Tar and chip driveways in Herne Bay

Tar and chip driveway prices in Herne Bay

For Herne Bay, we apply the South East rate, about 10% 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	£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 Herne Bay, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £50–£82 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,500–£4,100. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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.

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

Herne Bay: the local details

The key facts for Herne Bay. We cover Herne Bay by grouping surveys with nearby Kent jobs; Maidstone is 27 miles away.

Postcodes: CT6
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Whitstable (5 miles), Canterbury (7 miles), Faversham (11 miles), Margate (11 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham, Margate, Ramsgate.

Do I need permission in Herne Bay?

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. A vehicle crossing over the footway is a separate approval, from the highway authority (the county or unitary council).

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Herne Bay

How long will the work take at my Herne Bay property?

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

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

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 Herne Bay?

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 cover all of Herne Bay?

We cover Herne Bay including CT6, and nearby Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham.

More we do in Herne Bay

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