Front garden to tarmac driveway in Kelso

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Kelso

Local guide rates for Kelso (Scotland, 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 Kelso, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £59–£93 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,650–£4,200. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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.

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
Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Do I need permission in Kelso?

In Scotland, permitted development allows a hard surface between a house and a road only if it is porous or the water drains to a porous area within the property. Unlike England there is no 5 m² allowance, so it applies to any size. Conservation areas and the grounds of listed buildings have extra restrictions. The council, as roads authority, controls any new or widened access across a footway.

Where we work in and around Kelso

What applies in Kelso. Kelso is covered on our Scottish Borders rounds, 18 miles from Hawick.

Postcodes: TD5
Area: Scottish Borders
Nearest towns: Galashiels (15 miles), Selkirk (16 miles), Hawick (18 miles)
Pricing: Scotland, about 2% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The council

We also cover nearby Galashiels, Selkirk, Hawick.

How it is built

Kelso: common questions

Do you cover all of Kelso?

We cover Kelso including TD5, and nearby Galashiels, Selkirk, Hawick.

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

As a 2026 guide in Kelso, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £59–£93 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,650–£4,200. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

How long will the work take at my Kelso property?

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

Are there planning or highway rules in Kelso?

In Scotland, a hard surface between the house and a road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a porous area within the property, whatever its size. Dropped kerbs are approved by the council as roads authority.

Also in Kelso

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