Front garden to tarmac driveway in Beckenham

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Beckenham?

These Beckenham 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 Beckenham, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £72–£114 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £3,250–£5,150. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Beckenham: the local details

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

Postcodes: BR3, SE20, SE26, BR1, BR4, BR2
Area: Greater London
Nearest towns: Catford (3 miles), Croydon (4 miles), Blackheath (4 miles), South Croydon (4 miles)
Pricing: London, about 20% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Catford, Croydon, Blackheath, South Croydon, Eltham.

Layer by layer

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
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Planning and kerb rules for Beckenham

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.

Beckenham: common questions

Do you cover all of Beckenham?

We cover Beckenham including BR3, SE20, SE26, BR1, BR4, BR2, and nearby Catford, Croydon, Blackheath.

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

As a 2026 guide in Beckenham, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £72–£114 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £3,250–£5,150. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

What approvals apply in Beckenham?

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 Beckenham?

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

Also in Beckenham

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