The Short Answer
On our estimates, a new two-car driveway of about 50m² costs £4,000 to £6,500 in block paving, dug out and laid on a new sub-base. Gravel is the cheapest at £2,250 to £3,750; tarmac £3,000 to £5,000; resin bound £3,750 to £6,300. Laying takes from one to two days for gravel to four to six for block paving, plus any extra groundwork.
What moves the price most: how much has to be dug out, the sub-base, and drainage. In a front garden, a solid drive over 5m² must drain onto your own land or it needs planning permission. If you need a dropped kerb, that's another £1,200 to £3,000 through the council.
Driveway cost calculator
Priced per square metre for a full new drive, plus the drainage and dropped kerb that quotes often leave out.
Estimated total
£5,150 to £8,500
| Block paving, 50m², dug out with a new sub-base and edging | £4,000 to £6,500 |
| Skips or grab lorry for the dig-out | £450 to £700 |
| Drainage to keep rainwater on your land (soakaway or channel) | £700 to £1,300 |
Driveway prices by surface
| Surface | Per m² | 20m² (one car) | 50m² (two cars) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | £45 to £75 | £900 to £1,500 | £2,250 to £3,750 |
| Tarmac | £60 to £100 | £1,200 to £2,000 | £3,000 to £5,000 |
| Block paving | £80 to £130 | £1,600 to £2,600 | £4,000 to £6,500 |
| Resin bound | £75 to £130 | £1,500 to £2,500 | £3,750 to £6,300 |
| Plain concrete | £75 to £120 | £1,500 to £2,400 | £3,750 to £6,000 |
| Imprinted concrete | £95 to £130 | £1,900 to £2,600 | £4,750 to £6,500 |
Which surface?
| Good for | Watch out for | Laying time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | Cheapest; permeable | Scatters and forms waves; not for steep drives or wheelchairs | one to two days |
| Tarmac | The cheapest hard surface after gravel | Not permeable unless it's porous asphalt, which needs a specialist | two to three days |
| Block paving | Blocks can be lifted and relaid | Weeds in the joints if dirt builds up | four to six days |
| Resin bound | Smooth and permeable | Only as good as the base under it | three to five days |
| Plain or imprinted concrete | Plain, or patterned (imprinted) | Needs crack control joints; imprinted needs resealing every few years | three to six days |
What goes under a good driveway
The government's guidance on paving front gardens describes the build-up:
- about 200mm to 250mm of construction in all, dug out to firm ground (any soft patches dug out and refilled);
- a geotextile membrane over the soil, which stops the sub-base sinking and helps keep weeds down;
- about 150mm of compacted sub-base, then the surface;
- a fall away from the house where possible, or a drainage channel if the drive falls towards it, and never draining onto a neighbour.
Concrete and resin also need dry, mild weather to cure, so late spring and early autumn are the easiest times to lay them. I'd ask every installer to put the dig-out depth and sub-base thickness in writing.
Do you need planning permission for a driveway?
For a house in England, two rules decide it:
- The surface (front gardens): a new or replacement hard surface between the house and the road that covers more than 5m² must either be porous or drain to a lawn, border or soakaway within your property. If it does, it's permitted development. Back gardens aren't restricted in the same way.
- The access: a new access onto an unclassified road is permitted development when it serves a permitted drive. Onto an A, B or other classified road, it needs planning permission.
Do I need planning permission for my driveway?
Checks the two planning rules that catch most driveways in England. Separately, a dropped kerb always needs the council's approval as highway authority.
You'll probably need planning permission
- A front driveway over 5m² that's neither porous nor drained onto your own land needs planning permission. Make it porous (gravel, resin bound, permeable blocks) or run the water to a lawn, border or soakaway and it doesn't.
Either way, crossing the pavement needs a dropped kerb approved by the council.
A dropped kerb is separate again: the council, as highway authority, has to approve it whatever the planning position. See dropped kerb costs.
Costs quotes leave out
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Dropped kerb (council or approved contractor) | £1,200 to £3,000 |
| Soakaway for a solid front drive | £700 to £1,300 |
| Channel drain, per metre | £60 to £120 |
| Removing a front boundary wall | £400 to £900 |
| Permeable blocks instead of standard, extra per m² | £15 to £30 |
The government's guidance says casual contractors who knock on your door shouldn't be used for permeable drives, and Trading Standards advise never buying from a trader on your doorstep. Get written quotes from at least three firms that say the area, depths, drainage and whether VAT is included.
Why other prices disagree
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Driveways are priced by area, surface and how much has to be dug out.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a new driveway cost?
On our estimates, about £4,000 to £6,500 for a 50m² two-car drive in block paving, or £2,250 to £3,750 in gravel, dug out and laid on a new sub-base.
How much would a 20x20 driveway cost?
A 20ft by 20ft drive is about 37m², so roughly £1,650 to £2,800 in gravel or £2,950 to £4,800 in block paving, on our estimates.
What's the cheapest option for a driveway?
Gravel, at about £45 to £75 per m² including edging and sub-base. Tarmac is next at £60 to £100.
Do I need planning permission to put in a driveway?
Not usually, if it's porous or drains onto your own land. In a front garden, a solid drive over 5m² that drains to the road needs planning permission, and a new access onto a classified road always does.
Do I need permission for a dropped kerb?
Yes. The council, as highway authority, has to approve any vehicle crossing over the pavement.
How long does a new driveway take?
From one to two days for gravel to four to six for block paving, plus extra days if there's a lot of groundwork.
How we priced thisView sources (19, 7 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialThe Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 (gates, fences, walls; means of access), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialHighways Act 1980, section 184: vehicle crossings over footways and verges, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialGuidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens (September 2008), Department for Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK). Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialDoorstep callers (Trading Standards), Nottinghamshire County Council. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialBefore you get work done on your home (England), Citizens Advice. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideNew driveway cost guide, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryCosts for a new driveway in the UK, Federation of Master Builders. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideBlock paving driveway cost guide, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideResin driveway cost, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideTarmac driveway cost, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideGravel driveway cost guide, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideImprinted concrete driveway cost, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideConcrete driveway cost, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryResin bound paving FAQ, SureSet. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryHow to clean block paving driveways, Marshalls. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideSoakaway installation cost guide, MyJobQuote. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideHow much does a dropped kerb cost?, MyJobQuote. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialDropped kerbs: definition and requirements, Manchester City Council. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
