Tar and chip driveways in Hailsham

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Hailsham?

These Hailsham guide prices reflect rates in the South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£50–£82 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,500–£4,100
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,950–£8,250
Example: 200 m² drive	£9,400–£15,700

As a 2026 guide in Hailsham, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £50–£82 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £9,400–£15,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Covering Hailsham

What applies in Hailsham. We cover Hailsham by grouping surveys with nearby East Sussex jobs; Brighton is 17 miles away.

Postcodes: BN27, BN26
Area: East Sussex
Nearest towns: Eastbourne (7 miles), Seaford (9 miles), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles), Uckfield (10 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Hailsham: Eastbourne, Seaford, Bexhill-on-Sea, Uckfield, Lewes.

The build-up we price

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
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

Do I need permission in Hailsham?

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. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

Your questions answered

Is the survey in Hailsham free?

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 I need permission for a tar and chip driveway in Hailsham?

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 Hailsham property?

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

Which Hailsham postcodes do you cover?

We cover Hailsham including BN27, BN26, and nearby Eastbourne, Seaford, Bexhill-on-Sea.

More we do in Hailsham

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