Tarmac paths and footpaths in Chichester

How much should I budget in Chichester?

Guide prices below are for Chichester, 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 Chichester, tarmac path work runs at about £61–£99 per m² including VAT, so a 10 m² path is roughly £730–£1,200. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

What the price covers

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
Timber, kerb or block edging on both sides
Gentle cross-fall so water runs off to the border

Chichester: the local details

Chichester at a glance. We reach Chichester on our West Sussex survey days; Crawley is 32 miles away.

Postcodes: PO19, PO18, PO20
Area: West Sussex
Nearest towns: Bognor Regis (6 miles), Emsworth (7 miles), Hayling Island (9 miles), Havant (9 miles)
Pricing: South East, about 10% above our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: The highway authority

The same service is available in Bognor Regis, Emsworth, Hayling Island, Havant, Littlehampton.

Do I need permission in Chichester?

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.

Your questions answered

Tarmac path cost in Chichester: what should I budget?

As a 2026 guide in Chichester, tarmac path work runs at about £61–£99 per m² including VAT, so a 10 m² path is roughly £730–£1,200. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Do I need permission for a tarmac path in Chichester?

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 work in my part of Chichester?

We cover Chichester including PO19, PO18, PO20, and nearby Bognor Regis, Emsworth, Hayling Island.

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

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.

Also in Chichester

Ready for a price in Chichester? Use the guide price tool or send the form, and we'll arrange a visit.