A personal message to my potential customers along with information about our Process. I hope you can take the time to read this page as it's important !
How much is our quality landscaping going to cost?
"Investing in quality, long-lasting paving is a very sensible decision. However, you need to make sure your investment is left in the hands of a company that's been around for a long time and backed by a very skilled team that will provide exactly the results you want - knowledge and skills that only a true, time-served and highly skilled landscaping team can bring directly to your project.
This will simply allow your investment to stand the test of time, therefore it will truly be your fail-safe investment in quality-built paving and not an expensive mistake you'll regret. We can build your investment. We have the knowledge, experience, and skills to build your dream driveway, patio, or garden. With us, it's going to last a very long time. Quality, long-lasting paving doesn't come cheap; this should be seen as your investment in providing stunning kerb appeal for you and your property, buy once NOT twice"
T.Stimpson.
⫸ OUR BOOKING PROCESS
Once you have contacted us for a quote, either by Email, Phone, Zoom, WhatsApp, or just a plain old Text message - we will arrange a convenient time to visit and discuss your requirements and view your project's full potential, we currently try to do this on a Saturday as we can spend a lot more time with each client and thoroughly go over details and our booking process.
We provide a FREE site survey and Quote for Driveways, Patios, and Gardens if booked - to provide the basic cost for you (We will charge a £250 refundable deposit, returned if the project is booked with us) Happy to provide drawings only at the cost of £250 + VAT
We charge£250 for adetailed 2HR Consultation for Garden Design and more complex Driveways or multi-level Patios.
It's essential that we go over every little bit of your garden. We can provide a detailed Consultation for Driveways & Patios, however, we find that our Site Survey provides enough for those project types.
At this early stage, it would be helpful if you had a basic idea of what you would like and/or a rough budget that we can work with.
Most of our basic small drives start at 5k, small Patios 6k, and our smallest of gardens start at a minimum of 10k, with some Medium-sized garden designs often around 30-40k onwards INC VAT
Larger drives (2/3 car) often 10k+, Medium Patios 12k - and Large sized family gardens around the 40k-100k onwards, INC VAT
But let's not guess this as I can provide your FREE survey and consultation !
We can bring our online portfolio with free magazines from our main suppliers if you wish. However, like most things these days, a lot more can be found through links that we can send you via text, email, and/or WhatsApp messages! Your new driveway, patio, or garden should be an easy and enjoyable process, not stressful and confusing. We have broken down the steps we take to get the results that you want!
Your first major step has now already been completed ! - as you have found us ! - that's just the very start of this journey ...
Thanks for taking the time to read through all this text, ok I get it, yes it goes on, however itys important
Right now, you are in the same position as me when I am trying to find a good, reliable service for my personal property renovations. You are taking in as much detail as possible to find the right contractor for your project. The right one... however, it's a minefield, isn't it? Sometimes when you think you've found the right one, they don't even turn up for the site visit (I have been there myself when booking services for my own home - I understand the frustration). Well, it's okay! Because now, for your paving or landscaping project, I'm happy to say - you need look no further. Thankfully, you have found STIMPSONS GPDB LTD. Me and my friendly, honest, and skilled hardworking team will not let you down! Your investment will be safe with us.
Okay, you've just completed the first stage! You've found someone who could actually build your perfect project that you've planned for a long time. You really can have peace of mind as I've built my business from personal experiences over the last 24+ years, trying to find reliable trades - only to be let down by either the quality or simply by not turning up. This is not acceptable, and honesty and integrity are extremely deep-rooted within STIMPSONS GPDB Ltd.
For you to move on with your project - with 100% complete peace of mind, please let me explain in some more detail why you're in very good hands with STIMPSONS GPDB LTD (STIMPSONS GARDENS, PAVING, DESIGN, BUILD).
My company has been slowly built up over the last 24+ years, so that's over 24 years! ... Slowly and painfully improving year on year. My knowledge, experience, trials, and even errors have been dealing with the incessant UK weather issues. I even taught myself to learn weather forecasting (long-term computer models) to be one step ahead with all my builds, so my customers get the best build conditions possible. I have honed my natural eye for detail and recognition of the parts that truly matter, whether that's structurally or cosmetically. All of this, combined with my constantly trained on-site team absorbing all of my acquired knowledge over the years, simply brings stunning results time after time for you.
I've seen over the years how so many of my customers have had bad experiences with not just the customer service they receive, but also really shocking 'Workmanship' and No aftercare services !
It is a deep-rooted personal trait for me to do the very best I can with all areas of my business from first contact to the end result.
I remember a long time ago Working for My First Boss Jeff Hedges when I was just 17 years old ...
