Red tarmac driveways in Cheltenham

How much should I budget in Cheltenham?

For Cheltenham, we apply the South West rate, about 3% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

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 Cheltenham, 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.

Do I need permission in Cheltenham?

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. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

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.

Black AC 20 binder course, about 50–60 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

Covering Cheltenham

What applies in Cheltenham. As one of the larger towns in Gloucestershire, Cheltenham sees regular survey visits.

Postcodes: GL50, GL51, GL53, GL52
Area: Gloucestershire
Nearest towns: Tewkesbury (7 miles), Gloucester (7 miles), Stroud (12 miles), Cirencester (13 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Stroud, Cirencester.

Cheltenham: common questions

Which Cheltenham postcodes do you cover?

We cover Cheltenham including GL50, GL51, GL53, GL52, and nearby Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Stroud.

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

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).

How long will the work take at my Cheltenham property?

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

What is the price of a red tarmac driveway in Cheltenham?

As a 2026 guide in Cheltenham, 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.

Also in Cheltenham

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