Tar and chip driveways
Tar and chip suits long country drives, lanes and period properties where black tarmac looks too urban and loose gravel ends up on the lawn. The chippings you choose, from silver granite to golden flint, decide the look.
Tar and chip, also called surface dressing, is a layer of bitumen sprayed onto a prepared base and immediately covered with stone chippings, which are rolled in so the surface looks like gravel but behaves like a bound drive.
What is included in a tar and chip driveway?
- Base prepared: new MOT Type 1 sub-base, or an existing sound tarmac or stone base
- Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
- Hot bitumen or emulsion sprayed evenly
- Chippings spread straight onto the binder
- Rolled to bed the stones in
- Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
- Second coat where a double dressing is specified
How is it built?
How much does a tar and chip driveway cost?
As a 2026 guide at our UK midpoint rate, £45–£75 per m² inc VAT. Edging, drainage and access are itemised separately where they apply.
| Item | Guide price (inc VAT) |
|---|---|
| Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base | £45–£75 per m² |
| Example: 50 m² drive | £2,250–£3,750 |
| Example: 100 m² drive | £4,500–£7,500 |
| Example: 200 m² drive | £8,550–£14,250 |
Rates vary by region:
| Region | Guide (inc VAT) |
|---|---|
| London | £54–£90 per m² |
| South East | £50–£82 per m² |
| East of England | £47–£79 per m² |
| South West | £46–£77 per m² |
| West Midlands | £45–£75 per m² |
| East Midlands | £44–£74 per m² |
| North West | £44–£73 per m² |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £43–£72 per m² |
| North East | £42–£70 per m² |
| Wales | £43–£71 per m² |
| Scotland | £44–£74 per m² |
| Northern Ireland | £40–£66 per m² |
Guides only. Your survey turns these into a fixed written price. Full price list · Guide price tool
When it suits
- Long rural drives and private lanes
- Period and listed properties where black tarmac jars
- Large areas where cost per m² matters
Watch out for
- Some loose chippings appear for the first weeks; they need sweeping
- Sharp turning on hot days can scuff the surface early on
- Not ideal for very steep slopes or where children play with bare feet
How long does it take and how long does it last?
- On site
- Often 1–3 days depending on base work
- Lifespan
- Often 8–15 years before a re-dressing
Do I need planning permission?
It depends where you live and where the water goes.
- 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.
- Wales: New front hardstanding should be porous or drain to a permeable area within the property, and work covering 100 m² or more with drainage effects usually needs SAB approval first.
- Scotland: A hard surface between the house and a road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a porous area within the property, whatever its size.
- Northern Ireland: More than 5 m² of hard surface in front of a house should be porous or drain to a porous area within the property; DfI Roads approves dropped kerbs.
Dropped kerbs always need the highway authority's approval: the council in England, Wales and Scotland, and DfI Roads in Northern Ireland. Read the full planning guide.
What happens next?
Tell us about the job
Use the guide price tool, the form, WhatsApp or the phone. A postcode, rough size and a couple of photos are enough to start.
Survey and measure
We check the ground, levels, edges, drainage and access, and the planning and kerb position where it applies.
Written specification and price
You get an itemised quote listing every layer, the edging, drainage, waste and VAT. The price is fixed once the spec is agreed.
Build day
Dig-out and base first, then hot binder and surface course rolled in, edges finished and the site cleared. You get aftercare notes before we leave.
Tar and chip driveways: questions
How much does a tar and chip driveway cost?
As a 2026 guide, about £45–£75 per m² including VAT with a new sub-base. On an existing sound base it costs less; the saving over tarmac grows on bigger areas because spraying is quick once the equipment is on site.
How long does tar and chip last?
Often 8–15 years before it needs a fresh dressing, depending on traffic and how well the base drains.
Will the stones come loose?
A few loose chippings are normal at first and are swept up. Once bedded in by traffic, the surface holds well. A double dressing gives a tighter finish.
Can tar and chip go over my old tarmac?
Yes, if the old tarmac is sound. It is a cost-effective way to refresh a tired drive with a new look.
Does tar and chip need planning permission?
Tar and chip is a sealed surface, so treat it like tarmac: in England, over 5 m² in front of the house needs the water to drain to a permeable area within the property, or planning permission.
Where do we offer tar and chip driveway work?
Across the UK. Choose your area for local prices and towns.
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
- Clwyd
- Dyfed
- Gwent
- Gwynedd
- Mid Glamorgan
- Powys
- South Glamorgan
- West Glamorgan
- Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
- Angus and Dundee
- Argyll and Bute
- Ayrshire
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Dunbartonshire
- Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Fife
- Forth Valley
- Glasgow
- Highland and Moray
- Lanarkshire
- Perth and Kinross
- Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Scottish Borders
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
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Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.
- Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
- Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
- Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
- Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED