Red tarmac driveways in Leicester

What does a red tarmac driveway cost in Leicester?

Guide prices below are for Leicester, adjusted for the East Midlands, where surfacing rates run about 2% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Red tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£74–£113 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,450–£3,700
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,700–£5,650
Example: 80 m² drive	£5,900–£9,000

As a 2026 guide in Leicester, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £74–£113 per m² including VAT, so a 80 m² drive is roughly £5,900–£9,000. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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
Contrasting block or kerb border as edge restraint
Colour sample discussed before ordering
Falls and drainage set as for any new drive

Covering Leicester

Leicester at a glance. Leicester is one of the bigger places we cover in Leicestershire, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: LE1, LE87, LE4, LE5, LE7
Area: Leicestershire
Nearest towns: Braunstone (2 miles), Oadby (3 miles), Wigston (4 miles), Mountsorrel (5 miles)
Pricing: East Midlands, about 2% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Braunstone, Oadby, Wigston, Mountsorrel, Earl Shilton.

The build-up we price

Do I need permission in Leicester?

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.

Leicester: common questions

Is the survey in Leicester free?

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 Leicester?

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).

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

As a 2026 guide in Leicester, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £74–£113 per m² including VAT, so a 80 m² drive is roughly £5,900–£9,000. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

How quickly can work start in Leicester?

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

More we do in Leicester

Questions about red tarmac driveways in Leicester? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.