Permeable tarmac driveways in Harlow

How much should I budget in Harlow?

For Harlow, we apply the East of England rate, about 5% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

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 Harlow, permeable tarmac driveway work runs at about £84–£131 per m² including VAT, so a 80 m² drive is roughly £6,700–£10,500. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Where we work in and around Harlow

Harlow at a glance. Harlow is one of the bigger places we cover in Essex, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: CM20, CM18, CM17, CM19, CM21, CM16
Area: Essex
Nearest towns: Hoddesdon (5 miles), Ware (6 miles), Bishops Stortford (7 miles), Waltham Abbey (8 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Hoddesdon, Ware, Bishops Stortford, Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt.

Do I need permission in Harlow?

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.

What we do on a permeable tarmac driveway

Open-graded porous asphalt on a deep permeable stone base, so rain soaks through on site.

Ground check: how fast does the soil drain?
Geotextile separating layer on the formation
Open-graded permeable sub-base, often Type 3 or 4/20 stone
Porous asphalt binder and surface courses
Edge restraint that does not block the flow

Layer by layer

Questions about permeable tarmac driveways in Harlow

Permeable tarmac driveway cost in Harlow: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Harlow, permeable tarmac driveway work runs at about £84–£131 per m² including VAT, so a 80 m² drive is roughly £6,700–£10,500. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

How quickly can work start in Harlow?

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

Which Harlow postcodes do you cover?

We cover Harlow including CM20, CM18, CM17, CM19, CM21, CM16, and nearby Hoddesdon, Ware, Bishops Stortford.

Can I get a free survey in Harlow?

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.

More we do in Harlow

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