Inside a paving quote: what is covered and what is priced apart

What should a written paving quote contain?

A useful paving quote states what will be built, over how many square metres, at what rate, and what is left out. If any of those four elements is missing, the total cannot be checked, and two quotes for the same driveway cannot be compared fairly.

• The area measured, in m², and how it was measured.
• The service and the rate per m² that applies to it.
• The build-up: which layers are included, from sub-base to joints.
• The paver: material, format and thickness.
• Edges: kerbs or edging, included or priced separately.
• Site-specific items: demolition, rubble removal, drainage, access.
• Exclusions, written out rather than implied.
• The net total, the IVA at 21 % and the total with IVA.

Our own quotes follow that structure. The point is not paperwork for its own sake: when every line is visible, you can see why the figure is what it is, decide which optional items you want, and hand the document to a community administrator or a gestor without having to explain it.

What is included in the turnkey rate?

The turnkey rate of €84 per m² plus IVA, for areas up to 150 m², includes the complete standard build-up of a block paved surface and its edging. It is the line most quotes for a new driveway or patio will be built around.

If you ask for a different paver, such as a larger format, a thicker block, natural stone or clay, the turnkey line stays the same and a separate line shows the difference in material. That way you can see the cost of the choice itself instead of a new, harder-to-read total. The block paving cost per m² page explains both new-paving rates in more depth.

What does the labour-only rate cover, and what does it not?

Labour-only, at €16 per m² plus IVA, covers four operations: laying the pavers, levelling them, filling the joints and compacting the surface. It applies when you have supplied the material or when a sound base is already in place.

It does not cover the pavers themselves, the base, the bedding material if you have not supplied it, or kerbs, which are priced separately. If the existing base turns out to need work, we describe what we found and quote it as a separate item rather than quietly building it into the rate. The guide on labour-only or turnkey helps you decide which of the two scopes fits your case.

Which items are always priced separately?

Anything that depends heavily on the individual site is priced on its own line. Including such items in a flat rate would mean overcharging owners with easy sites to subsidise those with difficult ones, which is not how we want our prices to work.

• Lifting existing paving, concrete or tiles, and preparing the ground below.
• Removing and disposing of the resulting rubble.
• Digging out unsuitable ground and replacing it with fill.
• Drainage: channels, gullies or changes in fall where water has no outlet.
• Kerbs, when the job is labour-only.
• Material upgrades beyond the standard 10×20×6 cm concrete paver.
• Work on public pavement or a kerb drop, which needs separate municipal authorisation under the town hall's own ordinance.

When old paving is lifted, the waste is typically classed under European List of Waste codes such as 17 01 01 for concrete, 17 01 07 for mixed concrete, brick and ceramics, and 17 05 04 for soil and stones. Law 7/2022 treats rubble from minor domestic works as household waste under municipal responsibility. For the practical side of lifting and replacing paving, our sister site covers lifting old paving and laying new.

Do quotes include permits and paperwork?

We carry out the works; we do not draft projects, permits or geotechnical studies. The quote describes the job clearly enough for the paperwork that you, your administrator or your gestor may need to submit to the town hall.

In Andalusia, Law 7/2021 (LISTA), article 138.1.a), places minor works that need no project under a responsible declaration (declaración responsable), and each town hall's ordinance decides which procedure applies to a given paving job. Málaga City Council lists types of works handled by declaration and types exempt from both licence and declaration; whether a specific paving job is on that list is decided case by case, so it is worth asking the planning office. For Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola, Mijas and other towns, the procedure is in the current municipal ordinance, which your town hall or gestor can confirm.

Communities of owners need a resolution of the owners' meeting for work on common elements, under article 17 of Ley 49/1960; the exact majority for your job is a question your administrator can answer. Health and safety on site follows Royal Decree 1627/1997, which sets minimum provisions for construction works with or without a project. If your paving touches a vehicle crossing, our driveway site has a guide to vados and public pavement.

How can you check that a quote is complete?

Read it against the list of what it should contain and ask about anything not mentioned. A missing line usually means the item is either excluded or assumed, and both are worth clarifying in writing before you accept.

The guide on comparing paving quotes gives a side-by-side checklist, and the article on lines that often go missing from paving quotes lists the usual gaps. The article what owners wish they had known about their quote collects the questions people most often ask too late. For the factors that make one site dearer than another, see cost factors.

When you are ready for your own figure, send us a photo and the approximate m² – free, no-obligation quote. A written quote from us will set out every one of the lines above, so you can compare it with any other offer on equal terms.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Published paving rates (adoquines.eu)
• European List of Waste codes for construction waste (CAIB)
• COA Málaga technical note on waste (NT58)
• Model responsible declaration for minor works (Vera town hall)
• Málaga planning office note on works not subject to licence
• Ley 49/1960 sobre propiedad horizontal (BOE)
• Real Decreto 1627/1997 (BOE)