Front garden to tarmac driveway in Braintree

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Braintree

For Braintree, we apply the East of England rate, about 5% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£63–£100 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,400–£2,200
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,100–£3,300
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,850–£4,500

As a 2026 guide in Braintree, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,100–£3,300. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

The build-up we price

Covering Braintree

Survey cover and pricing for Braintree. Braintree sits 25 miles from Southend-on-Sea, within our regular Essex cover.

Postcodes: CM77, CM7
Area: Essex
Nearest towns: Witham (7 miles), Chelmsford (10 miles), Maldon (11 miles), Colchester (15 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Witham, Chelmsford, Maldon, Colchester, Saffron Walden.

What the price covers

Turning a lawn or front garden into off-road parking: dig, base, tarmac, kerb crossing and planting.

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
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Do I need permission in Braintree?

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).

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Braintree

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

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).

Is the survey in Braintree 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.

How long will the work take at my Braintree property?

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

Do you work in my part of Braintree?

We cover Braintree including CM77, CM7, and nearby Witham, Chelmsford, Maldon.

Other work in Braintree

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