving, and what should the quote say?
Our driveways and paving page covers the trade. Some landscapers also lay block paving for patios and paths. The driveway cost guide explains what changes the price of a whole drive, and block paving per square metre covers what a square metre figure leaves out.
Ask each quote to name the block, the colour, the pattern and its angle, the border, the base depth, how the surface drains, and what happens to the old surface. Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least 3 different traders before you decide on one [S4].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Front drive, roughly rectangular, old concrete to come out. We'd like a 90-degree herringbone with a charcoal border. Please include drainage."
- "Curved path to the front door. Please quote for a stretcher bond and say how you'd handle the curve."
- "Back patio in basketweave to match the path. Please quote and say how you'll cut the blocks round the drain cover."
QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1]. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
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Questions about block paving patterns
Does the pattern change the price?
It can. Patterns that meet the edges at an angle, such as a 45-degree herringbone, need more cut blocks along every border. Each cut takes time and produces offcuts. Ask each installer to quote the same pattern, or to price two patterns side by side.
Can I mix two colours of block?
Yes. A border in a darker colour, or a band of contrasting blocks across a drive, is a common way to add interest without changing the main pattern. Ask to see the colours together, in daylight, before you order.
Do I need planning permission for a block paved front drive?
Not if the surface is permeable or the rainwater runs to a lawn or border to drain naturally, according to the Planning Portal. It says planning permission is needed for more than five square metres of traditional impermeable surface that does not drain to a permeable area.
Does QuoteZila check driveway installers?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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- Tarmac Repair: What a Patch Quote Should Say. A tarmac patch is not a new driveway. What to show a contractor, when a hole means the whole surface, and which planning rules apply only if you relay it.
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Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Paving your front garden: planning permission, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/paving-your-front-garden/planning-permission
- S2: Permeable surfacing of front gardens: guidance, GOV.UK (DCLG). Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permeable-surfacing-of-front-gardens-guidance
- S3: Construction dust: cutting paving blocks, kerbs and flags, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/cutting-paving-blocks-kerbs-and-flags.htm
- S4: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/