Tarmac paths and footpaths in Cambridge

What does a tarmac path cost in Cambridge?

Guide prices below are for Cambridge, adjusted for the East of England, where surfacing rates run about 5% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tarmac garden path or footpath, hand-laid	£58–£94 per m²
Example: 10 m² path	£690–£1,150
Example: 20 m² path	£1,250–£2,100
Example: 40 m² path	£2,300–£3,800

As a 2026 guide in Cambridge, tarmac path work runs at about £58–£94 per m² including VAT, so a 10 m² path is roughly £690–£1,150. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What we do on a tarmac path

Garden paths, side passages and footpaths in hot-laid tarmac, edged with timber, kerbs or blocks.

Path set out to the line and width you want
MOT Type 1 base, about 100 mm, compacted
Timber, kerb or block edging on both sides
Binder and surface course laid hot by hand and rolled
Gentle cross-fall so water runs off to the border

Where we work in and around Cambridge

Survey cover and pricing for Cambridge. Cambridge is one of the bigger places we cover in Cambridgeshire, so survey slots come round regularly.

Postcodes: CB2, CB1, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB22, CB24
Area: Cambridgeshire
Nearest towns: St Ives (12 miles), Ely (15 miles), Huntingdon (16 miles), St Neots (16 miles)
Pricing: East of England, about 5% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Nearby, we work in St Ives, Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots, March.

Do I need permission in Cambridge?

Repairs, paths and edging work rarely need planning permission. 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.

Questions about tarmac paths in Cambridge

What approvals apply in Cambridge?

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 Cambridge?

We cover Cambridge including CB2, CB1, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB22, and nearby St Ives, Ely, Huntingdon.

Tarmac path cost in Cambridge: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Cambridge, tarmac path work runs at about £58–£94 per m² including VAT, so a 10 m² path is roughly £690–£1,150. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

How quickly can work start in Cambridge?

Often 1–2 days. We book Cambridge surveys alongside other jobs in Cambridgeshire, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

Other work in Cambridge

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