Tar and chip driveways in Lincoln

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Lincoln?

These Lincoln guide prices reflect rates in 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 Lincoln, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £44–£74 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,200–£3,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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.

Hot bitumen or emulsion sprayed evenly
Chippings spread straight onto the binder
Rolled to bed the stones in
Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Lincoln: the local details

Lincoln at a glance. Lincoln is one of the bigger places we cover in Lincolnshire, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: LN2, LN6, LN1, LN5, LN3
Area: Lincolnshire
Nearest towns: Gainsborough (14 miles), Sleaford (17 miles), Grantham (22 miles), Louth (24 miles)
Pricing: East Midlands, about 2% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Gainsborough, Sleaford, Grantham, Louth, Scunthorpe.

Rules that apply in Lincoln

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.

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Lincoln

Is the survey in Lincoln 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.

Which Lincoln postcodes do you cover?

We cover Lincoln including LN2, LN6, LN1, LN5, LN3, and nearby Gainsborough, Sleaford, Grantham.

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

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 quickly can work start in Lincoln?

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

Also in Lincoln

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