Which business has more experience with patios specifically?

Inventive Drives and Patios explicitly lists patios in Indian sandstone and garden restoration among its work, while BJ Surfacing's documented jobs focus more on resin drives, block paving, tarmac, and dropped kerbs.

Which business has the stronger overall review history?

BJ Surfacing has 148 reviews at a 4.8 rating, far more than Inventive Drives and Patios' 20 reviews at 5.0, giving it a larger sample size even though both are highly rated.

Has either business had complaints?

BJ Surfacing has one recorded complaint about materials left blocking a road; Inventive Drives and Patios has no recorded complaints across its 20 reviews.

Which is better for decorative detail work?

Inventive Drives and Patios gets specific praise for careful handling of decorative steps and manhole covers, which suits a garden patio's finish details.

BJ Surfacing vs Inventive Drives and Patios: which for patio & garden paving?

Updated 2026-07-22 · 961 reviewed · 34 listed · How we rank ›

Both firms turn up regularly in searches for patio and garden paving around Cheltenham, and both earn strong praise for tidy sites and fast turnarounds. The real question for this specific job is which one has the deeper track record with patio and garden work versus driveway surfacing, and how much weight you put on a longer review history. Our methodology weighs review volume, recency, and sentiment together, which is why the scores split the way they do.

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The differences that matter

Patio material experience. Inventive Drives and Patios calls out Indian sandstone patios and garden restoration by name, while BJ Surfacing's documented work leans toward resin drives, block paving, tarmac, and dropped kerbs.
Track record depth. BJ Surfacing has 148 reviews behind its 4.8 rating, giving far more evidence of consistent patio and garden performance than Inventive Drives and Patios' 20 reviews, even though both average close to a perfect score.
Site conduct history. BJ Surfacing has one recorded complaint about materials left blocking a road, whereas Inventive Drives and Patios has a completely clean five-star record across all 20 reviews.
Detail work on decorative elements. Inventive Drives and Patios gets specific praise for handling manhole covers and decorative steps carefully, which matters more for a garden patio's finish than for a plain driveway.

Side by side

Criterion	BJ Surfacing	Inventive drives and patios LTD
Google rating	4.8 (148 reviews)	5 (20 reviews)
Services	patio paving, driveway paving, commercial paving, block paving	patio paving, driveway paving, commercial paving, block paving
Best for	Larger or mixed projects combining driveways, resin, and paving where a big track record reduces risk	A dedicated patio or garden paving job where sandstone finish and decorative detail are the priority
Specialty fit for this job	Broad surfacing generalist with paving as one of several services	Patio and garden-specific experience with named materials like Indian sandstone
Verification	Google-verified	Google-verified
Composite score	88	77

Google rating: BJ Surfacing: 4.8 (148 reviews); Inventive drives and patios LTD: 5 (20 reviews)
Services: BJ Surfacing: patio paving, driveway paving, commercial paving, block paving; Inventive drives and patios LTD: patio paving, driveway paving, commercial paving, block paving
Best for: BJ Surfacing: Larger or mixed projects combining driveways, resin, and paving where a big track record reduces risk; Inventive drives and patios LTD: A dedicated patio or garden paving job where sandstone finish and decorative detail are the priority
Specialty fit for this job: BJ Surfacing: Broad surfacing generalist with paving as one of several services; Inventive drives and patios LTD: Patio and garden-specific experience with named materials like Indian sandstone
Verification: BJ Surfacing: Google-verified; Inventive drives and patios LTD: Google-verified
Composite score: BJ Surfacing: 88; Inventive drives and patios LTD: 77

What reviewers say

BJ Surfacing

Reviewers consistently report smooth projects and finished surfaces that exceed expectations. The team arrives on time, communicates progress clearly, and leaves sites clean each day. Work spans resin drives, block paving, tarmac, and dropped kerbs across Cheltenham and surrounding areas. One neighbour complaint about materials left in the road stands out against the overwhelming pattern of tidy, respectful site conduct.

Most praise focuses on the owner's knowledge, the crew's work ethic, and competitive pricing. Projects finish faster than quoted timescales. Aftercare support and willingness to address issues post-completion appear consistently. Multiple reviewers mention recommending the team to others or booking further work without hesitation.

Inventive drives and patios LTD

Every review across 20 customers is five-star, with consistent praise for fast turnarounds, clean working habits, and competitive pricing. Work spans driveways, block paving, patios in Indian sandstone, and garden restoration across Cheltenham and Gloucestershire.

The team completes projects in fewer days than expected and handles logistics smoothly while paying attention to fine details like manhole covers and decorative steps. Customers mention responsive quoting, polite crew members, and the ability to upsell or adapt work on site without friction.

Which should you pick?

Pick BJ Surfacing if

You want a contractor with the largest, most tested review history in the area
Your project mixes paving with driveway or resin work under one job
You value direct owner communication and a firm that finishes ahead of quoted timescales

Pick Inventive drives and patios LTD if

Your job is specifically a garden patio, especially in Indian sandstone
You want a completely spotless review record with no site complaints on file
You care about fine decorative detail like steps and manhole cover finishing

Verdict

For a patio or garden paving job specifically, Inventive Drives and Patios is the closer specialty match, with named experience in Indian sandstone patios and garden restoration plus a flawless five-star record, even though its review base is smaller. BJ Surfacing remains the safer bet if you want a longer, heavily tested track record or your project blends paving with driveway and resin work, but its documented experience sits closer to driveways than gardens. Choose based on how narrowly your job fits "patio and garden" versus general surfacing.

Trying to decide between options?

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Enquiries submitted through our forms may be passed to partner providers who can do the work. We may receive a referral fee, but our rankings and scores are based solely on our published method and are never influenced by these fees.

FAQ

Which business has more experience with patios specifically?: Inventive Drives and Patios explicitly lists patios in Indian sandstone and garden restoration among its work, while BJ Surfacing's documented jobs focus more on resin drives, block paving, tarmac, and dropped kerbs.
Which business has the stronger overall review history?: BJ Surfacing has 148 reviews at a 4.8 rating, far more than Inventive Drives and Patios' 20 reviews at 5.0, giving it a larger sample size even though both are highly rated.
Has either business had complaints?: BJ Surfacing has one recorded complaint about materials left blocking a road; Inventive Drives and Patios has no recorded complaints across its 20 reviews.
Which is better for decorative detail work?: Inventive Drives and Patios gets specific praise for careful handling of decorative steps and manhole covers, which suits a garden patio's finish details.