Garden paths

Gravel is cheap, drains freely and suits informal gardens, but it needs firm edging to stay in place, is hard work for wheelbarrows, buggies and wheelchairs, and gets carried indoors. Self-binding gravel, which compacts to a firm surface, and resin-bound gravel are smoother alternatives.

Block paving and brick paths are durable and can be laid in curves. Slab and flagstone paths suit formal layouts and cottage gardens alike. Stepping stones set into a lawn are the lightest touch, for routes used occasionally; set flush with the grass, they let the mower run over them.

Match the path to the use. The route from the back door to the bins or the shed takes daily traffic and wheeled loads. A path through a border may be walked only to weed it.

Paths are often built too narrow. Two people walking side by side, a wheelbarrow, a wheelie bin or a wheelchair all need more width than the path you might draw on paper, and plants spill over the edges within a season. Think about who and what uses the path before settling the width.

Edging holds gravel and blocks in place and gives a clean line against lawn and borders. Paths should have a slight cross-fall so that water runs off rather than lying in puddles, and must not direct water towards the house. Where a path runs along the house wall, the same rule as for patios applies: keep it below the damp-proof course and clear of air bricks.

• route, length, width and a sketch
• surface material and edging type
• sub-base depth, which depends on use
• falls and where water drains
• steps, their rise and going, and any handrail
• lighting and ducts for cables
• treatment near trees, roots and inspection chambers

Steps on a garden path should be even: every step the same height and depth, so people do not trip on the one that is different. Front edges that contrast with the tread help people see them, especially older visitors. Where a path with steps is used after dark, lighting matters.

Low-voltage garden lights from a plug-in transformer are simple. Mains-powered lighting needs a qualified electrician, and in England a new outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. Laying a duct under the path while it is being built costs little and saves lifting it later.

Digging a path base through the roots of a tree can damage or kill it, and if the tree has a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area, that can be an offence. Near trees, paths are often built with a no-dig construction: a cellular confinement system laid on the existing surface and filled with stone, which spreads the load without cutting roots. Ask the contractor how it will build near trees and whether the council needs to be consulted.

In England, the permitted development rule for front gardens applies to any hard surface between the front wall of the house and the road, not only driveways. If the new surface covers more than 5 square metres and is impermeable, with no provision for water to drain to a permeable area within the property, planning permission is needed. Most front paths are small or drain to a lawn or border, but a wide path combined with other paving can pass the limit. Permeable materials or a path that drains to planting avoid the issue.

Tell us where the path goes, how long it is, what it is for and the material you prefer. We check your phone number and email and then offer the request, without your personal details, to paving and landscaping firms in your area. One company buys it; before it sees your details, we send you its name, address and phone number. The service is free for you, and you are not obliged to accept a quote. Ask the firm about the base it will use, because that decides how long the path stays level.