Front garden to tarmac driveway in Dunstable

How much should I budget in Dunstable?

Guide prices below are for Dunstable, adjusted for the East of England, where surfacing rates run about 5% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£63–£100 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,400–£2,200
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,100–£3,300
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,850–£4,500

As a 2026 guide in Dunstable, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,850–£4,500. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What the price covers

Turning a lawn or front garden into off-road parking: dig, base, tarmac, kerb crossing and planting.

Check the space: length, width and gate posts for a car
Sub-base and two tarmac courses, or porous asphalt
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Do I need permission in Dunstable?

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. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

Covering Dunstable

What applies in Dunstable. We reach Dunstable on our Bedfordshire survey days; Luton is 5 miles away.

Postcodes: LU6, LU5, LU4
Area: Bedfordshire
Nearest towns: Luton (5 miles), Leighton Buzzard (6 miles), Harpenden (9 miles), Berkhamsted (9 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Dunstable: Luton, Leighton Buzzard, Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead.

The build-up we price

Dunstable: common questions

How long will the work take at my Dunstable property?

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

Do you work in my part of Dunstable?

We cover Dunstable including LU6, LU5, LU4, and nearby Luton, Leighton Buzzard, Harpenden.

Can I get a free survey in Dunstable?

Yes for new surfacing such as drives, paths, private roads and car parks. Small repairs are often priced from photos; if a visit is needed for a repair-only job, we tell you any charge first.

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

As a 2026 guide in Dunstable, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,850–£4,500. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Dunstable

Send us a postcode, a rough size and a photo or two, and we'll come back with survey dates for Dunstable.