New tarmac driveways in Portishead

How much should I budget in Portishead?

Guide prices below are for Portishead, 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 Portishead, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 80 m² drive is roughly £4,950–£7,850. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Covering Portishead

Portishead at a glance. Portishead is covered on our Somerset rounds, 19 miles from Bath.

Postcodes: BS20, BS11
Area: Somerset
Nearest towns: Nailsea (3 miles), Clevedon (5 miles), Bristol (8 miles), Keynsham (13 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Nailsea, Clevedon, Bristol, Keynsham, Weston-super-Mare.

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.

Dig to formation level, usually around 230–250 mm below finished height
Geotextile membrane where the ground is soft or clay
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

Planning and kerb rules for Portishead

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.

Portishead: common questions

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

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 Portishead?

We cover Portishead including BS20, BS11, and nearby Nailsea, Clevedon, Bristol.

How quickly can work start in Portishead?

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

How much does a new tarmac driveway cost in Portishead?

As a 2026 guide in Portishead, new tarmac driveway work runs at about £62–£98 per m² including VAT, so a 80 m² drive is roughly £4,950–£7,850. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Also in Portishead

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