Tar and chip driveways in Hove

Tar and chip driveway prices in Hove

These Hove 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 Hove, 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.

What is included in 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.

Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
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

How it is built

Where we work in and around Hove

Hove at a glance. We cover Hove as part of our regular East Sussex rounds.

Postcodes: BN52, BN3
Area: East Sussex
Nearest towns: Brighton (1 mile), Portslade (2 miles), Shoreham-by-Sea (5 miles), Rottingdean (5 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Brighton, Portslade, Shoreham-by-Sea, Rottingdean, Lancing.

Rules that apply in Hove

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).

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Hove

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

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).

Tar and chip driveway cost in Hove: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Hove, 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. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

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

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

Do you cover all of Hove?

We cover Hove including BN52, BN3, and nearby Brighton, Portslade, Shoreham-by-Sea.

Also in Hove

Ready for a price in Hove? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.