Imprinted and patterned driveway material is the same thing; it is concrete but with a difference.
Firstly, colour is added to the concrete and then while it is still wet a mat is applied to create a design. This leaves an attractive imprinted and patterned driveway, with colour.
Our guide covers the costs of installing an imprinted or patterned driveway, how you can save money on installing this type of driveway and the best way to find an installer!
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How Much Does an Imprinted or Patterned Concrete Driveway Cost?
The table below shows the prices of imprinted and patterned concrete driveways assuming the total square metre cost is between £80 and £107.
| Size of Driveway | Estimated Supply Cost | Estimated Labour Cost | Time Required | Estimated Labour Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15m2 (Small) | £619-£825 | £581-£776 | Two to three days | £1,200-£1,601 |
| 25m2 (Medium) | £1,031-£1,375 | £970-£1,293 | Three to four days | £2,001-£2,668 |
| 35m2 (Large) | £1,444-£1,925 | £1,358-£1,811 | Five to six days | £2,802-£3,736 |
Prices do vary according to where you live. You should expect to pay more if you live in London and the south of England than if you live in the north of England.
When you need to find a driveway specialist to install your imprinted and patterned driveway use HouseholdQuotes! Fill out the online form and we’ll find you driveway installation specialists to give you no-obligation quotes.
Click To Get QuotesWhat Influences the Cost of Imprinted and Patterned Concrete?
A few factors will influence the final cost of installing an imprinted and patterned concrete driveway. We take a look at these factors below so you not what to keep in mind when setting a budget.
Driveway Size and Shape
If your driveway is an awkward shape then it will take longer to lay and this might increase your labour costs. Labour costs are between £150 and £200 per day.
If you have to add two or three more hours to the total time to lay the driveway, then you’re looking at an extra £50 to £75.
The size of your driveway also influences the cost. As you can see from the above table a small driveway costs around half the price of a large, triple car driveway.
Driveway Slope
To stop the concrete from flowing back down the slope when it is being poured, the contractor will need to construct a wooden former. They will put these at intervals in between the formwork.
Depending on the size of your drive, this can add up to half a day on the labour costs.
Choice of Print or Pattern and Colour
There are various designs available for a driveway, they include:
- Herringbone
- Cobblestone
- Basketweave
- Flagstone
Some of the colours you can choose include:
- Grey
- Blue
- Red
- Black
- Green
The cost of each design and colour combination isn’t standard. Expect to pay anything between £25 per square metre and £125 per square metre.
A good average in the south of England is around £95 per square metre for the whole job with the materials costing around £25 per square metre.
Preparation
If the contractor is taking up an old stonework driveway the subbase might be useable and there won’t be any need to excavate. This might save you the costs of a mini-digger and driver and between two hours and four hours labour.
Drainage and Services
If you are having imprinted and patterned concrete laid on your driveway you will also have to install additional drainage. This is because imprinted and patterned concrete is impermeable so the rain doesn’t soak into the ground and it needs to drain away.
Regulations don’t allow water from a driveway to drain into a public soakaway, the water must be channelled on your driveway and into a soakaway on your land.
Ease of Access
How easy it is to access your land will make a difference to your labour costs. If getting the work done takes longer because of access problems this will increase your labour charges.
Additional Materials
Other materials needed to lay an imprinted and patterned driveway include
- Wood and string for the formwork and formers if there’s a slope
- Hardcore for the subbase
- Weed-proof membrane if required
- Powder for the colour
- Sealant
Skip Hire
You will need a skip to deposit all the waste that accumulates from laying the driveway. Ask if this is included in your quote, but if it isn’t then expect to pay between £150 and £200 for skip hire.
Extras
While you’re having a driveway laid, you might also consider adding security measures or features to give you more privacy.
Lighting is an affordable way to enhance your security. You can have standard lights that turn on and off with a timer, or lighting that automatically comes on if someone or something is walking on your driveway.
