Front garden to tarmac driveway in Devon
We survey and price front garden driveway conversions across Devon, from Plymouth to Exeter and Paignton, with every layer written into the quote.
How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Devon?
Rates in Devon follow 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 |
Towns we cover in Devon
Postcode areas: EX, PL, TQ.
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
- Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
- 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
Rules in Devon
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.
How it is built
Front garden to tarmac driveway in Devon: questions
How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Devon?
As a 2026 guide, about £62–£98 per m² inc VAT in Devon. The survey confirms a fixed price.
Which towns in Devon do you cover?
Plymouth, Exeter, Paignton, Torquay, Newton Abbot, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford and more.
How long does a front garden driveway conversion take?
Usually 2–4 working days, after the kerb approval.
How much does it cost to turn a front garden into a drive?
The tarmac work is typically about £60–£95 per m² including VAT for a full build. A 30 m² space is often about £2,000–£3,150 before edging. The dropped kerb is extra and depends on your council.
Other services in Devon
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