Front garden to tarmac driveway in South Glamorgan

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in South Glamorgan?

Rates in South Glamorgan follow Wales, about 5% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£57–£90 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,250–£2,000
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,900–£3,000
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,550–£4,050

Towns we cover in South Glamorgan

Postcode areas: CF.

What is included?

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
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 in South Glamorgan

In Wales, a new hard surface in front of a house is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a permeable area within the property; repairing or replacing up to 5 m² of existing hardstanding is allowed without meeting that condition. Separately, since January 2019, construction covering 100 m² or more that affects drainage generally needs approval from the council's SuDS Approving Body (SAB) before work starts, even where planning permission is not needed. Larger drives, shared surfaces and car parks often reach that threshold. A vehicle crossing over the footway is a separate approval, from the council as highway authority.