Permeable tarmac driveways in Cambridge

Permeable tarmac driveway prices in Cambridge

These Cambridge guide prices reflect rates in the East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Porous asphalt drive on a permeable stone base	£84–£131 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,750–£4,350
Example: 50 m² drive	£4,200–£6,550
Example: 80 m² drive	£6,700–£10,500

As a 2026 guide in Cambridge, permeable tarmac driveway work runs at about £84–£131 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £4,200–£6,550. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What is included in a permeable tarmac driveway?

A permeable tarmac drive uses porous asphalt, a mix with fewer fine particles so water passes through the gaps, laid on an open-graded stone base that stores the rain and lets it soak into the ground.

Dig out deeper than a standard drive to fit the storage layer
Geotextile separating layer on the formation
Open-graded permeable sub-base, often Type 3 or 4/20 stone
Overflow to a soakaway or border on slow-draining ground
Edge restraint that does not block the flow

Planning and kerb rules for Cambridge

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.

Cambridge: the local details

What applies in Cambridge. Cambridge is one of the bigger places we cover in Cambridgeshire, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: CB2, CB1, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB22, CB24
Area: Cambridgeshire
Nearest towns: St Ives (12 miles), Ely (15 miles), Huntingdon (16 miles), St Neots (16 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby St Ives, Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots, March.

Questions about permeable tarmac driveways in Cambridge

Do you work in my part of Cambridge?

We cover Cambridge including CB2, CB1, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB22, and nearby St Ives, Ely, Huntingdon.

Is the survey in Cambridge free?

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.

How quickly can work start in Cambridge?

Usually 3–5 working days. We book Cambridge surveys alongside other jobs in Cambridgeshire, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Do I need permission for a permeable tarmac driveway in Cambridge?

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 Cambridge

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