Front garden to tarmac driveway in Gravesend

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Gravesend

Guide prices below are for Gravesend, 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 Gravesend, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,950–£4,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Gravesend: the local details

Survey cover and pricing for Gravesend. Gravesend sits 14 miles from Maidstone, within our regular Kent cover.

Postcodes: DA11, DA12, RM18, DA13
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Swanscombe (3 miles), Grays (3 miles), Strood (6 miles), South Ockendon (6 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Swanscombe, Grays, Strood, South Ockendon, Stanford-le-Hope.

What is included in a front garden driveway conversion?

Turning a lawn or front garden into off-road parking: dig, base, tarmac, kerb crossing and planting.

Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Sub-base and two tarmac courses, or porous asphalt
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Rules that apply in Gravesend

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.

Your questions answered

What approvals apply in Gravesend?

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 will the work take at my Gravesend property?

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

Can I get a free survey in Gravesend?

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.

What is the price of a front garden driveway conversion in Gravesend?

As a 2026 guide in Gravesend, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,950–£4,700. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Gravesend

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