Tar and chip driveways in Seaham

How much should I budget in Seaham?

Local guide rates for Seaham (the North East, about 7% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£42–£70 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,100–£3,500
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,200–£7,000
Example: 200 m² drive	£7,950–£13,250

As a 2026 guide in Seaham, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £42–£70 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £7,950–£13,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Seaham: the local details

Seaham at a glance. Smaller towns such as Seaham are surveyed alongside nearby jobs in County Durham.

Postcodes: SR7
Area: County Durham
Nearest towns: Houghton-le-Spring (5 miles), Sunderland (5 miles), Peterlee (5 miles), Washington (8 miles)
Pricing: North East, about 7% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, Peterlee, Washington, Chester-le-Street.

Do I need permission in Seaham?

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).

What we do on a tar and chip driveway

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

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

Your questions answered

What approvals apply in Seaham?

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 Seaham property?

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

Do you work in my part of Seaham?

We cover Seaham including SR7, and nearby Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, Peterlee.

Can I get a free survey in Seaham?

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 Seaham

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Seaham? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.