Tar and chip driveways in Bristol

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Bristol?

Local guide rates for Bristol (the South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£46–£77 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,300–£3,850
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,650–£7,700
Example: 200 m² drive	£8,800–£14,700

As a 2026 guide in Bristol, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,650–£7,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What is included in a tar and chip driveway?

Hot bitumen sprayed and dressed with rolled stone chippings for a gravel look that stays put.

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
Rolled to bed the stones in
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Covering Bristol

The key facts for Bristol. As one of the larger towns in Bristol, Bristol sees regular survey visits.

Postcodes: BS1, BS2, BS6, BS8, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS7
Area: Bristol
Nearest towns: Keynsham (5 miles), Nailsea (7 miles), Portishead (8 miles), Yate (10 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Keynsham, Nailsea, Portishead, Yate, Clevedon.

Planning and kerb rules for Bristol

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).

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Bristol

What is the price of a tar and chip driveway in Bristol?

As a 2026 guide in Bristol, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,650–£7,700. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Bristol?

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).

How long will the work take at my Bristol property?

Often 1–3 days depending on base work. We book Bristol surveys alongside other jobs in Bristol, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Do you work in my part of Bristol?

We cover Bristol including BS1, BS2, BS6, BS8, BS3, BS4, and nearby Keynsham, Nailsea, Portishead.

More we do in Bristol

Send us a postcode, a rough size and a photo or two, and we'll come back with survey dates for Bristol.