Tar and chip driveways in Romford

Tar and chip driveway prices in Romford

Local guide rates for Romford (London, about 20% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£54–£90 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,700–£4,500
Example: 100 m² drive	£5,400–£9,000
Example: 200 m² drive	£10,250–£17,100

As a 2026 guide in Romford, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £54–£90 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £10,250–£17,100. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Where we work in and around Romford

Survey cover and pricing for Romford. Romford is one of the bigger places we cover in Greater London, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: RM1, RM7, RM2, RM5, RM3, RM4
Area: Greater London
Nearest towns: Hornchurch (2 miles), Dagenham (2 miles), Ilford (5 miles), Barking (5 miles)
Pricing: London, about 20% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Romford: Hornchurch, Dagenham, Ilford, Barking, Thamesmead.

How it is built

Rules that apply in Romford

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).

What we do on a tar and chip driveway

Hot bitumen sprayed and dressed with rolled stone chippings for a gravel look that stays put.

Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
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

Your questions answered

How long will the work take at my Romford property?

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

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

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).

Can I get a free survey in Romford?

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.

Which Romford postcodes do you cover?

We cover Romford including RM1, RM7, RM2, RM5, RM3, RM4, and nearby Hornchurch, Dagenham, Ilford.

Other work in Romford

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