" Tim, I trust you implicitly - it's justimpossiblefor you to do a bad job, you just can't let yourself "
- That's stuck with me ever since (30 years now) and I'm very proud to have kept this personal trait.
it's simply not possiblefor me to do less than my absolute best as this is deep within me ... ... it's part of my makeup, my Character.
If I'm not happy, I will defiantly know you are not happy as I have an extremely high level of workmanship expected not only from myself but all my team's output, therefore I'm confident that you will be 100% happy with the end result both me and my skilled team produces for you!
So, okay you know a little about me as a person now, what about as a business ? - for you toREALLY trust both me and my company (after all, a High Quality built Garden/Patio/Drive is a Biginvestment.) -
Well then I need to to offer you a VERY STRONG commitment to our quality and back up my words ...
I touched on this on the home page (as it's the core of what we do) - We really don't mess around here - We simply build Very high-quality lasting Driveways, Patios, and Gardens - built to last the Test of Time andif wanted they can all be guaranteed for Life !
After NOW 24 Years of trading and improving Year on Year, All new customers FROM JAN 1st 2024 - We can now confidently offer you the following :
⫸3-Years as standard.
✓NO PUDDLES ! ✓NO DIPS ! ✓NO LOOSE EDGING / SLABS / BLOCKS ! ✓NO LOOSE POINTING ! ✓NO WEEDS (NEW '24) ! + Some Very Handy Extras new for this year.
↷ ⫸ EVEN BETTER ! 5 - Year Warranty Plan. - Yearly Maintenance PLAN
✓NO PUDDLES ! ✓NO DIPS ! ✓NO LOOSE EDGING / SLABS / BLOCKS ! ✓NO LOOSE POINTING ! ✓ A FREEDEEP CLEAN EVERY YEAR ! ✓NO WEEDS (NEW '24) ! + Some Very Handy Extras new for this year.
↷ ⫸ HOW ABOUT FOR LIFE ? - LIFETIME Warranty Plan. - Monthly Maintenance PLAN
Everything as the above, Plus ... ✓NO MOSS - Even on Sandstone !! ✓NO WEEDS (NEW '24) ! ✓A FREE SWEEP DOWN EACH AND EVERY MONTH ! ... ✓NO LEAFS AND LITTER ! ✓A FREEDEEP CLEAN EVERY YEAR FOR LIFE ! + Some Very handy Extras new for this year.
↷ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ✓Our Guaranteeand commitment to YOU As from * January 1st 2023 we will honour our commitment seen below to all new customers who book their projects with us from 01/01/23 ... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Whether you choose either - our standard 3-Year Guarantee or our upgraded 5 - Year warranty or possibly our Lifetime warranty and in theextremely unlikely event of any default of puddles/dips/loose edging/blocks/slabs/pointing/weeds as mentioned above -
We will Rectify the Problem and honour a DEEP clean Completely FREE of charge ! -
~ALL WITHIN 28 WORKING DAYS ~ No Hassle - No fuss ! ...
... So when we say It's Build to last, we really DO mean it ! ... - Design - Build - Maintain, T.Stimpson.
Being committed to The BRETT approved installers scheme and if you use BRETTS Products you will also receive ...
Brett's independent 10-YEAR Product guarantee !
Brett'sindependent 5-Year workmanship Guarantee !
✓ Take a look at our Guarantee Page >HERE< for updates.
↷ Our Booking Process, your Journey to Perfect Paving & Gardens designed especially for you :
Met me and my team on site ? - A Leaflet, Web search or Face book post ? - Then we would have asked you to contact or fill a form and arranged a convenient time to visit you. If not call me on
07539 275 347 today and let me arrange this for you as this is just the start of building your dream project.
After our initial visit and viewing the project, we will contact you with a Proposal - usually within 5 - 7 working days from viewing
(This can take longer during busy periods May - Sept) - So please allow up to 10 working days during May - Sept.
Once you are happy with your Proposal in principle and you have accepted, we will save someprovisional space just for you.
Alternatively you might like my ideas and opt for just a Basic/Detailed drawing from me at this stage to show what you could achieve - Great, you're in good hands, especially - unlike just a designer, I have drawing skills along with hands on laying experience (I know what works, what lasts and how to avoid some pitfalls and money wasting materials) Basic drawing costs (not exactly to scale) start from £250.00 + VAT
If you decide to move on past just the Proposal /Drawing stage and book the design in to be built:
Then you can leave your deposit at any stage of the booking process to secure a slot with us if you wanted - for peace of mind (this will be refundable once your project is completed.) However we normally take the refundable booking deposit just after the
detailed quote is sent over to you.
After further communication regards the products that will be used for the hard paving and/or soft landscaping we will provide your fully detailed Quotation along with
our basic terms of engagement.
