Tar and chip driveways in Paignton

Tar and chip driveway prices in Paignton

These Paignton guide prices reflect rates in 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 Paignton, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £8,800–£14,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Planning and kerb rules for Paignton

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).

Paignton: the local details

What applies in Paignton. Paignton sits 26 miles from Plymouth, within our regular Devon cover.

Postcodes: TQ3, TQ4, TQ9
Area: Devon
Nearest towns: Torquay (3 miles), Brixham (4 miles), Newton Abbot (7 miles), Exmouth (14 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Torquay, Brixham, Newton Abbot, Exmouth, Exeter.

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.

Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
Hot bitumen or emulsion sprayed evenly
Chippings spread straight onto the binder
Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Paignton: common questions

How much does a tar and chip driveway cost in Paignton?

As a 2026 guide in Paignton, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £8,800–£14,700. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

How long will the work take at my Paignton property?

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

Do I need permission for a tar and chip driveway in Paignton?

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 Paignton?

We cover Paignton including TQ3, TQ4, TQ9, and nearby Torquay, Brixham, Newton Abbot.

Other work in Paignton

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