Tar and chip driveways in Stroud

How much should I budget in Stroud?

These Stroud 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 Stroud, 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.

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.

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 Stroud?

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).

Stroud: the local details

Survey cover and pricing for Stroud. Stroud is 8 miles from Gloucester, and we survey there as part of Gloucestershire cover.

Postcodes: GL6, GL5, GL10
Area: Gloucestershire
Nearest towns: Gloucester (8 miles), Cirencester (10 miles), Cheltenham (12 miles), Tewkesbury (17 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Stroud: Gloucester, Cirencester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Yate.

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Stroud

Which Stroud postcodes do you cover?

We cover Stroud including GL6, GL5, GL10, and nearby Gloucester, Cirencester, Cheltenham.

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

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 Stroud?

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 quickly can work start in Stroud?

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

More we do in Stroud

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