Tar and chip driveways in Ashton-in-Makerfield

How much should I budget in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Guide prices below are for Ashton-in-Makerfield, adjusted for the North West, where surfacing rates run about 3% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£44–£73 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,200–£3,650
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,350–£7,300
Example: 200 m² drive	£8,300–£13,800

As a 2026 guide in Ashton-in-Makerfield, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £44–£73 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £8,300–£13,800. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Do I need permission in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

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. Any new or widened crossing over the pavement needs approval from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

The build-up we 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.

Base prepared: new MOT Type 1 sub-base, or an existing sound tarmac or stone base
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

Where we work in and around Ashton-in-Makerfield

What applies in Ashton-in-Makerfield. Ashton-in-Makerfield is covered on our Greater Manchester rounds, 17 miles from Manchester.

Postcodes: WN4
Area: Greater Manchester
Nearest towns: Haydock (2 miles), Golborne (2 miles), Newton-le-Willows (3 miles), St Helens (4 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Ashton-in-Makerfield: Haydock, Golborne, Newton-le-Willows, St Helens, Wigan.

Your questions answered

What approvals apply in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

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).

Is the survey in Ashton-in-Makerfield 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.

How long will the work take at my Ashton-in-Makerfield property?

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

Do you work in my part of Ashton-in-Makerfield?

We cover Ashton-in-Makerfield including WN4, and nearby Haydock, Golborne, Newton-le-Willows.

More we do in Ashton-in-Makerfield

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