Permeable tarmac driveways in Bishops Stortford

How much should I budget in Bishops Stortford?

Guide prices below are for Bishops Stortford, adjusted for the East of England, where surfacing rates run 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 Bishops Stortford, 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.

Do I need permission in Bishops Stortford?

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. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

What the price covers

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.

Ground check: how fast does the soil drain?
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

Bishops Stortford: the local details

Bishops Stortford at a glance. Bishops Stortford sits 28 miles from Watford, within our regular Hertfordshire cover.

Postcodes: CM23, CM24, CM22, SG10, SG11
Area: Hertfordshire
Nearest towns: Harlow (7 miles), Ware (9 miles), Hoddesdon (10 miles), Saffron Walden (11 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Harlow, Ware, Hoddesdon, Saffron Walden, Hertford.

Your questions answered

Do you work in my part of Bishops Stortford?

We cover Bishops Stortford including CM23, CM24, CM22, SG10, SG11, and nearby Harlow, Ware, Hoddesdon.

Can I get a free survey in Bishops Stortford?

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 long will the work take at my Bishops Stortford property?

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

Do I need permission for a permeable tarmac driveway in Bishops Stortford?

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).

Other work in Bishops Stortford

Questions about permeable tarmac driveways in Bishops Stortford? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.