How should I use this checklist?
Print it, save it on your phone or paste it into an email to each contractor you contact. It is organised in the order things happen, from before the first call to the day the job is finished, so you can tick items off as you go. Each line is a yes or no question; a 'no' is not necessarily a reason to walk away, but it is a reason to ask.
For the reasoning behind each point, our longer guide to choosing a paving contractor explains why it matters. This page is the short version. If you are comparing several installers, keep a simple table with one column per contractor and one row per checklist item. Gaps become obvious at a glance, and you can send each contractor a short list of the items their quote or visit did not cover.
What should I prepare before contacting installers?
- Wide photos of the whole area from at least two angles.
- Close-ups of the current surface, cracks, dips or loose blocks.
- A photo of the access lane and gate.
- Approximate dimensions or a rough sketch with measurements.
- A sentence on how the area is used: cars, vans, foot traffic, guests.
- Whether the area is private or shared with a community of owners.
- Any known pipes, cables, manholes or irrigation under the surface.
Sending the same pack to every installer makes their answers easier to compare and saves everyone a round of questions. It also shows installers that you are organised, which tends to produce more careful answers. Keep a copy for yourself.
What should I check during the site visit?
- Did they measure the area rather than estimate by eye?
- Did they look at levels at doors, gates, garage and steps?
- Did they ask where water goes now and where it should go?
- Did they consider lorry and machinery access?
- Did they mention what might be found under the old surface?
- Did they explain the base they would build, in plain words?
- Did they say if the job is better as repair or renovation instead?
The last question is a good test of honesty. An installer who suggests a lighter, cheaper route when it is genuinely enough is thinking about your property, not only the job. Note who raised it without being asked. It is a small detail that says a lot.
What must the written quote show?
- Legal name, tax number and address of the business.
- The property address and a short description of the works.
- Lifting of the existing surface and waste removal, if applicable.
- Excavation, sub-base material and indicative depth.
- Soil-cement or concrete base, with a reason if included.
- Bedding layer, block range, format, colour and pattern.
- Jointing and final compaction.
- Kerbs or edging in linear metres, and any drainage items.
- Whether IVA is included or added.
- How unexpected findings will be agreed before extra work.
To understand what each line means, see our article on what a block paving quote should list. For indicative prices, our sister site has a paving cost calculator. Use the calculator for orientation only; your quote depends on your site.
Which answers should make me pause?
Some replies deserve a follow-up question before you go any further. On their own they do not prove anything, but together they suggest the hidden part of the job has not been thought through. Here are some typical examples.
- 'No paperwork is ever needed for this', said without checking the town hall.
- 'We'll see what the base needs when we get there', with nothing in writing.
- 'Edging isn't necessary on that side.'
- 'Pay most of it now and we'll start next week.'
- 'The water will find its own way.'
- 'There is no need for an invoice.'
A calm, specific answer to each of these is what you are looking for. If a contractor cannot give one, ask for it in writing; if it still does not come, that tells you something useful about how the rest of the job may be handled.
What should be agreed before work starts?
- Town hall procedure checked, and submitted if required.
- Community approval obtained if the area is a common element.
- Any vado or public pavement work authorised separately.
- Finished levels at every door, gate and step written down.
- Falls and outlets marked or described.
- Block, colour and pattern confirmed in writing.
- Ducts for lighting, irrigation or chargers planned.
- Where materials are stored and the skip or lorry stands.
- Which access to the house stays open.
- Photo update stages and a named contact agreed.
Several items on this list depend on rules outside the contractor's control, such as town hall procedures, community resolutions and authorisation for any work on the public side of the boundary. Our permits and rules guide explains the paperwork side of this list in more detail.
What should I expect while the works are under way?
- Photos after excavation showing firm ground.
- Photos of the compacted sub-base with levels visible.
- Edging set before the main laying.
- A message before any change or extra is carried out.
- Blocks drawn from several packs to spread colour variation.
- Joints filled and the surface compacted, then topped up.
If you are abroad, these photos are your window onto the part of the job that will be buried. It is entirely reasonable to ask for them. Ask for them to be dated or sent the same day. Store them with the quote.
What should I check at handover?
- Water run over the surface flows to the planned outlets.
- No standing water at doors, gates or low corners.
- Joints full along edges and around manholes.
- Gates and doors open freely over the new surface.
- Site cleaned and waste removed.
- Invoice matches the quote, with any agreed extras listed.
- Spare blocks from the same batch left on site.
- Care advice for the joints and surface.
Keep the quote, invoice, photos and the name of the block range together. They make any future repair, sale of the property or conversation with a community administrator much easier. A shared folder works well. Share access with whoever manages the property while you are away.
Where does our own work fit in?
We built this checklist around how we organise our own jobs, so you are welcome to use it on us as well as on anyone else. The relevant services are concrete block paving, kerbs and edging and paving replacement, all carried out by the same sole trader across Málaga province. Send us a photo and the approximate m² – free, no-obligation quote.
Frequently asked questions
What should I send a paving installer before the visit?
Wide photos of the area, close-ups of the current surface and any damage, the access lane and gate, approximate dimensions, how the area is used, whether it is shared with a community, and any known services beneath it.
What is the most important thing to check at a site visit?
That the installer discusses what you cannot see: levels at doors and gates, where water goes, what may lie under the existing surface and the base they intend to build. A visit focused only on colour and price is incomplete.
What must a paving quote include to be comparable?
The legal details of the business, a description of the works and separate lines for removal and waste, excavation, sub-base, any bound base, bedding, blocks, jointing, edging, drainage, IVA and how unforeseen findings will be agreed.
Why should levels be written down before work starts?
Finished levels at doors, gates, garages and steps determine whether water runs inside, gates catch or new steps appear. Writing them down avoids disagreements once the base is built and the surface is laid.
Is it reasonable to ask for photos of the base?
Yes. The sub-base, compaction and levels are hidden once blocks are laid, so photos taken before laying are the only way to see them later, especially if you are not on site during the works.
How do I check the falls at handover?
Run water over the surface with a hose or bucket and watch where it goes. It should flow to the planned outlets without collecting at doors, gates or corners. Any puddles should be discussed before the final invoice.
Why keep spare blocks after the job?
Later batches may not match exactly, and ranges can be discontinued. Spare blocks from the original batch allow repairs after a trench or damage to blend in properly.
What paperwork should be sorted before work begins?
The town hall procedure for the works, community approval if the area is a common element, and separate authorisation for any work on the public pavement or vado. Each depends on local rules and should be confirmed in advance.
Can I use this checklist with any contractor?
Yes. It is written to be used with any installer, including us. Sending the same preparation pack and asking the same questions makes it much easier to compare answers and quotes fairly.
What documents should I keep after the job?
The quote, the invoice, the photos taken during the works and the name and colour of the block range used. They help with future repairs, conversations with a community administrator and any eventual sale.