Tar and chip driveways in Horwich

Tar and chip driveway prices in Horwich

Local guide rates for Horwich (the North West, 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 Horwich, 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 Horwich?

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).

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
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

Layer by layer

Horwich: the local details

Horwich at a glance. We cover Horwich by grouping surveys with nearby Greater Manchester jobs; Manchester is 15 miles away.

Postcodes: BL6
Area: Greater Manchester
Nearest towns: Westhoughton (4 miles), Chorley (4 miles), Hindley (5 miles), Bolton (5 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Horwich: Westhoughton, Chorley, Hindley, Bolton, Wigan.

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Horwich

How quickly can work start in Horwich?

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

What approvals apply in Horwich?

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 Horwich 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.

Do you work in my part of Horwich?

We cover Horwich including BL6, and nearby Westhoughton, Chorley, Hindley.

More we do in Horwich

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