Red tarmac driveways in Esher

How much should I budget in Esher?

Local guide rates for Esher (the South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Red tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base	£82–£127 per m²
Example: 30 m² drive	£2,700–£4,150
Example: 50 m² drive	£4,100–£6,350
Example: 80 m² drive	£6,600–£10,100

As a 2026 guide in Esher, red tarmac driveway work runs at about £82–£127 per m² including VAT, so a 30 m² drive is roughly £2,700–£4,150. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Covering Esher

Survey cover and pricing for Esher. We reach Esher on our Surrey survey days; Woking is 9 miles away.

Postcodes: KT10
Area: Surrey
Nearest towns: East Molesey (2 miles), West Molesey (2 miles), Walton-on-Thames (2 miles), Sunbury-on-Thames (3 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Esher: East Molesey, West Molesey, Walton-on-Thames, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surbiton.

What we do on 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
Red pigmented surface course, about 20–30 mm
Contrasting block or kerb border as edge restraint
Falls and drainage set as for any new drive

Do I need permission in Esher?

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. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

How it is built

Your questions answered

How long does a red tarmac driveway take in Esher?

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

Are there planning or highway rules in Esher?

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).

Which Esher postcodes do you cover?

We cover Esher including KT10, and nearby East Molesey, West Molesey, Walton-on-Thames.

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

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.

Also in Esher

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