Front garden to tarmac driveway in Seaham

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Seaham

Guide prices below are for Seaham, adjusted for the North East, where surfacing rates run about 7% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£56–£88 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,250–£1,950
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,850–£2,900
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,500–£4,000

As a 2026 guide in Seaham, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £56–£88 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,250–£1,950. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Seaham: the local details

The key facts for Seaham. Smaller towns such as Seaham are surveyed alongside nearby jobs in County Durham.

Postcodes: SR7
Area: County Durham
Nearest towns: Houghton-le-Spring (5 miles), Sunderland (5 miles), Peterlee (5 miles), Washington (8 miles)
Pricing: North East, about 7% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Seaham: Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, Peterlee, Washington, Chester-le-Street.

The build-up we price

What is included in 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
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

Rules that apply in Seaham

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).

Your questions answered

Which Seaham postcodes do you cover?

We cover Seaham including SR7, and nearby Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, Peterlee.

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Seaham?

As a 2026 guide in Seaham, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £56–£88 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,250–£1,950. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

What approvals apply in Seaham?

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).

Is the survey in Seaham 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.

Other work in Seaham

Tell us what you have in mind for Seaham and we'll book a survey and put the specification in writing.