Front garden to tarmac driveway in Stratford

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Stratford

Guide prices below are for Stratford, 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 Stratford, 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.

Stratford: the local details

Stratford at a glance. Stratford is one of the bigger places we cover in Greater London, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: E15, E20, E7
Area: Greater London
Nearest towns: Bow (1 mile), Canning Town (2 miles), Leytonstone (2 miles), Ilford (4 miles)
Pricing: London, about 20% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Bow, Canning Town, Leytonstone, Ilford, Barking.

What we do on 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
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

How it is built

Do I need permission in Stratford?

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 is the price of a front garden driveway conversion in Stratford?

As a 2026 guide in Stratford, 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. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Stratford?

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).

Can I get a free survey in Stratford?

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 long will the work take at my Stratford property?

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

Other work in Stratford

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