CCTV cameras are easy to install and should deter burglars and nuisance callers. You can also have a camera doorbell so you can see who is on the doorstep without having to open the door.
Installing gates, walls and fencing will also give you privacy but all of these added extras will increase the final cost of the job.
How Can I Save Money on an Imprinted and Patterned Concrete Driveway?
There are a few ways you can cut the cost of installing an imprinted or patterned concrete driveway.
Firstly, choose a single pattern. A single pattern will take less time to stamp and therefore your labour costs won’t be as much as if you choose a complicated design that takes longer to do.
Use a natural colour. By not adding colour you could save yourself approximately £50 or more.
Buy concrete pattern mats and lay them yourself. You can buy or rent mat tools and imprint or pattern the concrete yourself.
Prices depend on what type of design and colour you want. If you choose a simple design and you need one mat you can expect to pay between £65 and £90.
If you want something more complicated like a circular imprint with a design inside the circle you could pay about £250. You can also buy new and second-hand mats from places like eBay.
If you choose a design that needs two different mats then you are looking at doubling your costs. The advantage of buying a mat is that you can make use of it if you want to lay a patio or a concrete floor somewhere else.
A mat could be used if you need to cut out a piece of the concrete to repair it, but it will look much newer than the original concrete.
If you need a driveway specialist to lay your driveway, or a tradesman to help you do the job using HouseholdQuotes will help you. We have a large database of trades specialists.
Fill out the online form, let us know what you want and we’ll make sure you get no-obligation quotes for your driveway project.
Click To Get QuotesHow Is Patterned and Imprinted Concrete Laid by a Professional?
The professional who is laying your drive will use pegs and string to mark out the position of the driveway. All driveways need to be a minimum of three metres wide.
When the contractor has pegged out a border they will begin to excavate the land. If you have easy access to the drive the contractor might use a mini-digger.
Before the work begins the contractor will locate any pipes or cables. The excavation for your driveway should be no less than 200mm in depth. This should be well above the pipes and cables which are usually situated approximately 600mm below ground.
Your drive needs to slope slightly for rainwater to drain away. If it’s not already sloped your contractor should do this.
This is also when your contractor can add additional drainage. If they don’t do it then they may well contract a plumber to come and do the job.
The contractor will then prepare the formwork. The contractor will hammer pegs into the ground using a spirit level to make sure all the pegs are the same height.
They will then begin the formwork. Formwork that’s done well will mean your driveway will be durable, strong and it will last for many years.
Your contractor will place 25mm thick planks around the edge of the driveway.
Sometimes, a driveway will also need control joints. Control joints stop the concrete from moving and cracking when the driveway is more than four metres long.
The control joints are made by laying wood across the formwork at intervals of four metres.
Once the formwork is ready, the contractor will fill half of the excavation with hardcore up to a depth of about 100mm.
They will then compact the hardcore.
At this point, they will fill the rest of the excavation with concrete. This can be from a lorry that pours the concrete directly onto the hardcore.
If this isn’t possible because of access problems the contractor can mix and lay the concrete on site.
When the concrete is down the contractor will level it and then cover it with polythene and leave it to dry. The polythene ensures that the concrete doesn’t dry out too quickly, which will make it crack.
While the concrete is wet the contractor adds the colouring powder and levels the concrete, then stamps it with the design of your choice.
The concrete is then left to harden which should take around 48 hours. After this, the contractor can apply a coat of protective sealant
Although you can walk on the concrete after 48 hours it takes 28 days to dry completely and this is the time you should wait before you park your car on the driveway.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Driveway Materials
The table below examines the advantages and disadvantages of different driveway materials to help you find the material that will best suit your needs.
