Tar and chip driveways in Calne

How much should I budget in Calne?

Local guide rates for Calne (the South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£46–£77 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,300–£3,850
Example: 100 m² drive	£4,650–£7,700
Example: 200 m² drive	£8,800–£14,700

As a 2026 guide in Calne, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is roughly £2,300–£3,850. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Where we work in and around Calne

What applies in Calne. Smaller towns such as Calne are surveyed alongside nearby jobs in Wiltshire.

Postcodes: SN11
Area: Wiltshire
Nearest towns: Chippenham (5 miles), Devizes (6 miles), Melksham (7 miles), Trowbridge (12 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in Chippenham, Devizes, Melksham, Trowbridge, Swindon.

The build-up we price

Rules that apply in Calne

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. If the job needs a dropped kerb, the highway authority (the county or unitary council) approves it before any work on the footway.

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
Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
Hot bitumen or emulsion sprayed evenly
Chippings spread straight onto the binder
Rolled to bed the stones in

Calne: common questions

How long does a tar and chip driveway take in Calne?

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

What approvals apply in Calne?

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).

Do you cover all of Calne?

We cover Calne including SN11, and nearby Chippenham, Devizes, Melksham.

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

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.

Other work in Calne

Tell us what you have in mind for Calne and we'll book a survey and put the specification in writing.