Front garden to tarmac driveway in Helensburgh

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Helensburgh?

These Helensburgh guide prices reflect rates in Scotland, including a travel and haulage allowance because work here is by arrangement.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£65–£102 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,400–£2,250
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,150–£3,400
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,900–£4,600

As a 2026 guide in Helensburgh, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £65–£102 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,900–£4,600. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What is included in a front garden driveway conversion?

A front garden conversion turns lawn or planting into a parking space: the ground is excavated, a stone sub-base laid, tarmac surfaced on top, and a lowered kerb arranged so a car can cross the pavement legally.

Check the space: length, width and gate posts for a car
Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

Planning and kerb rules for Helensburgh

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.

Helensburgh: the local details

What applies in Helensburgh. Work in Helensburgh is by arrangement. Hot material has further to travel, so we group jobs and tell you about any travel cost first.

Postcodes: G84
Area: Argyll and Bute
Nearest towns: Greenock (4 miles), Gourock (5 miles), Port Glasgow (5 miles), Vale of Leven (6 miles)
Pricing: Scotland rates plus a travel allowance (by arrangement)
Cover: By arrangement
Kerb approvals: The council

The same service is available in Greenock, Gourock, Port Glasgow, Vale of Leven, Dumbarton.

Helensburgh: common questions

How long will the work take at my Helensburgh property?

Usually 2–4 working days, after the kerb approval. We book Helensburgh surveys alongside other jobs in Argyll and Bute, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Do I need permission for a front garden driveway conversion in Helensburgh?

In Scotland, a hard surface between the house and a road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a porous area within the property, whatever its size. Dropped kerbs are approved by the council as roads authority.

Is the survey in Helensburgh free?

Helensburgh is covered by arrangement. We confirm any travel cost before booking the survey.

Front garden driveway conversion cost in Helensburgh: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Helensburgh, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £65–£102 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,900–£4,600. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Also in Helensburgh

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Helensburgh? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.