According to a method for laying a paving mat with a paving screed, the paving mat comprising a lane and a downwardly inclined slope beginning at a transition to the outside, the paving screed comprising a base screed and at least one extension screed which is extendable and retractable by a sliding motion in a sliding direction parallel to the base screed for varying the working width of the paving screed, the base screed and the extension screed having sole plates at the lower sides, with the sole plate of the extension screed being inclined laterally for forming the slope with the angle of the slope, a lateral position of the transition is first set relative to the base screed, during or after setting the lateral position a height difference is measured perpendicular to the planum between a fixed measuring location at the base screed and a location along a reference line extending parallel to the sole plate of the extension screed, the measured height difference being converted into a target value, and in the case of a variation of the working width and/or of the angle an occurring deviation of the height difference from the target value as caused by the variation is measured and automatically is corrected by a simultaneous height adaptation of the sole plate of the extension to the target value in order to maintain the set lateral position of the transition stationary.