Driveway paving in Northcliff

Paving on the Northcliff ridge

Northcliff Hill is not made of the granite found under most of northern Johannesburg. A University of Pretoria study of the Johannesburg Dome describes the Northcliff Promontory as a ridge of West Rand Group rocks, the hard quartzites and shales behind many of the city's ridges. For a driveway, that means steep gradients and, often, rock close to the surface.

Sources: Hilliard, The structural evolution of the Johannesburg Dome, Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria

What changes on a steep, rocky drive

• Excavating into rock may need breakers or extra machine time.
• Edges must be held firmly, often with a cast concrete haunch or kerb, so blocks cannot creep downhill.
• Textured pavers give better grip in the wet than smooth ones.
• Channel drains at the bottom of the drive, and sometimes part way up, slow the water down.
• Cutting the drive into the slope can leave banks that need retaining.

Comparing hillside quotes

Quotes for the same steep driveway can be far apart because each contractor makes a different guess about rock, retaining and drainage. Ask every contractor to price those items as separate lines and to say what they will do if they hit rock they did not expect. Our guide to comparing paving quotes covers the rest.

What drives the cost in Northcliff

The contractor quotes you after measuring the job in Northcliff. These are the things that move that quote:

• Excavation into rock and the machinery it needs.
• Retaining where the drive is cut into the hillside.
• Concrete haunching or kerbs to hold edges on the slope.
• Drainage channels at the bottom and part way up.
• Slow access and spoil removal on a steep, narrow site.

Published Johannesburg price ranges, with their sources, are in our paving cost guide.

Frequently asked questions

Related pages

• Driveway paving across Johannesburg
• Paving in Northcliff
• Paving in Randburg, Northcliff and Rosebank