Tar and chip driveways in Stafford

What does a tar and chip driveway cost in Stafford?

These Stafford guide prices reflect rates in the West Midlands, in line with our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£45–£75 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,250–£3,750
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,500–£7,500
Example: 200 m² drive	£8,550–£14,250

As a 2026 guide in Stafford, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £45–£75 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £8,550–£14,250. 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.

Base prepared: new MOT Type 1 sub-base, or an existing sound tarmac or stone base
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

Rules that apply in Stafford

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).

Covering Stafford

Survey cover and pricing for Stafford. Stafford sits 14 miles from Stoke-on-Trent, within our regular Staffordshire cover.

Postcodes: ST16, ST17, ST18
Area: Staffordshire
Nearest towns: Rugeley (8 miles), Cannock (9 miles), Great Wyrley (11 miles), Newport (Shropshire) (11 miles)
Pricing: West Midlands, in line with our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Stafford: Rugeley, Cannock, Great Wyrley, Newport (Shropshire), Burntwood.

Your questions answered

What is the price of a tar and chip driveway in Stafford?

As a 2026 guide in Stafford, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £45–£75 per m² including VAT, so a 200 m² drive is roughly £8,550–£14,250. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

What approvals apply in Stafford?

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).

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Stafford?

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.

How long will the work take at my Stafford property?

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

Other work in Stafford

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