Front garden to tarmac driveway in St Austell

Front garden driveway conversion prices in St Austell

Local guide rates for St Austell (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 St Austell, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,350–£2,150. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

How it is built

Covering St Austell

St Austell at a glance. St Austell is covered on our Cornwall rounds, 21 miles from Redruth.

Postcodes: PL25, PL26, PL24
Area: Cornwall
Nearest towns: Bodmin (9 miles), Truro (13 miles), Newquay (14 miles), Falmouth (18 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Bodmin, Truro, Newquay, Falmouth, Redruth.

Do I need permission in St Austell?

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).

What we do on 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
Sub-base and two tarmac courses, or porous asphalt
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in St Austell

Can I get a free survey in St Austell?

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.

How quickly can work start in St Austell?

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

Are there planning or highway rules in St Austell?

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).

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in St Austell?

As a 2026 guide in St Austell, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,350–£2,150. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

More we do in St Austell

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