Front garden to tarmac driveway in Leicester

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Leicester?

Local guide rates for Leicester (the East Midlands, about 2% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£59–£93 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,300–£2,050
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,950–£3,050
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,650–£4,200

As a 2026 guide in Leicester, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £59–£93 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,300–£2,050. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What is included in 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
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Where we work in and around Leicester

Survey cover and pricing for Leicester. Leicester is one of the bigger places we cover in Leicestershire, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: LE1, LE87, LE4, LE5, LE7
Area: Leicestershire
Nearest towns: Braunstone (2 miles), Oadby (3 miles), Wigston (4 miles), Mountsorrel (5 miles)
Pricing: East Midlands, about 2% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Braunstone, Oadby, Wigston, Mountsorrel, Earl Shilton.

Do I need permission in Leicester?

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).

Layer by layer

Your questions answered

Is the survey in Leicester 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 will the work take at my Leicester property?

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

Do you cover all of Leicester?

We cover Leicester including LE1, LE87, LE4, LE5, LE7, and nearby Braunstone, Oadby, Wigston.

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Leicester?

As a 2026 guide in Leicester, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £59–£93 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,300–£2,050. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Leicester

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