New tarmac driveways in South Yorkshire

How much does a new tarmac driveway cost in South Yorkshire?

Rates in South Yorkshire follow Yorkshire and the Humber, about 4% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£58–£91 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£1,900–£3,000
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,900–£4,550
Example: 80 m² drive	£4,600–£7,300

Towns we cover in South Yorkshire

Postcode areas: DN, S.

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.

Break out and remove the old surface and spoil
Dig to formation level, usually around 230–250 mm below finished height
Geotextile membrane where the ground is soft or clay
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 South Yorkshire

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.