frequently asked questions

Delivery

Returns

Products

Installation

Payments & Prices

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delivery

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Do you charge for delivery?

Delivery charges are included in the price of the goods with the exception of some areas where a top-up delivery surcharge applies per pack. Please refer to the map below for more information.

	Yellow - Delivery Included in Price Postcodes: AL, BA, BB, BD, BH, BL, BN, BR, BS, CB, CF, CH, CM, CO, CR, CT, CV, CW, DA, DE, DH, DL, DN, DT, DY, E, EC, EN, FY, GL, GU, HA, HD, HG, HP, HR, HU, HX, IG, IP, KT, L, LA, LE, LN, LS, LU, M, ME, MK, NE, NP, NG, N, NN, NR, NW, OL, OX, PE, PO, PR, RG, RH, RM, S, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, SN, SO, SP, SR, ST, SS, SW, TA, TF, TN, TS, TW, UB, W, WA, WC, WD, WF, WN, WR, WV, YO
	Blue - £10 per pallet Postcodes:CA,DG,EH,EX,FK,G,KA,KY,LD,LL,ML, PA1-19,PL,SA,SY,TD,TQ,TR
	Red - £45 per pallet Postcodes: AB,DD,IV (some exceptions apply)

Please contact us for prices to other areas
We would be pleased to quote on overseas deliveries if required

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How long does delivery take?

With most orders of paving, delivery takes around 2-3 working days, based upon your order being placed before lunchtime on a working day. Borderstone and Living Stone products take longer for delivery – usually around 7 working days. Occasionally some orders can take up to 10 days, therefore please contact us to confirm delivery schedules if you are working to a timescale.

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Do you offer Express delivery?

Yes – we can offer a next day delivery service for a small additional fee. Orders ideally need to be placed before 1030 am, but please contact us on 0333 358 3588 if you are outside this time as we may still be able to help.

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Do you offer Saturday delivery?

Yes – we can often offer Saturday delivery, although it is sometimes an expensive option. The alternative is to consider a weekday delivery at a specific time to suit, as this is usually better value. Please contact us on 0333 358 3588 to discuss. 

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How will I know when the goods will arrive?

With the exception of small goods such as sealants and paving mortars which are sent without prior notification, all paving product deliveries will be pre-booked with you by the delivery company for a day that is convenient with you. If you book an Express or Saturday delivery, these will not need to be booked in again.

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Will I know the exact time of delivery?

The transport company will call to book in a convenient delivery day with you but delivery can be between 8am and 6pm. There is an upgrade available for an AM delivery for a small surcharge which means delivery will be before 12pm.

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What size of lorry is used for delivery?

Our standard delivery service uses large 18 tonne vehicles – about the size of a large removal lorry. The dimensions of the vehicle are approximately: L9.9m x W2.5m x H3.6m

If this is too large, let us know at the time of placing your order as we can often offer a smaller 7.5 tonne vehicle. The dimesions of this vehicle are approximately: L7.10m x W2.4m x H3.2m

In all cases, the vehicle must have clear access to your property and there must be no restrictions to prevent him from unloading.

The goods will be unloaded from the back of the lorry using a tail-lift (a platform that lowers down). The pallets are then rolled off the vehicle, therefore it is very important that the ground is level and hard such as tarmac or concrete. Grass, compacted soil and gravel are not suitable areas for unloading.

It is important to note that the goods will usually be left kerb-side as the delivery company will not be able to take the large delivery vehicle onto your driveway due to the risk of damage to your property.

Please be sure to advise us in advance if you foresee any problems with the delivery as there will be costly redelivery fees if the delivery company has to make a further attempt to deliver as a result of potential problems not being reported in advance.

The photographs below provide an indication to the size of vehicle used.

With large orders comprising several pallets, we will always look to deliver on a lorry with a crane/ hiab offload or a moffat (mini-forklift). We will advise you in advance if your goods will be delivered this way. This type of delivery will usually be made on an articulated vehicle weighing around 22 tonnes and measuring often as much as 16 metres in length. 

Other delivery options are often available for difficult delivery locations, so please let us know in advance of any delivery restrictions.

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Will I need to be at home to receive the delivery and will the driver require assistance?

We always advise you or a representative to be at home to receive the goods just in case the driver encounters any difficulties with parked cars blocking the way for example. If you are at home, this kind of problem can usually be resolved at the time. Also, some packs of paving can be heavy and it is not always possible to know in advance, especially with natural stone which can vary in weight. In these situations, it may be necessary for you to assist the driver with offloading some of the goods manually. If this will cause you any difficulty, please let us know in advance.

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Will all goods arrive together?

As a general rule, all goods produced by the same manufacturer will arrive as one delivery presuming they have been ordered at the same time. Occasionally exceptions to this rule will occur, however we will advise you of this in advance. All small items such as paving sealant and mortar products are sent via a separate courier service.

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Will you deliver into my driveway or my back garden?

We offer a kerbside delivery as standard, however the driver may be able to  move the  pallet closer to your property but this depends on the ease of access and is at the discretion of the driver. The hand trolley will not wheel over gravel or soft ground.

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returns & cancellations

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Can I return the paving if I don’t like it?

Yes as long as the pack is in the same condition as when it was delivered to you. You will be responsible for returning the paving to us at your cost which can often cost in excess of  £120 per pack. Please note, returns will only be accepted within seven working days following receipt of the goods.

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What happens if I have some broken paving delivered?

We will replace broken slabs, however to do this we will need photographs showing all the breakages emailed to us with notification of the damaged slab sizes. We must be advised of breakages within a maximum of 5 days, after this time it will be too late to claim.You will also be requested to keep the broken slabs as we may need to collect them for insurance purposes. Once the paving has been laid we will not be responsible for any breakages as we request you to check the paving for faults prior to laying.

