New tarmac driveways in Torquay

What does a new tarmac driveway cost in Torquay?

Guide prices below are for Torquay, adjusted for the South West, where surfacing rates run about 3% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£62–£98 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,050–£3,250
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,100–£4,900
Example: 80 m² drive	£4,950–£7,850

As a 2026 guide in Torquay, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £3,100–£4,900. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Where we work in and around Torquay

The key facts for Torquay. Torquay is 28 miles from Plymouth, and we survey there as part of Devon cover.

Postcodes: TQ1, TQ2
Area: Devon
Nearest towns: Paignton (3 miles), Brixham (5 miles), Newton Abbot (6 miles), Exmouth (12 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Paignton, Brixham, Newton Abbot, Exmouth, Exeter.

What the price covers

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

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
Falls set so water runs to a channel, gully or soft landscaping

Layer by layer

Rules that apply in Torquay

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. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

Questions about new tarmac driveways in Torquay

How long will the work take at my Torquay property?

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

What is the price of a new tarmac driveway in Torquay?

As a 2026 guide in Torquay, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £3,100–£4,900. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Do I need permission for a new tarmac driveway in Torquay?

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).

Do you cover all of Torquay?

We cover Torquay including TQ1, TQ2, and nearby Paignton, Brixham, Newton Abbot.

Also in Torquay

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