Front garden to tarmac driveway in Tunbridge Wells

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Tunbridge Wells

Local guide rates for Tunbridge Wells (the South East, 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 Tunbridge Wells, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,450. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

How it is built

Do I need permission in Tunbridge Wells?

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.

Covering Tunbridge Wells

Survey cover and pricing for Tunbridge Wells. Tunbridge Wells is 14 miles from Maidstone, and we survey there as part of Kent cover.

Postcodes: TN1, TN2, TN4, TN3
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Tonbridge (4 miles), Crowborough (7 miles), Sevenoaks (10 miles), East Grinstead (12 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Tonbridge, Crowborough, Sevenoaks, East Grinstead, Maidstone.

What the price covers

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

Check the space: length, width and gate posts for a car
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

Your questions answered

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Tunbridge Wells?

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 much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Tunbridge Wells?

As a 2026 guide in Tunbridge Wells, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,450. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

How quickly can work start in Tunbridge Wells?

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

Do you work in my part of Tunbridge Wells?

We cover Tunbridge Wells including TN1, TN2, TN4, TN3, and nearby Tonbridge, Crowborough, Sevenoaks.

Also in Tunbridge Wells

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Tunbridge Wells? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.