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Can I cancel my order?

Yes - you can cancel your order before it has left us without cost, however we often prepare your goods for shipping almost immediately in order to get them to you quickly. Once the goods are with the transport company, there will be costs to return the paving, often in excess of £120 per pack. 

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products

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Are all products on your website currently available?

The majority of products will be available when you order, however from time to time, some very popular products may have longer than usual waiting times. We will let you know if this is the case and offer you alternative products if you do not want to wait. Alternatively you are welcome to cancel your order prior to any goods being dispatched.

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You highlight the 'brands' of paving you sell - is this important?

We feel this is very important as it guarantees the quality of product you receive. This is especially valuable with natural stone as many unknown sources of natural stone are not suitable for use in the UK as the paving is too soft and porous and will not withstand the temperature extremes we experience in the UK. All major brands quality control their products and also guarantee them against defects. 

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Are your products ethically sourced?

We only offer major brands of paving and these manufacturers all belong to the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative). This ensures that:

◦                                  employment is freely chosen

◦                                  child labour will not be used

◦                                  discrimination shall not be practised

◦                                  living wages are paid

◦                                  employees are treated respectfully and fairly

◦                                  safe and hygienic working conditions are provided

◦                                  working hours are not excessive

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Some natural stone seems quite thin, is it suitable for use in this country?

As all our products are produced by major industry leaders, they go through stringent quality control procedures including tests against temperature extremes. It is quite normal for calibrated and sawn natural stone products to range from 15mm thickness upwards and this is suitable as exterior grade paving.

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Can I butt-joint any paving product with sawn edges?

Most paving products with sawn / straight cut edges can be laid with minimal joints, however it will always be necessary to have a small gap of a minimum of 5-10mm between the paving slabs to make allowances for slight size variations between the slabs. The joint width should be assessed prior to laying.

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I like the product photos on your website, but will the paving differ much when it arrives?

We mainly use photographs from the brochures of our major manufacturers and these provide a good representation of the products we sell, however lighting conditions and reprographic limitations may affect the appearance of the paving.

With natural stone, there is always the chance that the colour variations between slabs will be greater, especially with sandstone paving. Similarly, natural stone often contains brown markings caused by iron oxidisation, however this is usually a temporary phenomenon and will gradually weather down. There will often be other mineral deposits within the stone such as quartzite or occasional fossil markings. It is also worth noting that natural stone will sometimes contain small chips, blemishes and minor imperfections which can either occur during the manufacturing process or will form part of the natural features of the stone. Please consider ordering extra paving if you prefer to only use stone with specific features. You will also need to order extra to allow for cuts and wastage. We can send samples of some products to assist you, however this will only offer an indication of colour and texture and does not guarantee the overall affect of the paving.

It may also help to read our Paving Superstore Guides section.

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Are your pack sizes and paving dimensions accurate?

The pack sizes shown on our website provide the coverage achieved when using a 10mm pointing gap. The slab sizes are approximate and dimension, thickness and weight can vary slightly from those stated.

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The sandstone paving I've had delivered has tapered edges - which way should I lay it?

A lot of natural stone paving products will have tapered edges. Always lay the stone with the smaller face downward.

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My paving colours are completely different to your website images

All natural stone products vary in colour and texture and each individual piece will have distinct markings. This is unavoidable and is the beauty of natural stone. Natural stone may also contain minor imperfections and colours will vary due to natural pigmentation from batch to batch due to the quarrying process. Limestone may have particles of ironstone creating orange shades more noticeable in the paler colours.

Concrete paving will be more uniform in colour from batch to batch.

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Can I seal my new paving?

Paving should be laid on a wet mortar bed and paving should be allowed to dry naturally. The dampness and salts from the mortar working through the paving can create efflorescence (white markings) on the surface of the slabs and if you seal too quickly then you will seal these marking beneath the sealant which can leave you with ugly staining on your paving. This can ruin the appearance. We do sell test pots of sealant for you to try on a non conspicuous areas.

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Can I get samples?

Yes - we can provide samples with some brands of paving - please contact us on 0333 358 3588 for details. Please note however, that samples with only provide an indication of colour and texture which is especially true of natural stone products which can vary from slab to slab.

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Do you only offer full packs of paving?

With some brands of paving we only offer full packs, but with other brands, we can split packs down and offer part packs. As a guide, we can usually split packs with Natural Paving, Pavestone and Global Stone, but please contact us with any specific enquiries on 0333 358 3588

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Do you offer other complementary products such as pebbles and gravel?

Yes - we offer these on our other website: www.gardenandbuilding.co.uk

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payment & prices

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What payment systems do you use?

We take all major credit cards for payment via our online payment gateway Sagepay. Sagepay has achieved the highest level of compliance under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI). It adheres to the most stringent levels of fraud screening, ensuring that your card details remain secure throughout the transaction process. We also accept Paypal and Google Checkout payments.

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Do your prices include VAT?

Yes - all prices on our website include VAT at 20%

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Do you offer trade or bulk discounts?

Yes - we aim to be competitive with all our prices, however if you are planning a large order, please contact us on 0333 358 3588 to see if we can offer you a discount.

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I've noticed you offer Naked Wines vouchers - can I use these if I'm already registered with Naked Wines?

Unfortunately, the Naked Wines vouchers are only available for new Naked Wines customers.

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installation


For information on preparation, laying techniques and after-care for your paving, we recommend visiting the Paving Expert website at:



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For all full list of our terms and conditions of sale, please read this information.