Red tarmac driveways in Ballymena

How much should I budget in Ballymena?

Guide prices below are for Ballymena, adjusted for Northern Ireland, where surfacing rates run about 12% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Red tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£66–£101 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,200–£3,350
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,300–£5,050
Example: 80 m² drive	£5,300–£8,100

As a 2026 guide in Ballymena, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £66–£101 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,350. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Planning and kerb rules for Ballymena

In Northern Ireland, more than 5 m² of hard surface in front of a house should be porous or drain to a porous area within the property; DfI Roads approves dropped kerbs. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from DfI Roads.

The build-up we price

What is included in a red tarmac driveway?

Red tarmac is ordinary asphalt with a red pigment, and often red aggregate, in the surface course, laid on the same sub-base and binder course as a black tarmac drive.

Full dig-out and MOT Type 1 sub-base, about 150 mm
Red pigmented surface course, about 20–30 mm
Contrasting block or kerb border as edge restraint
Colour sample discussed before ordering
Falls and drainage set as for any new drive

Where we work in and around Ballymena

What applies in Ballymena. Ballymena is covered on our County Antrim rounds, 23 miles from Belfast.

Postcodes: BT42, BT43
Area: County Antrim
Nearest towns: Antrim (10 miles), Ballyclare (13 miles), Ballymoney (17 miles), Larne (18 miles)
Pricing: Northern Ireland, about 12% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: DfI Roads

We also cover nearby Antrim, Ballyclare, Ballymoney, Larne, Newtownabbey.

Your questions answered

Do I need permission for a red tarmac driveway in Ballymena?

In Northern Ireland, more than 5 m² of hard surface in front of a house should be porous or drain to a porous area within the property; DfI Roads approves dropped kerbs. Dropped kerbs are approved by DfI Roads.

How quickly can work start in Ballymena?

Usually 2–4 working days. We book Ballymena surveys alongside other jobs in County Antrim, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Which Ballymena postcodes do you cover?

We cover Ballymena including BT42, BT43, and nearby Antrim, Ballyclare, Ballymoney.

Red tarmac driveway cost in Ballymena: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Ballymena, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £66–£101 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,350. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Ballymena

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