Front garden to tarmac driveway in Stowmarket

What does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Stowmarket?

These Stowmarket guide prices reflect rates in 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 Stowmarket, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,850–£4,500. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Stowmarket

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).

How it is built

What we do on 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.

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
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Covering Stowmarket

What applies in Stowmarket. Stowmarket is covered on our Suffolk rounds, 11 miles from Ipswich.

Postcodes: IP14
Area: Suffolk
Nearest towns: Ipswich (11 miles), Bury St Edmunds (13 miles), Sudbury (15 miles), Felixstowe (22 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Stowmarket: Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury, Felixstowe, Haverhill.

Your questions answered

Do you cover all of Stowmarket?

We cover Stowmarket including IP14, and nearby Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury.

How long will the work take at my Stowmarket property?

Usually 2–4 working days, after the kerb approval. We book Stowmarket 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 Stowmarket?

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).

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

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.

More we do in Stowmarket

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