Permeable tarmac driveways in Shirley

How much should I budget in Shirley?

Guide prices below are for Shirley, adjusted for the West Midlands, where surfacing rates run in line with our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Porous asphalt drive on a permeable stone base	£80–£125 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,650–£4,100
Example: 50 m² drive	£4,000–£6,250
Example: 80 m² drive	£6,400–£10,000

As a 2026 guide in Shirley, permeable tarmac driveway work runs at about £80–£125 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £4,000–£6,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Layer by layer

Planning and kerb rules for Shirley

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. A vehicle crossing over the footway is a separate approval, from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

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
Porous asphalt binder and surface courses
Edge restraint that does not block the flow

Where we work in and around Shirley

What applies in Shirley. Shirley is 6 miles from Birmingham, and we survey there as part of West Midlands cover.

Postcodes: B28, B27, B14, B47, B13, B38
Area: West Midlands
Nearest towns: Solihull (2 miles), Birmingham (6 miles), Smethwick (8 miles), Redditch (9 miles)
Pricing: West Midlands, in line with our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Solihull, Birmingham, Smethwick, Redditch, Halesowen.

Questions about permeable tarmac driveways in Shirley

How long does a permeable tarmac driveway take in Shirley?

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

Do you cover all of Shirley?

We cover Shirley including B28, B27, B14, B47, B13, B38, and nearby Solihull, Birmingham, Smethwick.

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

As a 2026 guide in Shirley, permeable tarmac driveway work runs at about £80–£125 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £4,000–£6,250. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Shirley?

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).

More we do in Shirley

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