Tar and chip driveways in Preston

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Preston?

For Preston, we apply the North West rate, about 3% below 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	£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 Preston, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £44–£73 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,650. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Preston

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

Covering Preston

What applies in Preston. As one of the larger towns in Lancashire, Preston sees regular survey visits.

Postcodes: PR1, PR2, PR11, PR4
Area: Lancashire
Nearest towns: Leyland (5 miles), Chorley (9 miles), Blackburn (9 miles), Darwen (11 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Leyland, Chorley, Blackburn, Darwen, Lytham St Annes.

Layer by layer

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
Chippings spread straight onto the binder
Rolled to bed the stones in
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Your questions answered

Tar and chip driveway cost in Preston: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Preston, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £44–£73 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,650. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Which Preston postcodes do you cover?

We cover Preston including PR1, PR2, PR11, PR4, and nearby Leyland, Chorley, Blackburn.

How long does a tar and chip driveway take in Preston?

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

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

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).

Other work in Preston

Tell us what you have in mind for Preston and we'll book a survey and put the specification in writing.