Tar and chip driveways in Hitchin

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Hitchin?

For Hitchin, we apply the East of England rate, about 5% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£47–£79 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,350–£3,950
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,700–£7,900
Example: 200 m² drive	£9,000–£14,950

As a 2026 guide in Hitchin, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £47–£79 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,700–£7,900. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Do I need permission in Hitchin?

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. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

What we do on 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
Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
Hot bitumen or emulsion sprayed evenly
Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Where we work in and around Hitchin

What applies in Hitchin. Hitchin sits 21 miles from Watford, within our regular Hertfordshire cover.

Postcodes: SG5, SG4
Area: Hertfordshire
Nearest towns: Letchworth Garden City (3 miles), Stevenage (5 miles), Luton (7 miles), Biggleswade (10 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage, Luton, Biggleswade, Harpenden.

Layer by layer

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Hitchin

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

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 long will the work take at my Hitchin property?

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

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

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 Hitchin postcodes do you cover?

We cover Hitchin including SG5, SG4, and nearby Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage, Luton.

Other work in Hitchin

Ready for a price in Hitchin? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.