Front garden to tarmac driveway in Bodmin

How much should I budget in Bodmin?

Local guide rates for Bodmin (the South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£62–£98 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,350–£2,150
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,050–£3,250
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,800–£4,400

As a 2026 guide in Bodmin, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,050–£3,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What the price covers

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
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
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

Layer by layer

Bodmin: the local details

The key facts for Bodmin. We cover Bodmin by grouping surveys with nearby Cornwall jobs; Redruth is 28 miles away.

Postcodes: PL31, PL30, PL22
Area: Cornwall
Nearest towns: St Austell (9 miles), Newquay (16 miles), Truro (20 miles), Saltash (22 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in St Austell, Newquay, Truro, Saltash.

Do I need permission in Bodmin?

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.

Bodmin: common questions

Is the survey in Bodmin free?

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 Bodmin: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Bodmin, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,050–£3,250. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Bodmin?

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).

Do you cover all of Bodmin?

We cover Bodmin including PL31, PL30, PL22, and nearby St Austell, Newquay, Truro.

Also in Bodmin

Ready for a price in Bodmin? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.