New tarmac driveways in Highland and Moray

How much does a new tarmac driveway cost in Highland and Moray?

Rates in Highland and Moray follow Scotland, about 8% above our UK midpoint. Work here is by arrangement because of travel and haulage.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£65–£102 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,150–£3,400
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,250–£5,100
Example: 80 m² drive	£5,150–£8,200

Towns we cover in Highland and Moray

Postcode areas: IV, PH.

What is included?

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.

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

Rules in Highland and Moray

In Scotland, permitted development allows a hard surface between a house and a road only if it is porous or the water drains to a porous area within the property. Unlike England there is no 5 m² allowance, so it applies to any size. Conservation areas and the grounds of listed buildings have extra restrictions. The council, as roads authority, controls any new or widened access across a footway.