Front garden to tarmac driveway in Carshalton

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Carshalton

Guide prices below are for Carshalton, adjusted for London, where surfacing rates run 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 Carshalton, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £72–£114 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,400–£3,750. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

How it is built

Rules that apply in Carshalton

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.

What is included in a front garden driveway conversion?

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

Where we work in and around Carshalton

What applies in Carshalton. Carshalton is one of the bigger places we cover in Greater London, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: SM5, SM6, SM1
Area: Greater London
Nearest towns: Sutton (2 miles), Mitcham (2 miles), Morden (2 miles), Croydon (3 miles)
Pricing: London, about 20% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Sutton, Mitcham, Morden, Croydon, South Croydon.

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Carshalton

Is the survey in Carshalton 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.

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

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).

Do you cover all of Carshalton?

We cover Carshalton including SM5, SM6, SM1, and nearby Sutton, Mitcham, Morden.

How long will the work take at my Carshalton property?

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

Other work in Carshalton

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