Tar and chip driveways in Plymouth

Tar and chip driveway prices in Plymouth

For Plymouth, we apply the South West rate, about 3% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

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 Plymouth, 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.

Layer by layer

Covering Plymouth

Survey cover and pricing for Plymouth. As one of the larger towns in Devon, Plymouth sees regular survey visits.

Postcodes: PL1, PL4, PL3, PL2, PL6, PL10
Area: Devon
Nearest towns: Plymstock (2 miles), Saltash (4 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Plymstock, Saltash.

What we do on a tar and chip driveway

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
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

Rules that apply in Plymouth

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).

Plymouth: common questions

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

As a 2026 guide in Plymouth, 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.

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Plymouth?

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.

Do you cover all of Plymouth?

We cover Plymouth including PL1, PL4, PL3, PL2, PL6, PL10, and nearby Plymstock, Saltash.

How long does a tar and chip driveway take in Plymouth?

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

Other work in Plymouth

Tell us what you have in mind for Plymouth and we'll book a survey and put the specification in writing.