Permeable tarmac driveways in Hitchin

Permeable tarmac driveway prices in Hitchin

Local guide rates for Hitchin (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 Hitchin, 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.

Where we work in and around Hitchin

The key facts for Hitchin. We reach Hitchin on our Hertfordshire survey days; Watford is 21 miles away.

Postcodes: SG5, SG4
Area: Hertfordshire
Nearest towns: Letchworth Garden City (3 miles), Stevenage (5 miles), Luton (7 miles), Biggleswade (10 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage, Luton, Biggleswade, Harpenden.

Rules that apply in Hitchin

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
Porous asphalt binder and surface courses
Overflow to a soakaway or border on slow-draining ground

Hitchin: common questions

Which Hitchin postcodes do you cover?

We cover Hitchin including SG5, SG4, and nearby Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage, Luton.

How long will the work take at my Hitchin property?

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

What is the price of a permeable tarmac driveway in Hitchin?

As a 2026 guide in Hitchin, permeable tarmac driveway work runs at about £84–£131 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £4,200–£6,550. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Hitchin?

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 Hitchin

Send us a postcode, a rough size and a photo or two, and we'll come back with survey dates for Hitchin.