Tarmac paths and footpaths in Folkestone

How much should I budget in Folkestone?

Local guide rates for Folkestone (the South East, 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 Folkestone, tarmac path work runs at about £61–£99 per m² including VAT, so a 40 m² path is roughly £2,400–£3,950. 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
Excavation to about 150–180 mm with spoil removed
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

Layer by layer

Rules that apply in Folkestone

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.

Where we work in and around Folkestone

Survey cover and pricing for Folkestone. Folkestone sits 31 miles from Maidstone, within our regular Kent cover.

Postcodes: CT20, CT19, CT18, CT21
Area: Kent
Nearest towns: Dover (7 miles), Ashford (Kent) (13 miles), Deal (14 miles), Canterbury (14 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Dover, Ashford (Kent), Deal, Canterbury, Faversham.

Your questions answered

Do I need permission for a tarmac path in Folkestone?

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 Folkestone?

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

Can I get a free survey in Folkestone?

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.

Which Folkestone postcodes do you cover?

We cover Folkestone including CT20, CT19, CT18, CT21, and nearby Dover, Ashford (Kent), Deal.

More we do in Folkestone

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