Front garden to tarmac driveway in Leeds

How much should I budget in Leeds?

These Leeds guide prices reflect rates in Yorkshire and the Humber, about 4% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£58–£91 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive	£1,250–£2,000
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,900–£3,000
Example: 45 m² drive	£2,600–£4,100

As a 2026 guide in Leeds, front garden driveway conversion work runs at about £58–£91 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £1,900–£3,000. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

How it is built

Rules that apply in Leeds

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).

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

Leeds: the local details

What applies in Leeds. We cover Leeds as part of our regular West Yorkshire rounds.

Postcodes: LS1, LS2, LS3, LS11, LS9, LS7, LS4, LS6
Area: West Yorkshire
Nearest towns: Morley (4 miles), Pudsey (5 miles), Horsforth (5 miles), Batley (7 miles)
Pricing: Yorkshire and the Humber, about 4% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Morley, Pudsey, Horsforth, Batley, Yeadon.

Your questions answered

Do you work in my part of Leeds?

We cover Leeds including LS1, LS2, LS3, LS11, LS9, LS7, and nearby Morley, Pudsey, Horsforth.

Is the survey in Leeds 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.

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

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 Leeds?

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

Other work in Leeds

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