Tar and chip driveways in Leicester

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Leicester?

Local guide rates for Leicester (the East Midlands, about 2% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£44–£74 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,200–£3,700
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,400–£7,350
Example: 200 m² drive	£8,400–£13,950

As a 2026 guide in Leicester, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £44–£74 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £8,400–£13,950. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Leicester: the local details

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

Postcodes: LE1, LE87, LE4, LE5, LE7
Area: Leicestershire
Nearest towns: Braunstone (2 miles), Oadby (3 miles), Wigston (4 miles), Mountsorrel (5 miles)
Pricing: East Midlands, about 2% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Braunstone, Oadby, Wigston, Mountsorrel, Earl Shilton.

Planning and kerb rules for Leicester

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).

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
Rolled to bed the stones in
Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Your questions answered

Is the survey in Leicester free?

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 Leicester?

We cover Leicester including LE1, LE87, LE4, LE5, LE7, and nearby Braunstone, Oadby, Wigston.

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

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 does a tar and chip driveway take in Leicester?

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

Also in Leicester

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