Buying cheap paving bricks is not automatically a mistake. Concrete pavers are genuinely the value option, installed at roughly R330 to R495 per m² against R385 to R770 for brick and R495 to R1,100 for stone.
The mistake is saving in the wrong place. Some cuts cost you nothing. Others cost you the whole job in three years.
What makes cheap paving bricks cheap
A low price usually comes from one of five places, and only some of them are harmless.
- Thinner units: 50mm instead of 60mm. Fine for a patio, wrong under a car
- Plain grey instead of coloured: a pure aesthetic saving, no structural difference
- Collection instead of delivery: real money saved if you have the transport
- Off-spec or over-run stock: sound bricks, mixed batch, so colour may vary
- Uncertified product: no SANS mark, no consistency guarantee. This is the risky one
Standard bevelled concrete pavers sit around R3.00 to R3.70 each, roughly R150 to R250 per m² in material. 60mm interlockers run about R3.50 to R4.20 each, roughly R180 to R300 per m². Those are the honest supply numbers behind most cheap paving adverts.
Coverage, so you can check the maths
- 200 x 100mm concrete paver: about 50 per m²
- 220 x 110mm clay paver: about 41 per m²
- Waste: 7 to 10 percent running bond, 10 to 15 percent herringbone
Multiply the unit price by the coverage and you have the material cost per square metre. If an advertised installed rate is barely above that number, the base is not in the price.
Savings that are genuinely safe
These reduce the bill without touching how long the paving lasts.
- Choose a simple pattern. Running bond cuts less than herringbone, so less labour and less waste. On a pedestrian area that is free money
- Pave only what you use. Gravel, planting or lawn for the rest costs a fraction
- Keep the shape rectangular. Every curve is cutting time
- Skip the colour. Grey concrete performs identically to charcoal
- Collect your own material if you have a trailer and the yard allows it
- Do it in one go. Two phases means two mobilisations and two lots of setup
Savings that will cost you more later
- Skipping excavation. Pavers laid on undisturbed ground settle into wheel ruts
- No compaction, or one deep dump of base. The base must go in layers
- Building sand instead of crusher dust in the bedding layer
- No edge restraint. The outer rows creep and the joints open
- 50mm pavers on a driveway. They will crack, and the pattern will rut
- Ignoring falls. Water sits, the bed washes out, the surface drops
Relaying a failed driveway costs more than doing it once, because you pay for the demolition as well. That is the whole argument for spending on the base and saving on the finish.
Reading a suspiciously low quote
A very low per-square-metre rate is not a lie. It is usually a different scope.
- Ask whether excavation and spoil removal are included
- Ask the compacted sub-base thickness in millimetres
- Ask the paver thickness in millimetres
- Ask whether edge restraints are in the price
- Ask who removes the old surface
- Ask whether the figure includes VAT
Labour alone on a base someone else prepared is R100 to R200 per m². With excavation, base and edging it is R200 to R370 per m². A quote near the lower band that claims to be all inclusive has quietly dropped the base. Our guide to reading paving specials goes through the same arithmetic in more detail.
Where cheap makes sense and where it does not
- Back garden path: cheap is fine. Nobody drives on it
- Washing line and bin area: cheap is fine
- Patio: mid-range concrete is usually the sweet spot
- Driveway: never cut the base or the paver thickness. Cut the colour instead
- Pool surround: pay for a non-slip finish, save elsewhere
If the area carries a vehicle, read our driveway paving Cape Town guide before you buy anything. For a pedestrian area the smaller 450×450 concrete paving slabs often beat bricks on both price and speed.
Getting value without gambling
Get three quotes on the same written scope. Not three prices for three different jobs, which is what usually happens. Specify the paver thickness, the base depth and the edging, then let contractors compete on that. Paver strength classes and laying guidance come from the Concrete Manufacturers Association.
Our paving quotes break out each layer so you can see exactly where your money goes and choose to save consciously. Send us your measurements for a written quote. The assessment is free and there is no call-out fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much are paving bricks in South Africa?
Standard bevelled concrete pavers run about R3.00 to R3.70 each in 2026, which is roughly R150 to R250 per m² in material at 50 pavers per square metre. 60mm interlockers for driveways cost about R3.50 to R4.20 each, roughly R180 to R300 per m². Clay pavers cost more.
Is cheap paving worth it?
It depends where the saving comes from. A plain grey paver, a simple running-bond pattern and a smaller paved area all save money with no effect on lifespan. Cutting the excavation, the compacted sub-base, the edge restraint or the paver thickness saves a little now and usually means relaying the whole area within a few years.
Why is one paving quote so much cheaper than another?
Almost always because the scope is different. Labour only on a prepared base is R100 to R200 per m², while excavation, base, bedding and edging bring it to R200 to R370 per m². Ask each contractor for the excavation depth, base thickness, paver thickness and whether edging and VAT are included.
What is the cheapest way to pave a driveway?
Use 60mm plain grey concrete interlockers rather than clay or cobbles, keep the shape rectangular, and pave only the wheel path and turning area rather than the whole frontage. Do not save on the 250 to 300mm excavation, the 150mm compacted sub-base or the edge restraint, because those are what carry the vehicle.
How many paving bricks do I need per square metre?
About 50 for a standard 200 x 100mm concrete paver and about 41 for a 220 x 110mm clay paver, both before waste. Add 7 to 10 percent for a straight running bond and 10 to 15 percent for herringbone, since every edge of a herringbone field needs cutting.