Tar and chip driveways in Harlow

How much should I budget in Harlow?

Local guide rates for Harlow (the East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£47–£79 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,350–£3,950
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,700–£7,900
Example: 200 m² drive	£9,000–£14,950

As a 2026 guide in Harlow, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £47–£79 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,350–£3,950. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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
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

Harlow: the local details

What applies in Harlow. Harlow is one of the bigger places we cover in Essex, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: CM20, CM18, CM17, CM19, CM21, CM16
Area: Essex
Nearest towns: Hoddesdon (5 miles), Ware (6 miles), Bishops Stortford (7 miles), Waltham Abbey (8 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Hoddesdon, Ware, Bishops Stortford, Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt.

Rules that apply in Harlow

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.

Harlow: common questions

How quickly can work start in Harlow?

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

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

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.

Are there planning or highway rules in Harlow?

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).

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

As a 2026 guide in Harlow, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £47–£79 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,350–£3,950. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Harlow

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