Tar and chip driveways in Falmouth

How much should I budget in Falmouth?

Local guide rates for Falmouth (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 Falmouth, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,300–£3,850. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Do I need permission in Falmouth?

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).

Layer by layer

What the price covers

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.

Base prepared: new MOT Type 1 sub-base, or an existing sound tarmac or stone base
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

Falmouth: the local details

What applies in Falmouth. Falmouth is 9 miles from Redruth, and we survey there as part of Cornwall cover.

Postcodes: TR11, TR10
Area: Cornwall
Nearest towns: Truro (8 miles), Redruth (9 miles), Camborne (11 miles), Newquay (18 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Newquay, St Austell.

Falmouth: common questions

Do you cover all of Falmouth?

We cover Falmouth including TR11, TR10, and nearby Truro, Redruth, Camborne.

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

As a 2026 guide in Falmouth, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,300–£3,850. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

What approvals apply in Falmouth?

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 does a tar and chip driveway take in Falmouth?

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

More we do in Falmouth

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