We often get asked straight away “how much does permeable paving cost?”. But it’s not always a straightforward answer…
Firstly, permeable paving is often specified because you can’t use normal paving or concrete due to town planning restrictions. This could include council requirements such as tree protection, or to meet Water Sensitive Urban Design WSUD criteria. So before looking at a direct cost comparison to normal paving, its important to remember that the permeable paving might have been the only way to get planning approval for your project in the first instance.
Also, by using a permeable pavement, you may be reducing the amount of costly stormwater system works or other WSUD treatments, which can be considered as another indirect cost saving.
Why is there a difference in cost between permeable paving and normal concrete paving?
Typical concrete pavements for residential driveways are only installed at around 90-120 mm thick, on a thin crushed rock subbase. They are a quick, simple installation with relatively inexpensive materials. In contrast, permeable paving systems, such as our resin bound permeable paving have much more complicated pavement build-ups, to ensure stability over reactive soils with the infiltration of rainwater.
Our permeable paving is installed on custom permeable concrete, with galvanised steel reinforcing mesh. Both of these are more expensive than traditional concrete materials and steel reinforcing, but provide a critical role in producing perfect permeable paving.
There is a whole range of specialist materials that go into installing perfect permeable paving.
Along the edges of the paving we utilise a custom galvanised steel edge restraint, which is 130 mm deep with a beautiful rolled top. This both protects the edge of the paving whilst gives the edge of the pavement a decorative face, should the landscaping be lower than the paving surface.
Below the permeable concrete, a specialist subgrade is constructed. Unstable fill material is required and any subgrade rectification is performed before a heavy duty geofabric blanket is installed and a screenings base laid out and screeded ready for concrete. We also install any required drainage to ensure stability on reactive clay soils.
Galvanised steel edging for permeable paving
What’s the cost of permeable paving driveways?
Once again this can depend on the scope of the project, however, resurfacing driveways with permeable paving is cost-efficient and creates the aesthetically pleasing surface for years to come. We can resurface over any hard surface with our range of 15 colours of Australian-sourced aggregate, perfect for incorporating into your landscape design plans. Discover our previous projects of permeable paved driveways across Victoria, our better, call us today to gain a quote for the cost of permeable paving your driveway.
How much does it cost to install permeable pavers?
A wide variety of permeable segmented pavers are now available, with manufacturers and wholesalers promoting the fact that any landscaper can lay permeable paving. Typically, the supply only cost is around $100/m2 (which seems affordable when you start exploring available options). We’ve explored many permeable paving options, which you can read about in our previous blog here.
Remember, a regular landscaper will not specialise in permeable paving and is unlikely to know the subtle, yet very important differences between normal and permeable paving. These differences can ultimately determine the success and stability of any permeable installation.
Here’s some permeable pavers laid by normal landscapers in a commercial streetscape. The pavers themselves aren’t defective, just the installation!
If you’re getting quoted for permeable paving and it doesn’t include a detailed breakdown of the correct methodology involved, then chances are you may not be getting it installed by an experienced specialist which may result in a defective installation!
How to find out the price of permeable paving
We provide prompt, fully detailed quotations for permeable paving installations. We can accurately quote new projects at time of tender “off the plan”, so that you can start your project with a realistic budget. If you’re after a price, then the best thing to do is to email us your plan.
Beautiful permeable paving, professionally installed to mitigate against movement.
…and don’t forget the excavations and site preparation costs!
Don’t underestimate the cost of professional excavation work and disposal costs.
One of the biggest factors affecting the cost of excavations is the cost of carting and disposing of spoil.For one of our permeable driveways, we need the site excavated to 200 mm below finished paving level. For most permeable pavers (most pavers alone are 60-80 mm thick), once you account for the base courses, you need to excavate to 300-350 mm below finished level.
Therefore, you’re going to be looking at removing almost double the volume of spoil to install pavers, taking longer, and costing more. Plus, digging to these depths dramatically increases the likelihood of encountering (and possibly damaging) services such as stormwater, and water and gas mains. There’s also several subtle differences that need to be accounted for when excavating for permeable paving to minimise soil movement due to water drainage, which is why we recommend engaging us for the excavation works too.
Not all permeable paving is equal
We’d always recommend that you do your due diligence before deciding on building works. Part of this is getting multiple prices (verbal or written) for similar products. But don’t forget to compare what you’re getting. We’ve written before about how there is no specific Australian Standards for permeable paving installations, so it’s doubly important for you, as a potential client, to ask questions about how and why, and not just how much it costs.
If you’d like a quote or to find out how we do our permeable paving installations, then give us a call on (03) 9543 3013, we promise to provide the best permeable installations with outstanding customer service to boot!