Tar and chip driveways in Worthing

Tar and chip driveway prices in Worthing

Local guide rates for Worthing (the South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£50–£82 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,500–£4,100
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,950–£8,250
Example: 200 m² drive	£9,400–£15,700

As a 2026 guide in Worthing, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £50–£82 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,950–£8,250. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Worthing

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).

Worthing: the local details

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

Postcodes: BN11, BN14, BN13, BN12
Area: West Sussex
Nearest towns: Lancing (2 miles), Shoreham-by-Sea (5 miles), Portslade (7 miles), Littlehampton (7 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Portslade, Littlehampton, Hove.

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
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

Worthing: common questions

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

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.

Are there planning or highway rules in Worthing?

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 Worthing?

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

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

As a 2026 guide in Worthing, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £50–£82 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,950–£8,250. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Other work in Worthing

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Worthing? Call, WhatsApp or use the form, and we'll talk it through.