New tarmac driveways
Most failing tarmac drives fail from underneath. Thin stone, no edge restraint or water with nowhere to go will crack and sink the best surface, so a new drive starts with depth and drainage, not with the black layer you see.
A new tarmac driveway is built from the ground up: the old surface and soil are dug out, a compacted stone sub-base is laid, then a hot binder course and a finer surface course are spread and rolled, and the edges are held by kerbs or blocks.
What is included in a new tarmac driveway?
- Break out and remove the old surface and spoil
- Dig to formation level, usually around 230–250 mm below finished height
- Geotextile membrane where the ground is soft or clay
- MOT Type 1 sub-base laid and compacted in layers, about 150 mm
- Concrete-haunched kerbs or a block-paved border as edge restraint
- Binder course (AC 20 dense), about 50–60 mm, laid hot and rolled
- Surface course (AC 6 dense), about 20–30 mm, laid hot and rolled
- Falls set so water runs to a channel, gully or soft landscaping
How is it built?
How much does a new tarmac driveway cost?
As a 2026 guide at our UK midpoint rate, £60–£95 per m² inc VAT. Edging, drainage and access are itemised separately where they apply.
| Item | Guide price (inc VAT) |
|---|---|
| New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base | £60–£95 per m² |
| Example: 30 m² drive | £2,000–£3,150 |
| Example: 50 m² drive | £3,000–£4,750 |
| Example: 80 m² drive | £4,800–£7,600 |
Rates vary by region:
| Region | Guide (inc VAT) |
|---|---|
| London | £72–£114 per m² |
| South East | £66–£105 per m² |
| East of England | £63–£100 per m² |
| South West | £62–£98 per m² |
| West Midlands | £60–£95 per m² |
| East Midlands | £59–£93 per m² |
| North West | £58–£92 per m² |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £58–£91 per m² |
| North East | £56–£88 per m² |
| Wales | £57–£90 per m² |
| Scotland | £59–£93 per m² |
| Northern Ireland | £53–£84 per m² |
Guides only. Your survey turns these into a fixed written price. Full price list · Guide price tool
When it suits
- Replacing a cracked or sunken drive of any surface
- Larger drives where cost per m² matters
- Homeowners who want a plain, hard-wearing finish
Watch out for
- Standard dense tarmac is not permeable, so the water plan matters in a front garden
- Without edge restraint the sides crumble within a few years
- Very cold, wet days can push laying dates back
How long does it take and how long does it last?
- On site
- Usually 2–4 working days for a typical drive, longer with drainage or a dropped kerb
- Lifespan
- Commonly 15–20 years when the base, edges and drainage are right
Do I need planning permission?
It depends where you live and where the water goes.
- 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.
- Wales: New front hardstanding should be porous or drain to a permeable area within the property, and work covering 100 m² or more with drainage effects usually needs SAB approval first.
- Scotland: A hard surface between the house and a road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a porous area within the property, whatever its size.
- Northern Ireland: More than 5 m² of hard surface in front of a house should be porous or drain to a porous area within the property; DfI Roads approves dropped kerbs.
Dropped kerbs always need the highway authority's approval: the council in England, Wales and Scotland, and DfI Roads in Northern Ireland. Read the full planning guide.
What happens next?
Tell us about the job
Use the guide price tool, the form, WhatsApp or the phone. A postcode, rough size and a couple of photos are enough to start.
Survey and measure
We check the ground, levels, edges, drainage and access, and the planning and kerb position where it applies.
Written specification and price
You get an itemised quote listing every layer, the edging, drainage, waste and VAT. The price is fixed once the spec is agreed.
Build day
Dig-out and base first, then hot binder and surface course rolled in, edges finished and the site cleared. You get aftercare notes before we leave.
New tarmac driveways: questions
How much does a new tarmac driveway cost?
As a 2026 guide, about £60–£95 per m² including VAT for a full dig-out with a new sub-base and two tarmac courses, before edging and drainage. A 50 m² drive is typically about £3,000–£4,750 in the Midlands, more in London and the South East.
How deep should a tarmac driveway be?
For cars, a common build is about 150 mm of compacted MOT Type 1, a 50–60 mm binder course and a 20–30 mm surface course. Soft ground or heavier vehicles need more. Your quote should state each depth.
Do I need planning permission for a tarmac drive?
In England a new hard surface over 5 m² in front of the house needs permission unless it is porous or drains to a lawn or border within the property. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions of this rule, covered on our planning guide.
When can I drive on new tarmac?
Usually you can walk on it the same day once it has cooled. Allow at least 48 hours before parking, and preferably 3–5 days, longer in hot weather, and avoid turning the steering wheel while stationary for the first few weeks.
Can you lay tarmac over my old concrete or block paving?
Sometimes, but rarely on a drive that has moved. If the existing base is sound and levels allow, an overlay can work; otherwise we dig out and rebuild so the new surface is not copying old cracks.
Does the price include taking away the old drive?
Yes. Our new-drive rates include breaking out, digging out and disposing of the old surface and spoil. Edging, drainage and dropped kerbs are listed separately on the quote.
Where do we offer new tarmac driveway work?
Across the UK. Choose your area for local prices and towns.
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
- Clwyd
- Dyfed
- Gwent
- Gwynedd
- Mid Glamorgan
- Powys
- South Glamorgan
- West Glamorgan
- Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
- Angus and Dundee
- Argyll and Bute
- Ayrshire
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Dunbartonshire
- Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Fife
- Forth Valley
- Glasgow
- Highland and Moray
- Lanarkshire
- Perth and Kinross
- Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Scottish Borders
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
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Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.
- Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
- Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
- Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
- Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED