Red tarmac driveways in Harrogate

Red tarmac driveway prices in Harrogate

Local guide rates for Harrogate (Yorkshire and the Humber, about 4% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Red tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£72–£110 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,400–£3,650
Example: 50 m² drive	£3,600–£5,500
Example: 80 m² drive	£5,750–£8,850

As a 2026 guide in Harrogate, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £72–£110 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,400–£3,650. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Where we work in and around Harrogate

Survey cover and pricing for Harrogate. Harrogate is one of the bigger places we cover in North Yorkshire, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: HG2, HG1, HG5, HG3
Area: North Yorkshire
Nearest towns: Ripon (10 miles), Yeadon (11 miles), Guiseley (11 miles), Horsforth (11 miles)
Pricing: Yorkshire and the Humber, about 4% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Ripon, Yeadon, Guiseley, Horsforth, York.

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
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

Do I need permission in Harrogate?

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).

Your questions answered

What approvals apply in Harrogate?

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).

Do you cover all of Harrogate?

We cover Harrogate including HG2, HG1, HG5, HG3, and nearby Ripon, Yeadon, Guiseley.

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

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.

How long will the work take at my Harrogate property?

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

More we do in Harrogate

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