New tarmac driveways in Holywood

New tarmac driveway prices in Holywood

Guide prices below are for Holywood, adjusted for Northern Ireland, where surfacing rates run about 12% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£53–£84 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,750–£2,750
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,650–£4,200
Example: 80 m² drive	£4,200–£6,700

As a 2026 guide in Holywood, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £53–£84 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,650–£4,200. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Holywood: the local details

Holywood at a glance. Holywood is covered on our County Down rounds, 6 miles from Bangor, County Down.

Postcodes: BT18
Area: County Down
Nearest towns: Dundonald (3 miles), Newtownabbey (4 miles), Belfast (5 miles), Castlereagh (5 miles)
Pricing: Northern Ireland, about 12% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: DfI Roads

The same service is available in Dundonald, Newtownabbey, Belfast, Castlereagh, Carrickfergus.

Rules that apply in Holywood

In Northern Ireland, the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 allows a hard surface between the front of a house and a road without permission if it is porous or drains to a porous area within the property, once it exceeds 5 m². Listed buildings and some access changes need permission. Any new or altered vehicle access onto a public road needs approval from DfI Roads, not the council.

The build-up we price

What we do on a new tarmac driveway

Full dig-out, compacted stone sub-base, binder course and a fine surface course, edged and drained.

Dig to formation level, usually around 230–250 mm below finished height
Geotextile membrane where the ground is soft or clay
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

Your questions answered

How long will the work take at my Holywood property?

Usually 2–4 working days for a typical drive, longer with drainage or a dropped kerb. We book Holywood surveys alongside other jobs in County Down, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Do you work in my part of Holywood?

We cover Holywood including BT18, and nearby Dundonald, Newtownabbey, Belfast.

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

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 new tarmac driveway in Holywood?

In 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 are approved by DfI Roads.

More we do in Holywood

Questions about new tarmac driveways in Holywood? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.