Tar and chip driveways in the West Midlands

How much does a tar and chip driveway cost in the West Midlands?

Rates in the West Midlands follow 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

Towns we cover in the West Midlands

Postcode areas: B, CV, DY, WS, WV.

What is included?

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
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

Rules in the West Midlands

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).