Front garden to tarmac driveway in Stoke-on-Trent

How much should I budget in Stoke-on-Trent?

Guide prices below are for Stoke-on-Trent, adjusted for the West Midlands, where surfacing rates run in line with our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£60–£95 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,300–£2,100
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,000–£3,150
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,700–£4,300

As a 2026 guide in Stoke-on-Trent, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £60–£95 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,300–£2,100. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Stoke-on-Trent

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.

The build-up we price

Covering Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent at a glance. As one of the larger towns in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent sees regular survey visits.

Postcodes: ST4, ST1, ST2, ST3, ST12, ST11
Area: Staffordshire
Nearest towns: Newcastle-under-Lyme (2 miles), Kidsgrove (6 miles), Biddulph (8 miles), Leek (10 miles)
Pricing: West Midlands, in line with our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove, Biddulph, Leek, Congleton.

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.

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
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel

Questions about front garden driveway conversions in Stoke-on-Trent

Do you cover all of Stoke-on-Trent?

We cover Stoke-on-Trent including ST4, ST1, ST2, ST3, ST12, ST11, and nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove, Biddulph.

Is the survey in Stoke-on-Trent 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 quickly can work start in Stoke-on-Trent?

Usually 2–4 working days, after the kerb approval. We book Stoke-on-Trent surveys alongside other jobs in Staffordshire, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Do I need permission for a front garden driveway conversion in Stoke-on-Trent?

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).

Also in Stoke-on-Trent

Send us a postcode, a rough size and a photo or two, and we'll come back with survey dates for Stoke-on-Trent.