Front garden to tarmac driveway in Ely

How much should I budget in Ely?

For Ely, we apply the East of England rate, about 5% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

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 Ely, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,100–£3,300. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

The build-up we price

Covering Ely

Ely at a glance. We cover Ely by grouping surveys with nearby Cambridgeshire jobs; Peterborough is 25 miles away.

Postcodes: CB6, CB7
Area: Cambridgeshire
Nearest towns: March (13 miles), St Ives (15 miles), Cambridge (15 miles), Wisbech (19 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in March, St Ives, Cambridge, Wisbech, Huntingdon.

What we do on a front garden driveway conversion

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
Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
Sub-base and two tarmac courses, or porous asphalt
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Do I need permission in Ely?

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. A vehicle crossing over the footway is a separate approval, from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

Ely: common questions

How quickly can work start in Ely?

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

Do you work in my part of Ely?

We cover Ely including CB6, CB7, and nearby March, St Ives, Cambridge.

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

In England, a new hard surface over 5 m² in front of a house needs planning permission unless it is porous or drains to a lawn, border or soakaway within the property. Dropped kerbs are approved by the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

What is the price of a front garden driveway conversion in Ely?

As a 2026 guide in Ely, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,100–£3,300. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Ely

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