Front garden to tarmac driveway in Barnstaple

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Barnstaple?

Local guide rates for Barnstaple (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 Barnstaple, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,800–£4,400. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Where we work in and around Barnstaple

What applies in Barnstaple. Barnstaple is 49 miles from Plymouth, and we survey there as part of Devon cover.

Postcodes: EX31, EX32, EX33
Area: Devon
Nearest towns: Bideford (8 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Barnstaple: Bideford.

Do I need permission in Barnstaple?

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
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

How it is built

Barnstaple: common questions

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Barnstaple?

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.

What approvals apply in Barnstaple?

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).

Which Barnstaple postcodes do you cover?

We cover Barnstaple including EX31, EX32, EX33, and nearby Bideford.

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

As a 2026 guide in Barnstaple, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,800–£4,400. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Barnstaple

Send us a postcode, a rough size and a photo or two, and we'll come back with survey dates for Barnstaple.