Type 1 Sub-base: Recycled Aggregate – cost per m³ – UK 2026 Rate Guide

Budget rate for supply & lay · typical budget rate before your adjustments

Labour, plant, materials, outputs and waste — yours to edit, as an Excel. Three free.

Rates are UK national (non-London): central London and constrained urban sites typically run dearer — adjust the labour, plant and access lines in the build-up accordingly.

Recycled Type 1 sub-base

per m³ · supply & lay

£54 – £122 / m³

What is it

The supply and laying of recycled MOT Type 1 granular sub-base, spread in layers and compacted to form the load-bearing base beneath roads, hardstandings, slabs and pavings, priced per m³ of compacted material in place. Recycled Type 1 is crushed and screened from concrete and brick reclaimed from demolition rather than from quarried virgin rock. Material supply sets the delivered stone price, which is the bulk of the rate, and comes in three bands:

Near source — a local depot on a short haul.
Standard — a typical regional haul.
Long haul — a remote source beyond about 30 miles.

Rate range by material supply

Near source£54 – £85 / m³

Standard haul£60 – £93 / m³

Long haul£81 – £122 / m³

Budget rate per m³.

3 key cost drivers

Material supply & haul

The delivered stone is around 80% of the cost, so the depot source and haul distance are the top driver. Recycled aggregate is cheaper at the gate, but the saving narrows on a long haul because haulage costs the same whatever the source.

Laying context

Standard machine-laid areas run fast; working around services, to tight levels or by hand slows the gang and adds over-supply, raising the rate per m³.

Location

London and the South East typically add around 20% to labour and plant.

Estimator

Budget rate generator

Material supply

Laying context

£60 – £77 / m³

Covers recycled MOT Type 1, the laying gang with its excavator & roller, and O&P · excl. prelims & VAT

Exclusions

Lifting & material distribution — the site dumper and any forward-haul plant (an attendance, in main-contractor prelims)
Excavation, formation preparation & capping layer
Geotextile / separation membrane, kerbs & edgings
Surfacing — tarmac, block paving or slabs
Disposal of surplus or unsuitable material
VAT