Red tarmac driveways in Torquay

What does a red tarmac driveway cost in Torquay?

Guide prices below are for Torquay, adjusted for the South West, where surfacing rates run about 3% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Red tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£77–£118 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,550–£3,900
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,850–£5,900
Example: 80 m² drive	£6,200–£9,500

As a 2026 guide in Torquay, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £77–£118 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,550–£3,900. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Torquay: the local details

Torquay at a glance. Torquay sits 28 miles from Plymouth, within our regular Devon cover.

Postcodes: TQ1, TQ2
Area: Devon
Nearest towns: Paignton (3 miles), Brixham (5 miles), Newton Abbot (6 miles), Exmouth (12 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Torquay: Paignton, Brixham, Newton Abbot, Exmouth, Exeter.

What the price covers

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
Black AC 20 binder course, about 50–60 mm
Red pigmented surface course, about 20–30 mm
Colour sample discussed before ordering
Falls and drainage set as for any new drive

How it is built

Rules that apply in Torquay

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).

Questions about red tarmac driveways in Torquay

Which Torquay postcodes do you cover?

We cover Torquay including TQ1, TQ2, and nearby Paignton, Brixham, Newton Abbot.

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

As a 2026 guide in Torquay, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £77–£118 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,550–£3,900. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Torquay?

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.

What approvals apply in Torquay?

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).

Also in Torquay

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