Once you're happy with the Quote/Proposal document and it is signed we will then require a refundable£250+ VAT booking deposit (Drives and Patios) or £500+ VAT (Gardens)
along with a refundable £250+ VAT Drawing deposit.
The total >Refundable Investment< at this stage would be between £600 - £900 (Inc VAT)
We will then lock in your provisional space in our work schedule and make it an Official booking.
WE ARE OFTEN BOOKED AT LEAST 3 MONTHS AHEAD - HOWEVER PLEASE ASK FOR OUR LATEST LEAD TIME IF YOU WANT YOUR PROJECT BUILT SOONER, AS WE MIGHT HAVE A SLOT AVAILABLE THAT SUITS THE SIZE OF THE WORK TO BE DONE.
Again, just to be clear the£250/£500booking deposit will be deducted from the final cost on completion of the project.
Once the refundable booking deposit and refundable drawing deposit has been received - we will send out your FREE Basic Concept drawing,
normally within 2-4 weeks from receiving the booking deposit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Optional stage:
*If you chose a detailed drawing for your project there would be another further visit (consultation) after our initial FREE site survey/visit - before the full quote stage.
We will take payment for both the Refundable booking deposit along with the Non refundable detailed Consultation & drawing cost.
Basic Consultation site surveys are FREE
Detailed Garden and/or Driveway Consultations
for additional costs below: Detailed Consultation Costs start at £250+VAT for 1-2 hours
or £450+VAT for 2-4 hours as needed, we will advise at the time needed on at the FREE site survey and FREE Basic Consultation.
Once we have moved past the FREE consultation and Basic drawing or Detailed PAID consultation STAGE , the Quote/Proposal document has been signed - We will arrange another visit to drop off samples and discuss further.
Then we keep in touch regularly as we near your starting date ! - we normally have a window of roughly two weeks between projects, just in case of bad weather or any other unforeseen delay -
this helps to give you a realistic time scale and limit any delays should they occur in the previous project.
All Proposals/Basic Quotes are valid for 3 months and if your acceptance is received within this period the price will be held until we commence your work.
Due to the forever changing cost of Materials, Outside of the 3 month time scale will require Re-Quoting to bring costs back up to date - very roughly by around 2 - 5%+ depending on the time we are contacted again, the longer this takes the more this would increase costs.
If left to the following year, around 5 - 10%+ price increase should be expected.
↷
WHAT IS OUR EXACT BOOKING PROCESS ?
HERE IS OUR ACCURATE BOOKING PROCESS IN JUST 14 SIMPLE STEPS BELOW:
First contact.
Leave details and/or speak to team member.
Our reply to you to book the Site Visit/Consultation.
Site visit(BASIC) FREE for Drives, Patios and Gardens (FREE BASIC DRAWING) Or Driveway Patio, Garden Consultation 1-2HR - £250 + VAT for Driveways and Patios 2-4HRS - £450 + VAT for Complex Drives, Patios and Garden Builds
Optional scale drawing following Optional Consultation.
Basic Proposal letter sent by Text / Email / WhatsApp – with estimated lead time and confirming your happy to go ahead at this stage.
Your acceptance of the basic proposal – Provisional space is saved. within 5 - 10 working days from the reply from the Basic Proposal text
Fully detailed Quote and Letter of terms of engagement sent within 5-10 working days from the Second visit … acceptance of Detailed Quote / Revised Quote by basic return email / text / WhatsApp or Mail.
Copy of signature after accepting the Detailed Quote, simply a photo sent for our records.
£250 Booking deposit then taken to officially secure your Provisionally saved space – The BASIC and or PAID drawing/s will then be sent out within a further 5-10 working days.
We will send out our confirmation of your received Deposit, your booking and your proposed Installation date !
Check that you are happy with the Basic FREE drawing that follows the Quote by 5-10 working days.
Second (Or third) Visit, go over all details and show you samples of the proposed Materials a sometimes due to sourcing exact products this follows step 8 instead if unsure of materials.
We will contact you regularly with weekly updates when 4 weeks away from the date.
.
P.S - We had all this information below left over below from our old site (around 15 years old) and thought that we would leave this as content - as it would be possibly useful information about other Hard Landscaping Features for some customers ? ...
↷
- What additional features are available for my project ?
INSPECTION COVERS.
We can help to hide Inspection covers !
This include removing old cover, reducing or increasing the height to suite new surface (5 bricks +/- max), cleaning any debris caused and then replacing with a new cover set in strong concrete with the chosen paving to match the rest of the project.
RAISED EDGING TYPE TO FORM BORDERS AND DEFINE AREAS
- How can I deal with Flower borders spilling onto paving?
