Tarmac paths and footpaths in Dorchester

How much should I budget in Dorchester?

For Dorchester, we apply the South West rate, about 3% above our UK midpoint. Your survey turns these ranges into a fixed price.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tarmac garden path or footpath, hand-laid	£57–£93 per m²
Example: 10 m² path	£680–£1,100
Example: 20 m² path	£1,250–£2,050
Example: 40 m² path	£2,250–£3,700

As a 2026 guide in Dorchester, tarmac path work runs at about £57–£93 per m² including VAT, so a 40 m² path is roughly £2,250–£3,700. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Dorchester

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.

Covering Dorchester

What applies in Dorchester. Dorchester is covered on our Dorset rounds, 24 miles from Bournemouth.

Postcodes: DT1, DT2
Area: Dorset
Nearest towns: Weymouth (7 miles), Poole (20 miles), Wimborne Minster (20 miles), Ferndown (24 miles)
Pricing: South West, about 3% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Dorchester: Weymouth, Poole, Wimborne Minster, Ferndown, Bournemouth.

What is included in a tarmac path?

A tarmac path is a lighter version of a drive build: a compacted stone base of around 100 mm, a binder course and a fine surface course, laid by hand and held in by timber edging, kerbs or blocks.

Path set out to the line and width you want
Excavation to about 150–180 mm with spoil removed
MOT Type 1 base, about 100 mm, compacted
Binder and surface course laid hot by hand and rolled
Gentle cross-fall so water runs off to the border

The build-up we price

Questions about tarmac paths in Dorchester

Are there planning or highway rules in Dorchester?

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).

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

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.

Do you work in my part of Dorchester?

We cover Dorchester including DT1, DT2, and nearby Weymouth, Poole, Wimborne Minster.

How much does a tarmac path cost in Dorchester?

As a 2026 guide in Dorchester, tarmac path work runs at about £57–£93 per m² including VAT, so a 40 m² path is roughly £2,250–£3,700. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Also in Dorchester

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