Tarmac paths and footpaths in Atherton

How much should I budget in Atherton?

Local guide rates for Atherton (the North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tarmac garden path or footpath, hand-laid	£53–£87 per m²
Example: 10 m² path	£640–£1,050
Example: 20 m² path	£1,150–£1,900
Example: 40 m² path	£2,150–£3,500

As a 2026 guide in Atherton, tarmac path work runs at about £53–£87 per m² including VAT, so a 40 m² path is roughly £2,150–£3,500. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Do I need permission in Atherton?

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.

What is included in 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
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

Where we work in and around Atherton

The key facts for Atherton. We cover Atherton by grouping surveys with nearby Greater Manchester jobs; Manchester is 11 miles away.

Postcodes: M46
Area: Greater Manchester
Nearest towns: Tyldesley (1 mile), Westhoughton (2 miles), Leigh (2 miles), Hindley (4 miles)
Pricing: North West, about 3% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

Close to Atherton: Tyldesley, Westhoughton, Leigh, Hindley, Walkden.

Layer by layer

Atherton: common questions

Do you work in my part of Atherton?

We cover Atherton including M46, and nearby Tyldesley, Westhoughton, Leigh.

Tarmac path cost in Atherton: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Atherton, tarmac path work runs at about £53–£87 per m² including VAT, so a 40 m² path is roughly £2,150–£3,500. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Are there planning or highway rules in Atherton?

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 tarmac path take in Atherton?

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

Other work in Atherton

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