Front garden to tarmac driveway in St Helens

How much should I budget in St Helens?

Local guide rates for St Helens (the North West, 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 St Helens, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £58–£92 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,600–£4,150. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

Covering St Helens

St Helens at a glance. St Helens is one of the bigger places we cover in Merseyside, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: WA10, WA9
Area: Merseyside
Nearest towns: Haydock (2 miles), Prescot (3 miles), Ashton-in-Makerfield (4 miles), Huyton (5 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to St Helens: Haydock, Prescot, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Huyton, Newton-le-Willows.

Do I need permission in St Helens?

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).

Your questions answered

Can I get a free survey in St Helens?

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.

Which St Helens postcodes do you cover?

We cover St Helens including WA10, WA9, and nearby Haydock, Prescot, Ashton-in-Makerfield.

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

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 St Helens property?

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

Other work in St Helens

Ready for a price in St Helens? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.