Front garden to tarmac driveway in Dover

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Dover?

Guide prices below are for Dover, adjusted for the South East, where surfacing rates run about 10% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£66–£105 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,450–£2,300
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,200–£3,450
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,950–£4,700

As a 2026 guide in Dover, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,450–£2,300. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Dover

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. 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
Sub-base and two tarmac courses, or porous asphalt
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

The build-up we price

Where we work in and around Dover

The key facts for Dover. Dover sits 36 miles from Maidstone, within our regular Kent cover.

Postcodes: CT17, CT16, CT15
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Folkestone (7 miles), Deal (8 miles), Canterbury (15 miles), Ramsgate (15 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Dover: Folkestone, Deal, Canterbury, Ramsgate, Broadstairs.

Your questions answered

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

As a 2026 guide in Dover, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,450–£2,300. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

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

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).

Which Dover postcodes do you cover?

We cover Dover including CT17, CT16, CT15, and nearby Folkestone, Deal, Canterbury.

Is the survey in Dover 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.

Other work in Dover

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