New tarmac driveways in Herne Bay

How much should I budget in Herne Bay?

For Herne Bay, we apply the South East rate, about 10% 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	£66–£105 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,200–£3,450
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,300–£5,250
Example: 80 m² drive	£5,300–£8,350

As a 2026 guide in Herne Bay, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £3,300–£5,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Herne Bay: the local details

What applies in Herne Bay. Smaller towns such as Herne Bay are surveyed alongside nearby jobs in Kent.

Postcodes: CT6
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Whitstable (5 miles), Canterbury (7 miles), Faversham (11 miles), Margate (11 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Herne Bay: Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham, Margate, Ramsgate.

Rules that apply in Herne Bay

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 we do on a new tarmac driveway

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
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

Herne Bay: common questions

New tarmac driveway cost in Herne Bay: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Herne Bay, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £66–£105 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £3,300–£5,250. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Herne Bay?

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.

Which Herne Bay postcodes do you cover?

We cover Herne Bay including CT6, and nearby Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham.

Are there planning or highway rules in Herne Bay?

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).

Also in Herne Bay

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