New tarmac driveways in Brentwood

How much should I budget in Brentwood?

For Brentwood, we apply the East of England rate, about 5% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£63–£100 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,100–£3,300
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,150–£5,000
Example: 80 m² drive	£5,050–£8,000

As a 2026 guide in Brentwood, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,100–£3,300. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Brentwood

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 the price covers

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.

Break out and remove the old surface and spoil
Dig to formation level, usually around 230–250 mm below finished height
MOT Type 1 sub-base laid and compacted in layers, about 150 mm
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

Brentwood: the local details

Survey cover and pricing for Brentwood. Brentwood sits 18 miles from Southend-on-Sea, within our regular Essex cover.

Postcodes: CM14, CM13, CM15
Area: Essex
Nearest towns: Billericay (5 miles), Hornchurch (6 miles), Romford (6 miles), Basildon (7 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Billericay, Hornchurch, Romford, Basildon, Dagenham.

Layer by layer

Questions about new tarmac driveways in Brentwood

What approvals apply in Brentwood?

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).

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

As a 2026 guide in Brentwood, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £63–£100 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,100–£3,300. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Do you cover all of Brentwood?

We cover Brentwood including CM14, CM13, CM15, and nearby Billericay, Hornchurch, Romford.

How quickly can work start in Brentwood?

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

Also in Brentwood

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