Front garden to tarmac driveway in Whitehaven

How much should I budget in Whitehaven?

Local guide rates for Whitehaven (the North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£58–£92 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,300–£2,050
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,900–£3,050
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,600–£4,150

As a 2026 guide in Whitehaven, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £58–£92 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,600–£4,150. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Layer by layer

Do I need permission in Whitehaven?

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).

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
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

Where we work in and around Whitehaven

The key facts for Whitehaven. We cover Whitehaven by grouping surveys with nearby Cumbria jobs; Carlisle is 35 miles away.

Postcodes: CA28, CA24, CA25, CA27, CA26, CA23, CA22
Area: Cumbria
Nearest towns: Workington (7 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Workington.

Whitehaven: common questions

How quickly can work start in Whitehaven?

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

Is the survey in Whitehaven 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.

Which Whitehaven postcodes do you cover?

We cover Whitehaven including CA28, CA24, CA25, CA27, CA26, CA23, and nearby Workington.

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

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).

Also in Whitehaven

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