New tarmac driveways in Christchurch

New tarmac driveway prices in Christchurch

Local guide rates for Christchurch (the South West, 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 Christchurch, 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.

Layer by layer

What is included in a new tarmac driveway?

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

Break out and remove the old surface and spoil
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

Where we work in and around Christchurch

Christchurch at a glance. We reach Christchurch on our Dorset survey days; Bournemouth is 4 miles away.

Postcodes: BH6, BH23, BH7
Area: Dorset
Nearest towns: Bournemouth (4 miles), New Milton (5 miles), Ferndown (7 miles), Poole (9 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Bournemouth, New Milton, Ferndown, Poole, Wimborne Minster.

Planning and kerb rules for Christchurch

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.

Your questions answered

How quickly can work start in Christchurch?

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

Which Christchurch postcodes do you cover?

We cover Christchurch including BH6, BH23, BH7, and nearby Bournemouth, New Milton, Ferndown.

What approvals apply in Christchurch?

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).

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

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.

Also in Christchurch

Ready for a price in Christchurch? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.