Driveways and paths

Front garden to tarmac driveway in County Down

Looking for front garden driveway conversions in County Down? Start with a guide price, then a survey that turns it into a fixed, written specification.

COUNTY DOWN GUIDE£53–£84 per m² inc VAT
Front garden converted to a tarmac parking space with a lowered kerb, typical of front garden driveway conversion work

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in County Down?

Rates in County Down follow Northern Ireland, about 12% below our UK midpoint.

ItemGuide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base£53–£84 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive£1,150–£1,850
Example: 30 m² drive£1,750–£2,750
Example: 45 m² drive£2,400–£3,750

Towns we cover in County Down

Postcode areas: BT.

What is included?

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
  • Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
  • A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Rules in County Down

In Northern Ireland, more than 5 m² of hard surface in front of a house should be porous or drain to a porous area within the property; DfI Roads approves dropped kerbs. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from DfI Roads.

How it is built

Surface course20–30 mm AC 6 or porous asphaltBinder course50–60 mmSub-baseabout 150 mm MOT Type 1Drainageborder, soakaway or channelINDICATIVE CROSS-SECTION · NOT TO SCALE

Front garden to tarmac driveway in County Down: questions

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in County Down?

As a 2026 guide, about £53–£84 per m² inc VAT in County Down. The survey confirms a fixed price.

Which towns in County Down do you cover?

Bangor, County Down, Castlereagh, Newtownards, Newry, Banbridge, Dundonald, Holywood, Downpatrick and more.

How long does a front garden driveway conversion take?

Usually 2–4 working days, after the kerb approval.

How big does my front garden need to be?

Many councils look for about 4.8 m of depth from the house to the boundary for a car, but each authority sets its own standard. We measure and check before you apply.

Other services in County Down

Free survey for new surfacing

Get a written tarmac quote

Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.

  • Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
  • Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
  • Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
  • Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED
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