Front garden to tarmac driveway in Brighton

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Brighton

Guide prices below are for Brighton, adjusted for the South East, where surfacing rates run about 10% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£66–£105 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,450–£2,300
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,200–£3,450
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,950–£4,700

As a 2026 guide in Brighton, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,950–£4,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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
Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Rules that apply in Brighton

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.

Brighton: the local details

Brighton at a glance. Brighton is one of the bigger places we cover in East Sussex, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: BN50, BN1, BN2
Area: East Sussex
Nearest towns: Hove (1 mile), Portslade (3 miles), Rottingdean (4 miles), Shoreham-by-Sea (6 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Hove, Portslade, Rottingdean, Shoreham-by-Sea, Peacehaven.

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Brighton

Which Brighton postcodes do you cover?

We cover Brighton including BN50, BN1, BN2, and nearby Hove, Portslade, Rottingdean.

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

As a 2026 guide in Brighton, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,950–£4,700. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Brighton?

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 long does a front garden driveway conversion take in Brighton?

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

Other work in Brighton

Ready for a price in Brighton? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.