Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>What's the average driveway, path and paving job salary?
Last updated: 18 December 2024
What's the average driveway, path and paving job salary?
Tradespeople who install driveways, patios, paths or paving, can earn solid salaries. This article looks at how earnings vary according to experience levels and what you could do to benefit from this highly skilled trade.
Paving is a highly skilled trade. Whether for driveways, patios or paths. It takes years and lots of hard work to gain the necessary skills. As a result, you want to earn a decent paving job salary based on your experience.
Not surprisingly, like many other trades, paving as a form of landscaping pays more as you gain experience. It's also an in-demand trade.
Many people who choose home improvements also look to the outside of their properties as well.
A garden patio, path or driveway can boost the value of a property. That's why many homeowners want professional, skilled tradespeople who can do the job to high standards.
Getting the right paving job salary is therefore important to consider. Especially if you own the business to begin with.
How to start a paving business
With a wide range of outdoor flooring options, people will always look for possibilities for their home. As a result, knowing how to start a paving business could be your next career move. Paving installers work across a range of different opportunities. Helping homeowners create their dream gardens
How much can a driveway, patio and path paver make?
Obviously, this type of work covers a range of trade skills. As a business, you could be working on driveways, patios or paths.
However, salaries paid for each are broadly similar. A paving job salary will depend on different levels of experience and training.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs** | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £6.30 | £50.40 | £11,063 | £0 | £9,139 |
| Newly Qualified | £10.50 | £84 | £18,438 | £0 | £12,437 |
| Employed | £20 | £160 | £41,600 | £0 | £20,466 |
| Sole Trader | £35.00 | £280 | £51,626 | £6,453 | £34,114 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £39.50 | £316 | £58,264 | £10,196 | £47,853 |
| **includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: September 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
Apprentice paver
Getting into the profession as an apprentice could see you earning £11,063per year. At the other end of the scale, if you run your own limited company, a salary could be in the order of £58,264per year.
Qualified paving experts
In between, there are salary rates for newly qualified tradespeople of £18,438per year. As an experienced employee, you could expect £41,600per year.
Business owners
If you set up your own business as a sole trader, then a typical salary is £51,626per year. This can rise to £58,264 as a limited business owner. But you need toconsider the business costs that will be deducted.
How to start a driveway contracting business
The scope for driveway contracting businesses is arguably greater than ever before. With a huge variety of driveway materials, additional services, and markets to tap into, it's understandable you're wondering how to start a driveway business of your own. Wanting to become your own boss means you
How much can an employee earn?
If you decide to work for a company, your salary range can rise sharply with experience.
Joining as an apprentice will give you some earnings while you also learn in a college setting.
Once you have qualifications under your belt, your salary should increase. Salary levels can more than double for employees with more experience.
Hourly rates for a driveway, patio and path paver
Looking at the hourly rate gives you a good idea of the salary range.
It can be a useful way of looking at pay rates for jobs that don’t take much time to complete. Or where customers prefer to pay on an hourly basis.
Apprentice: £6.30per hour
Newly qualified: £10.50per hour
Employed: £20per hour
Daily rates for a driveway, patio and path paver
Here are daily rates based on working an eight-hour day:
Apprentice: £50.40per hour
Newly qualified: £84per hour
Employed:£160per hour
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Checkatrade can help your business get where it wants to be
How much can you earn by setting up your own business?
Salary levels kick up higher if you choose to work for yourself. Starting your own business is a big decision to make.
Options you could consider include setting up a paving business or starting a driveway contracting business.
Plan carefully before you make this major step.
A sensible starting place is to write a business plan. This will help you plan your future success as a driveway, patio and path paver.
Grow your paving business with more leads
We can help you win more work in your area
What salary can you earn as a sole trader?
A self-employed sole trader takes on more risks running a driveway, patio and path business. But they benefit from the rewards.
A sole trader's annual salary is £51,626.
As a sole trader, you’ll probably have business expenses. These can include costs like buying plant, equipment and tools. Business costs coming out of the salary of a sole trader can be in the region of £6,453.
Bear in mind, though, that many business expenses are tax deductible.
What salary can you earn running a limited company?
Often, tradespeople running a successful sole trader business want to expand. A logical next step could be to set up a limited company.
Like with a sole trader business, you’ll be taking on more risks and responsibilities. As a result, you can expect a higher salary. The salary of a business owner of a limited company is £58,264.
Business costs associated with running a limited company will be higher, at around £10,196.
What qualifications do you need to start as a driveway, patio and path paver?
Tradespeople can begin a career in this sector with a government-backed apprenticeship.
In fact, you’ll find a range of business training grants available to help with funding. It could be that a grant gets you started in your career as a driveway, patio and path paver.
Typical training in this field includes:
Pavement construction intermediate apprenticeship
Level 2 Diploma in paving construction
Level 3 Diploma in hard landscaping
If you think you’ll work mainly on construction sites, then specialist training is available. The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) provides training and qualifications. This gives you an all-important CSCS card to work on construction sites.
Grow your paving business with more leads
We can help you win more work in your area
Choosing how you want to work
When it comes to your trade career, you might want to start out working for someone else. As an employee, you can gain valuable experience. Your paving job salary will be determined by someone else though.
After a while, you might prefer to go it alone.
Options open to you here including being a self-employed sole trader. Or you could set up a limited company. Choose the legal form of business you want to run.
You’ll find pros and cons of being a sole trader compared with a limited company.
At the end of the day, it’s a question of whether you want to be your own boss.
Top tips on how to become your own boss
"I can't afford to start my own business." "I don't have the experience or knowledge to run a business." "What if I fail?" You wouldn't be human if you didn't have these doubts swirling through your mind. Every successful entrepreneur thinks this before starting up at some point. The fact of the
Find more work with Checkatrade
If you choose to run your own trade business, then it’s good to know where to look for support. Having help finding more work in your local area can provide a real boost to grow profitably.
Checkatrade members receive our help with new enquiries. There are lots of other benefits of Checkatrade membership too.
They include:
Dedicated support team
Getting jobs covered by guarantee when booked through us (T&Cs apply)
Exclusive 75% discount on Quickbooks software
Savings on business essentials such as tools, fuel and materials
Dedicated trades apps for job management and quoting/invoicing
Our fixed membership option lets you build the plan that’s perfect for you and your business needs.
What do you need to become Checkatrade approved?
Becoming a Checkatrade member comes with a whole host of benefits, but the biggest has to be gaining our seal of approval. Homeowners tend to expect a commitment to quality when it comes to the Checkatrade tick, which can help you to win more business. Here are the checks you'll need to pass to join our directory.
Key takeaways
People look to skilled professionals to improve their homes
That includes outside of their homes in ways that can add value
Skilled driveway, patio and path pavers are in demand
As time consuming and detailed work, a paving job salary can be high
Training and qualifications are usually essential
Many tradespeople that work with paving start as apprentices
You can earn more as you gain experience
Salaries increase if you choose to start your own trade business
Ready to take your paving business further?
Checkatrade can help your business get where it wants to be
