Front garden to tarmac driveway in Crawley

Front garden driveway conversion prices in Crawley

Local guide rates for Crawley (the South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£66–£105 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,450–£2,300
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,200–£3,450
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,950–£4,700

As a 2026 guide in Crawley, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² drive is roughly £2,950–£4,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Planning and kerb rules for Crawley

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. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

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.

Check the space: length, width and gate posts for a car
Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Layer by layer

Crawley: the local details

Survey cover and pricing for Crawley. Crawley is one of the bigger places we cover in West Sussex, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: RH11, RH10
Area: West Sussex
Nearest towns: Horley (4 miles), Horsham (7 miles), East Grinstead (8 miles), Reigate (9 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Horley, Horsham, East Grinstead, Reigate, Haywards Heath.

Your questions answered

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

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 I need permission for a front garden driveway conversion in Crawley?

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).

How quickly can work start in Crawley?

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

Do you work in my part of Crawley?

We cover Crawley including RH11, RH10, and nearby Horley, Horsham, East Grinstead.

Other work in Crawley

Tell us what you have in mind for Crawley and we'll book a survey and put the specification in writing.