| Type of Material | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Concrete | -Low maintenance -Long-lasting -Uncomplicated installation | -More expensive the tarmac -Patching and repairs can be expensive -Prone to icing in very cold weather -Salt and de-icing liquid can damage the surface |
| Imprinted/Patterned Concrete | -Attractive -Many colours and designs available -Low maintenance -Less weed infiltration | -Invisible repairs virtually impossible -A new part will be different in appearance from the rest -Wears quickly if incorrectly installed |
| Tarmac | -Coloured tarmac is attractive -Durable -Economical -Easy to repair | -Prone to weed, moss and algae infiltration Isn’t as long-lasting as concrete |
| Brick and Stone | -You can create attractive patterns -No waiting time once pavers are laid -Less likely to slip on brick and stone when wet -DIY friendly | -Need more time to install -Not permeable -Needs more maintenance to keep clean and tidy -Needs additional drainage |
| Gravel | -Long-lasting -Durable -DIY friendly -Attractive | -Gravel moves as you walk or drive on it -Needs regular topping up -Not recommended in areas with snowfall as the gravel is picked up with the snow when clearing |
How Do I Find and Hire a Driveway Contractor?
If a neighbour has recently had a driveway installed and you’re impressed by the work done, it’s worth asking them for a recommendation. Otherwise, you can ask colleagues, family, and friends.
If you don’t receive any recommendations use HouseholdQuotes. All you do is fill in some details online and we’ll send you local driveway installation specialists to give you no-obligation quotes.
Click To Get QuotesEnsuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
Use the questions below to make sure the professional you are hoping to hire will be a good fit for the job:
- You should always have a chat about their experience working with imprinted and patterned driveways. Even if they are a new company they might have already spent years working for someone else people branching out on their own.
- Ask about references and testimonials. If they have a website you might be able to look at case studies of work they have done for previous customers or they might have written references.
- Make sure to get a written quote that includes everything you need the contractor to do.
- If you want them to dispose of the rubbish ask them to include this in the quote.
- You can also ask if they provide any help with planning permission. They might be able to tell you what steps you need to take and whether or not the location for your driveway is within the regulations.
- Finally, check that they have up-to-date insurance. All tradesmen should have public liability insurance.
Final Checklist
The checklist below covers everything you need to start the process of finding someone to instal a patterned or coloured driveway for you:
- Choose a pattern and a colour for your driveway
- Get two or three quotes to compare prices
- Make sure the quotes include everything you need doing
- Confirm whether the contractor a plumber will add any extra drainage
- Make sure they include rubbish removal
- Use HouseholdQuotes to help find a professional in your area and potentially save you up to 40% off your project quote!
Click To Get QuotesFrequently Asked Questions
Do I Need Planning Permission for a Driveway?
Any permeable driveway over 5 square metres needs planning permission.
What Are the Planning Regulations for a Dropped Kerb?
In a nutshell, you need permission for a dropped kerb. You need to apply to the council, pay the fees and demonstrate that you are eligible.
To be eligible for a dropped kerb your driveway must be at least 4.5 metres wide at right angles to the road, or the same length as your car. The driveway must also have a minimum width of 2.75 metres.
Finally, there must be no obstructions larger than 0.6 metres in height at the end of your driveway which would block clear visibility into the road.
Can I Lay Concrete Myself?
If it can be poured into the excavations from a lorry it will be much easier and quicker than using a wheelbarrow.
Are Imprinted and Patterned Driveways Difficult to Maintain?
All your driveway will need is a regular hose down and a brush. If you have it professionally cleaned once a year it should keep its attractive appearance for many years.
Repairs though are difficult. You can cut out the concrete and relay a damaged piece but it will look very obvious.
You can repair cracks with a specialist compound which is like a paste. You should re-seal an imprinted and patterned driveway every four to five years.
How Long Does Concrete Take to Dry?
This is because concrete takes 28 days to dry and strengthen.
Can You Lay Concrete in the Winter?
Most driveway contractors are busy during the Spring and Autumn, so winter might be a good time to catch one when they are less busy.
Don’t forget, you can use HouseholdQuotes to find a driveway specialist to give you no-obligation quotes. Fill in the online form and we’ll do the rest.
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