Red tarmac driveways in Melksham

How much should I budget in Melksham?

Local guide rates for Melksham (the South West, 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 Melksham, 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 Melksham?

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).

Where we work in and around Melksham

The key facts for Melksham. Melksham is covered on our Wiltshire rounds, 20 miles from Swindon.

Postcodes: SN12
Area: Wiltshire
Nearest towns: Trowbridge (5 miles), Chippenham (6 miles), Devizes (6 miles), Calne (7 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Melksham: Trowbridge, Chippenham, Devizes, Calne, Westbury.

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
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

Layer by layer

Questions about red tarmac driveways in Melksham

Is the survey in Melksham 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.

How long will the work take at my Melksham property?

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

What approvals apply in Melksham?

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 work in my part of Melksham?

We cover Melksham including SN12, and nearby Trowbridge, Chippenham, Devizes.

Other work in Melksham

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