Edges, drainage and kerbs

Drainage for tarmac drives in Lancashire

From Preston to the smaller towns in Lancashire, our drainage jobs quotes list the depths, edging, drainage and VAT so you can compare like with like.

LANCASHIRE GUIDE£58–£116 per metre inc VAT
Steel slot drainage channel across a tarmac drive at a garage door, typical of tarmac driveway drainage work

How much does tarmac driveway drainage cost in Lancashire?

Rates in Lancashire follow the North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint.

ItemGuide price (inc VAT)
Linear drainage channel£58–£116 per metre
Soakaway or crate unit£630–£1,950 each

Towns we cover in Lancashire

Postcode areas: BB, FY, L, LA, OL, PR, WN.

What is included?

Driveway drainage is the plan for where rainwater goes once it hits a sealed tarmac surface: the falls that move it, the channels or gullies that catch it, and the soakaway, border or approved drain that takes it away.

  • Falls set across the drive, typically 1 in 60 to 1 in 80
  • Linear channel at garages, doors or the bottom of a slope
  • Soakaway or crate unit sized to the area and ground
  • Runoff directed to borders or a permeable strip
  • Connection to an existing surface-water drain where allowed
  • No connection to the foul sewer

Rules in Lancashire

In England, householder permitted development (Class F of the 2015 General Permitted Development Order) lets you lay a hard surface in front of a house without planning permission if it is porous, or if the rainwater is directed to a permeable area within the property. If the area is more than 5 m² and neither applies, you need permission. Standard dense tarmac is not porous, so a dense tarmac drive needs a lawn, border, channel to a soakaway or other permeable route for its water. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

How it is built

Channelslot or grated linear drainBedconcrete surroundSoakawaycrates or rubble, wrappedFalls1:60–1:80 across the surfaceINDICATIVE CROSS-SECTION · NOT TO SCALE

Drainage for tarmac drives in Lancashire: questions

How much does tarmac driveway drainage cost in Lancashire?

As a 2026 guide, about £58–£116 per metre inc VAT in Lancashire. The survey confirms a fixed price.

Which towns in Lancashire do you cover?

Preston, Burnley, Blackburn, Blackpool, Morecambe, Lancaster, Lytham St Annes, Skelmersdale and more.

How long does tarmac driveway drainage take?

Usually part of the main build; a soakaway adds about a day.

Can driveway water run onto the road?

Highway authorities generally do not want new drives discharging onto the road or footway, and in England it can mean the drive needs planning permission. Keep it on your own land where you can.

Other services in Lancashire

Free survey for new surfacing

Get a written tarmac quote

Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.

  • Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
  • Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
  • Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
  • Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED
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