Tarmac paths and footpaths in Canterbury

What does a tarmac path cost in Canterbury?

Guide prices below are for Canterbury, adjusted for the South East, where surfacing rates run about 10% above our UK midpoint.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tarmac garden path or footpath, hand-laid	£61–£99 per m²
Example: 10 m² path	£730–£1,200
Example: 20 m² path	£1,350–£2,200
Example: 40 m² path	£2,400–£3,950

As a 2026 guide in Canterbury, tarmac path work runs at about £61–£99 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² path is roughly £1,350–£2,200. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Rules that apply in Canterbury

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.

Layer by layer

What the price covers

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

Covering Canterbury

Survey cover and pricing for Canterbury. We reach Canterbury on our Kent survey days; Maidstone is 24 miles away.

Postcodes: CT1, CT2, CT4, CT3
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Whitstable (6 miles), Herne Bay (7 miles), Faversham (9 miles), Ashford (Kent) (13 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

We also cover nearby Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham, Ashford (Kent), Folkestone.

Your questions answered

Are there planning or highway rules in Canterbury?

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 Canterbury?

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

What is the price of a tarmac path in Canterbury?

As a 2026 guide in Canterbury, tarmac path work runs at about £61–£99 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² path is roughly £1,350–£2,200. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Which Canterbury postcodes do you cover?

We cover Canterbury including CT1, CT2, CT4, CT3, and nearby Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham.

Also in Canterbury

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