Drainage for tarmac drives in the Scottish Borders

How much does tarmac driveway drainage cost in the Scottish Borders?

Rates in the Scottish Borders follow Scotland, about 2% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Linear drainage channel	£59–£118 per metre
Soakaway or crate unit	£640–£1,950 each

Towns we cover in the Scottish Borders

Postcode areas: EH, TD.

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 the Scottish Borders

In Scotland, permitted development allows a hard surface between a house and a road only if it is porous or the water drains to a porous area within the property. Unlike England there is no 5 m² allowance, so it applies to any size. Conservation areas and the grounds of listed buildings have extra restrictions. The council, as roads authority, controls any new or widened access across a footway.