Front garden to tarmac driveway in Dorchester

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Dorchester

These Dorchester guide prices reflect rates in 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 Dorchester, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,050–£3,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Do I need permission in Dorchester?

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. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

Covering Dorchester

The key facts for Dorchester. Smaller towns such as Dorchester are surveyed alongside nearby jobs in Dorset.

Postcodes: DT1, DT2
Area: Dorset
Nearest towns: Weymouth (7 miles), Poole (20 miles), Wimborne Minster (20 miles), Ferndown (24 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Weymouth, Poole, Wimborne Minster, Ferndown, Bournemouth.

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
Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

The build-up we price

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Dorchester

Which Dorchester postcodes do you cover?

We cover Dorchester including DT1, DT2, and nearby Weymouth, Poole, Wimborne Minster.

Are there planning or highway rules in Dorchester?

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).

How quickly can work start in Dorchester?

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

Front garden driveway conversion cost in Dorchester: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Dorchester, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,050–£3,250. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Also in Dorchester

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Dorchester? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.