Paving Wiz lays driveways, patios and yards in Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill and Heathfield. This is low, flat ground not far from Zandvlei, and the difference between paving that lasts here and paving that does not comes down to one winter question: where does the water go?
Flat ground gives you no help
Contents
There is almost no natural gradient across much of Retreat, so the fall on a paved area is entirely manufactured. Two to three centimetres over a couple of metres is enough to move water, but it has to be built into the base deliberately and checked with a level, not eyeballed.
Paving laid dead flat on flat ground will hold a film of water across the whole surface after rain, and on a driveway that is how you get green growth and slippery patches by mid-winter.
Winter water table
When the water table comes up, ground that carried a car all summer softens. A deeper, well-graded stone base spreads the wheel load over a wider footprint so the softened ground is not being asked to carry it in two narrow lines. That is the whole trick and it is not visible once the job is done, which is precisely why it gets left out of cheap quotes.
How the water leaves
| Option | Where the water ends up | Works on a high water table? |
|---|---|---|
| Fall to the street | Municipal stormwater | Yes |
| Channel drain plus outlet | Municipal stormwater | Yes |
| Soakaway | Into the ground on site | Only if the ground can take it |
| Permeable paving | Into the ground under the paving | Limited when the table is very high |
What it costs in Retreat
Drainage is a separate line on a Retreat quote, and it should be. If it is not there, it has not been priced.
| Drainage solution | Cost | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Fall to the street | In the paving rate | Kerb sits lower than the plot |
| Channel drain | R450 – R900 per metre | Run-off comes in from outside |
| Soakaway | Quoted per job | Nowhere to shed to, ground drains |
| Permeable surface | R350 – R500/m² | Flat plot, water table not too high |
Labour on its own is R100 to R200 per square metre. The full breakdown — pavers, labour and sub-base — with more worked examples is on our paving prices Cape Town page.
Retreat paving questions
Water stands on my paving all winter. Why?
It was laid flat. Without a fall, water has nowhere to go and sits until it evaporates.
Does permeable paving work with a high water table?
Up to a point. If the water table is very close to the surface there is nowhere for the water to drain to, and a fall to the street is the better answer.
What does a 35m² driveway cost?
R10,500 to R14,700 in standard grey brick, plus drainage as a separate line.
Get a written quote in Retreat
Tell us what you need paved in Retreat, roughly how big it is and what is on the ground now. We come out, measure it, check the fall and put a written figure to it. There is no charge for the visit.
We also cover the rest of the southern suburbs. Related guide: permeable paving in Cape Town.
Prefer to talk? Call 081 408 9946