What to prepare before you request a paving quote

Who is this checklist for?

It is for any owner about to ask for a paving quote, but it is written with three groups in mind: owners who live abroad for part of the year, owners in a community of owners, and owners who have never commissioned outdoor work in Spain. For all three, a little preparation turns a vague first figure into one that is close to the final invoice.

You do not need every item to get a quote. Even a single wide photo and a rough area are enough to start. The more points you can tick, though, the fewer conditional lines the quote will need and the easier it will be to compare with others.

What should I decide before asking?

Decide what problem you want solved, in your own words. That single sentence shapes the whole quote, because it points to a different rate and a different scope. Writing 'the drive dips where the car parks' is more useful than 'quote for new paving', because it tells us to check for a repair before assuming a replacement.

1. Your goal: fix sinking, refresh a tired surface, replace broken paving or pave a new area.
2. Whether you want to keep the current look, change the colour or change the material.
3. Any part you definitely want to keep, such as existing kerbs, steps or a border.

If you are unsure which category your job falls into, say so. We will tell you whether it looks like a repair from 30 € per m², a renovation at 15 € per m² or new paving at 84 € per m² turnkey, all plus IVA. The price pages for paving repair and surface restoration describe the first two.

Which photos and measurements should I gather?

Gather photos that show the whole area, the route in and the damaged parts, plus a rough measurement. Daylight, no cars on the surface and something for scale in the close-ups make the biggest difference to accuracy. Phone pictures are perfectly adequate.

1. Four to eight photos: wide views from each end, the access route and close-ups of any damage.
2. An approximate area in m², with a sketch if the shape is irregular.
3. Linear metres of edges that need kerbs, if you can measure them.

If you need help with the measurement, our guide to measuring m² shows how to split an irregular area into simple shapes. An estimate is fine; the area is measured again on site before the work starts. Small differences do not affect the rates.

What practical details about the property help?

Details about access, location and what lies beneath the surface help us price the job accurately and avoid surprises. They are often things only the owner knows, and none of them can be read from a photo alone. Write them down in a few lines.

1. The municipality and, if relevant, the name of the urbanización.
2. Access: gate width, steps, slopes, parking for a work vehicle and any shared entrance.
3. Known pipes, irrigation lines or cables under the area, such as supplies for gates or lighting.
4. Where water collects or runs after rain, ideally with a photo taken after a shower.
5. Materials you already have, such as spare pavers from the original job.

Mentioning services underneath is particularly useful. It affects how carefully the old surface must be lifted and whether a duct should be added before the new paving goes down. If you have a plan or an old photo of the original installation showing where pipes and ducts run, send it along with the other pictures.

Do I need to check the paperwork first?

It is wise to check before the work starts, though it does not need to delay the quote. In Andalusia, Law 7/2021 (LISTA), article 138.1.a), places minor works without a project under a responsible declaration, and each town hall's ordinance decides which procedure applies to a given job. Its regulation is Decree 550/2022.

In Málaga city, the planning office reported in 2021 more than 40 types of works handled by responsible declaration and 22 types exempt from both licence and declaration, listed under 'actos no sujetos a licencia'. Whether a specific paving job falls on that list is decided case by case, so it is worth asking the planning office before work starts. For Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Mijas and other towns, the procedure is set by each current municipal ordinance, which the town hall or your gestor can confirm.

1. Ask the town hall, or your gestor or architect, which procedure applies to your paving job.
2. If you are in a community, check whether the area is a common element and when the owners' meeting can vote.

In a community, work on common elements needs a resolution of the owners' meeting under the Horizontal Property Law; the community administrator can tell you which majority your particular job needs. If the work touches the public pavement or a vado, separate municipal authorisation is needed, and its conditions depend on the ordinance of that town hall.

How should I handle communication and access?

Decide who will be the contact on site and how you want updates. If you are abroad, name the person who can open the gate and confirm their phone number in your request. Say whether you prefer email or WhatsApp; the quote and the photo updates during the work will use the same channel.

1. Who gives access to the property on the agreed day.
2. Your preferred channel for the quote and for photo updates.

Mention also any dates when the property is occupied by guests or tenants, so that the work can be planned around them. Nothing about the price depends on this, but it avoids proposing a start that clashes with a booking or a family visit.

With this checklist completed, a quote can usually be prepared without a visit and with very few conditional lines. To see how we use them, read how we turn your photos into a quote. Then send us a photo and the approximate m² – free, no-obligation quote.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Responsible declaration model for minor works – Vera town hall
• Málaga City Council planning office information note
• Horizontal Property Law 49/1960 – BOE