Block edging.
Block on there side as a edging border, or Block laid flat for Features (around Lawn/planted areas)
The most economical way to provide flower border edging, can also be laid flat to form a lawn edge to aid mowing and define lawns and gravel areas . (This method will use the chosen main or border block turned on its side and set into strong concrete to form a shallow raised edge)
Kerb edging. Pointed with coloured mortar or left without This method is a upgrade from the "block on edge method" above, please use buttons below for more info. Please don't feel that you need the exact kerb type to match the paving, as using contrasting colour kerbs to the block type can enhance the look of the edging by helping it stand out, especially if using for step risers !
Brick edging
This method is basically a small wall, this method is the most time consuming and more expensive than the methods above, this is mainly used to create a rustic feel or to help the driveway blend into existing brickwork or walls. Works very well to create rustic landscape features and with cobble type block paving
↷ BIG CHANGES IN LEVELS ? - PLEASE SEE SOME SOLUTIONS BELOW
- How can I deal with the Different levels found in my Garden?
Railway sleepers old or new.
We love using railway sleepers in our designs, they really help to soften hard landscape features.
(ALL OF OUR SLEEPERS ARE HEAVILY COATED BEHIND & IF BUDGET ALLOWS RECOMEND SETTING ON A ORNATE MASONARY PLITH)
Can be laid Horizontal or vertical (Vertical incurs more cost due to cutting) Can also be made into planting boxes, low cost steps, water features, seating, rustic decking and pathways (site visit needed)
Brickwork and/or block and render
(vast amount of types available to suite paving or property, render can also be painted with any colour imaginable) This is the most expensive form of retaining ground but sometimes there will be no other option due to amount of ground the structure has to retain or simply to suite other existing brickwork, structures and taste . The price of brickwork and block and render will depend on access, thickness, height, type of brickwork, footing design so a site visit is always needed to price this important landscape feature.
PATIOS BUILT FROM A VAST CHOICE OF PRODUCTS
- What products are available for me to use in my Garden / Driveway ?
↷
"Patio's - A natural way to extend your home outwards, opening up a more beautiful place to spend with family and friends".
CONCRETE BLOCK & RENDER RETAINING WALLS !
This picture is a good example of using render to enhance a design, this garden would not look the same if it was done in just brickwork, the Render used instantly gives the work a contemporary feel with a paintwork to compliment the Sandstone paving.
INDIAN SANDSTONE. one of our favourite products used within our designs.
- Why Do we like to install Sandstone and is this suitable for your Garden? - Take a look at this short On-Site video below as I'm sure you will too!
Here's part of a longer video - it's all about the colours and our over engineered strong foundations ! ... ↷
SLATE & LIMESTONE
SAME AS ABOVE INSTALLATION METHOD
PRECAST CONCRETE (ONCE A BUDGET PAVING - UNFORTUNATELY
MANUFACTURING COSTS HAVE PUSHED THE PRICES HIGHER THAN SOME NATURAL STONE, BUT FOR LOW MAINTENANCE YOU CANT BEAT IT !
SOME TYPES CAN EVEN LOOK LIKE NATURAL STONE
PORCELAIN. WOW ! - amazing product used extensively within our designs ... it's the highest Cost to install.
PATIOS/PATHS/STEPS/WALLS FACING & COPING
VAST AMOUNT OF STUNNING TYPES AVAILABLE
INSTANT CONTEMPORY FRESH CLEAN LOOK
WIPE CLEAN FINISH - AS SEEN IN THE QUICK VIDEO ABOVE PORCELAIN. Do you want wipe clean slabs even with Bird Droppings and loose Berries, Mud and even Cement (As a Test)
- Why Do we like to Install and is this suitable for your Garden? - Take a look as this shortened On-Site video below showing how easy this product is to wipe clean!
Here's part of a longer video ... "No need for a pressure washer" :) ... would save your knees and hands though!!
Garden design & build.
We are big on design and bursting with ideas, we can create all types of gardens including ...
Front, Rear, Contemporary, Cottage, Wildlife, Family and Formal gardens !
Ponds, pools, Natural swimming pools
Outbuildings & Garden Rooms - We can build it by design - Bespoke just for you !
We love to bring our gardens to life with all our Ideas and Experience.
We use a mix of FREE hand and CAD for all our design plans.
Most of our designs use a combination of hard and soft landscape products as seen above combined with a BESPOKE design to create your dream Garden.
We are completely in-house we can design, Build & Maintain your new Garden all under one roof.
However :
" We welcome your own designs and any garden drawings that you have had designed professionally - Let us bring your Designs & Drawings to life ! " T.Stimpson