Tar and chip driveways in Chippenham

How much should I budget in Chippenham?

Local guide rates for Chippenham (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 Chippenham, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,650–£7,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

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.

Base prepared: new MOT Type 1 sub-base, or an existing sound tarmac or stone base
Edges set with kerbs, setts or cobbles
Chippings spread straight onto the binder
Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Planning and kerb rules for Chippenham

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).

Layer by layer

Chippenham: the local details

Survey cover and pricing for Chippenham. Chippenham is 16 miles from Swindon, and we survey there as part of Wiltshire cover.

Postcodes: SN15, SN14, SN13
Area: Wiltshire
Nearest towns: Calne (5 miles), Melksham (6 miles), Devizes (9 miles), Trowbridge (10 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Chippenham: Calne, Melksham, Devizes, Trowbridge, Bath.

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Chippenham

How much does a tar and chip driveway cost in Chippenham?

As a 2026 guide in Chippenham, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £46–£77 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £4,650–£7,700. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Chippenham?

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 Chippenham?

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

Is the survey in Chippenham 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.

More we do in Chippenham

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