Tar and chip driveways in Gwynedd

How much does a tar and chip driveway cost in Gwynedd?

Rates in Gwynedd follow Wales, about 5% below our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£43–£71 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,150–£3,550
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,300–£7,100
Example: 200 m² drive	£8,100–£13,550

Towns we cover in Gwynedd

Postcode areas: LL.

What is included?

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
Rolled to bed the stones in
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Rules in Gwynedd

In Wales, a new hard surface in front of a house is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a permeable area within the property; repairing or replacing up to 5 m² of existing hardstanding is allowed without meeting that condition. Separately, since January 2019, construction covering 100 m² or more that affects drainage generally needs approval from the council's SuDS Approving Body (SAB) before work starts, even where planning permission is not needed. Larger drives, shared surfaces and car parks often reach that threshold. A vehicle crossing over the footway is a separate approval, from the council as highway authority.

How it is built