Tar and chip driveways in Gillingham

How much should I budget in Gillingham?

These Gillingham guide prices reflect rates in the South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£50–£82 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,500–£4,100
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,950–£8,250
Example: 200 m² drive	£9,400–£15,700

As a 2026 guide in Gillingham, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £50–£82 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,950–£8,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed 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
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 Gillingham

Survey cover and pricing for Gillingham. As one of the larger towns in Kent, Gillingham sees regular survey visits.

Postcodes: ME7, ME8, ME3
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Chatham (1 mile), Rochester (2 miles), Strood (3 miles), Gravesend (8 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Gillingham: Chatham, Rochester, Strood, Gravesend, Maidstone.

Planning and kerb rules for Gillingham

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).

How it is built

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Gillingham

How long will the work take at my Gillingham property?

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

Which Gillingham postcodes do you cover?

We cover Gillingham including ME7, ME8, ME3, and nearby Chatham, Rochester, Strood.

What approvals apply in Gillingham?

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 Gillingham?

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.

More we do in Gillingham

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