Front garden to tarmac driveway in Gloucester

How much should I budget in Gloucester?

For Gloucester, we apply the South West rate, about 3% 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	£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 Gloucester, 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.

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
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

Where we work in and around Gloucester

Survey cover and pricing for Gloucester. We cover Gloucester as part of our regular Gloucestershire rounds.

Postcodes: GL1, GL2, GL4, GL3, GL19
Area: Gloucestershire
Nearest towns: Cheltenham (7 miles), Stroud (8 miles), Tewkesbury (9 miles), Cirencester (15 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Cheltenham, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cirencester, Yate.

Layer by layer

Do I need permission in Gloucester?

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).

Your questions answered

What approvals apply in Gloucester?

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).

What is the price of a front garden driveway conversion in Gloucester?

As a 2026 guide in Gloucester, 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.

How quickly can work start in Gloucester?

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

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

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.

More we do in Gloucester

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