Front garden to tarmac driveway in Felixstowe

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Felixstowe?

Local guide rates for Felixstowe (the East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£63–£100 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,400–£2,200
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,100–£3,300
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,850–£4,500

As a 2026 guide in Felixstowe, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² drive is roughly £1,400–£2,200. 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
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Rules that apply in Felixstowe

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.

Covering Felixstowe

The key facts for Felixstowe. Smaller towns such as Felixstowe are surveyed alongside nearby jobs in Suffolk.

Postcodes: IP11, IP10
Area: Suffolk
Nearest towns: Harwich (3 miles), Walton-on-the-Naze (9 miles), Frinton-on-Sea (10 miles), Ipswich (11 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Harwich, Walton-on-the-Naze, Frinton-on-Sea, Ipswich, Stowmarket.

Your questions answered

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Felixstowe?

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.

Do you work in my part of Felixstowe?

We cover Felixstowe including IP11, IP10, and nearby Harwich, Walton-on-the-Naze, Frinton-on-Sea.

How long does a front garden driveway conversion take in Felixstowe?

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

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

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 Felixstowe

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