Front garden to tarmac driveway in Battersea

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Battersea

These Battersea guide prices reflect rates in London, about 20% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£72–£114 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,600–£2,500
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,400–£3,750
Example: 45 m² drive	£3,250–£5,150

As a 2026 guide in Battersea, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £72–£114 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,600–£2,500. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Covering Battersea

What applies in Battersea. We cover Battersea as part of our regular Greater London rounds.

Postcodes: SW11, SW8, SW4
Area: Greater London
Nearest towns: Chelsea (1 mile), Westminster (2 miles), Fulham (2 miles), Brixton (2 miles)
Pricing: London, about 20% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Battersea: Chelsea, Westminster, Fulham, Brixton, Putney.

What the price covers

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
Sub-base and two tarmac courses, or porous asphalt
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

Do I need permission in Battersea?

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. A vehicle crossing over the footway is a separate approval, from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Battersea

Is the survey in Battersea 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 quickly can work start in Battersea?

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

Do you work in my part of Battersea?

We cover Battersea including SW11, SW8, SW4, and nearby Chelsea, Westminster, Fulham.

What approvals apply in Battersea?

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).

Other work in Battersea

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