Front garden to tarmac driveway in Sale

How much should I budget in Sale?

Guide prices below are for Sale, adjusted for the North West, where surfacing rates run about 3% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£58–£92 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,300–£2,050
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,900–£3,050
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,600–£4,150

As a 2026 guide in Sale, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £58–£92 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £1,900–£3,050. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Sale: the local details

Sale at a glance. We reach Sale on our Greater Manchester survey days; Manchester is 5 miles away.

Postcodes: M33, M23
Area: Greater Manchester
Nearest towns: Stretford (2 miles), Urmston (2 miles), Altrincham (3 miles), Hale (3 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Sale: Stretford, Urmston, Altrincham, Hale, Eccles.

Planning and kerb rules for Sale

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).

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
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Sale: common questions

Is the survey in Sale 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 long does a front garden driveway conversion take in Sale?

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

Which Sale postcodes do you cover?

We cover Sale including M33, M23, and nearby Stretford, Urmston, Altrincham.

What approvals apply in Sale?

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).

More we do in Sale

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