Front garden to tarmac driveway in Harlow

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Harlow

Guide prices below are for Harlow, adjusted for the East of England, where surfacing rates run about 5% above our UK midpoint.

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 Harlow, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,400–£2,200. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Harlow: the local details

Survey cover and pricing for Harlow. Harlow is one of the bigger places we cover in Essex, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: CM20, CM18, CM17, CM19, CM21, CM16
Area: Essex
Nearest towns: Hoddesdon (5 miles), Ware (6 miles), Bishops Stortford (7 miles), Waltham Abbey (8 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Hoddesdon, Ware, Bishops Stortford, Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt.

Rules that apply in Harlow

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. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

What is included in 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
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

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Harlow

How long will the work take at my Harlow property?

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

Are there planning or highway rules in Harlow?

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 Harlow postcodes do you cover?

We cover Harlow including CM20, CM18, CM17, CM19, CM21, CM16, and nearby Hoddesdon, Ware, Bishops Stortford.

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

As a 2026 guide in Harlow, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,400–£2,200. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Also in Harlow

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