Key Takeaways
- A new driveway costs roughly £50 to £150 per m² installed in London depending on material, from gravel at £50 to £70 to block paving at £80 to £150 (Checkatrade, MyBuilder and MyJobQuote, 2026).
- Gravel is cheapest, then tarmac, with block paving and resin at the higher end.
- Front gardens over 5 m² paved in non-permeable material need planning permission unless drainage is provided.
- A single 18 m² space runs about £900 to £2,700 and a two-car frontage £1,750 to £5,250, before the dropped kerb, drainage and removing an old surface.
- A dropped kerb is a separate job: roughly £1,800 to £2,500 plus a council application fee of £100 to £350.
- Excavation, sub-base and drainage are commonly 30 to 40% of the total, and are what separate a good driveway from a failing one.
- A neat off-street parking space adds real kerb appeal and convenience.
Off-street parking is one of the most useful things you can add to a London home. This guide covers what a new driveway costs in 2026 by material and by size, the SuDS drainage rules that decide whether you need planning permission, what a dropped kerb costs, and how to choose between block paving, resin, tarmac, concrete and gravel.
How much does a driveway cost in London?
A new driveway in London typically costs £50 to £150 per square metre installed depending on the material, according to Checkatrade, MyBuilder and MyJobQuote. That puts a single 18 m² space at about £900 to £2,700 and a two-car frontage at £1,750 to £5,250, before the dropped kerb, drainage runs and breaking out an old surface, which can add several thousand pounds more.
| Material | London cost per m² (installed) | Permeable? | Life and upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | £50 to £70 | Yes | Indefinite, top up every few years, rake weeds |
| Tarmac | £50 to £90 | No, unless porous asphalt | 15 to 20 years, reseal periodically |
| Concrete (in situ or imprinted) | £60 to £120 | No | 25 years+, reseal imprinted every 3 to 5 years |
| Block paving | £80 to £150 | Only permeable block systems | 20 to 25 years, re-sand joints, weed control |
| Resin-bound | £90 to £150 | Yes | 15 to 25 years, jet wash occasionally |
National figures sit below these. Best Builders' 2026 guide gives gravel at £25 to £50 per m², tarmac £45 to £75, block paving £75 to £140 and resin-bound £60 to £90. London labour, restricted access and higher tipping charges explain most of the gap.
What will yours cost by size?
Area drives the total more than the surface you pick. A single London off-street space is usually 15 to 20 m², a two-car frontage 30 to 40 m², and a wide double with turning space 45 to 60 m².
| Size | Gravel | Tarmac | Block paving | Resin-bound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single space, 18 m² | £900 to £1,300 | £900 to £1,600 | £1,450 to £2,700 | £1,600 to £2,700 |
| Two cars, 35 m² | £1,750 to £2,450 | £1,750 to £3,150 | £2,800 to £5,250 | £3,150 to £5,250 |
| Wide double, 55 m² | £2,750 to £3,850 | £2,750 to £4,950 | £4,400 to £8,250 | £4,950 to £8,250 |
Materials compared
- Gravel: cheapest and naturally permeable, so it sidesteps the planning rule below. Loose, needs occasional topping up, and best laid over a stabilising grid so it stays put and does not migrate onto the pavement.
- Tarmac: economical and fast to lay, with a clean, quiet finish. Standard tarmac is not permeable, so it needs a drainage strategy. Porous asphalt exists but is a specialist product.
- Concrete: the longest-lived surface if laid with proper movement joints and reinforcement. Pattern-imprinted concrete is a sealed, impermeable slab, and once it cracks it is hard to repair invisibly.
- Block paving: smart, hard-wearing and repairable unit by unit, which matters when a utility company digs up your drive. Standard blocks are impermeable; permeable block systems with wider joints solve that.
- Resin-bound: seamless, permeable and low-maintenance. Note the difference from resin-bonded, which is loose stone scattered onto a resin layer and is neither permeable nor as durable.
What is under the surface?
The sub-base is where a driveway succeeds or fails, and it is typically 30 to 40% of the total cost. On a domestic drive you are excavating 200mm to 300mm, carting the spoil away, then compacting a sub-base in layers before anything visible is laid.
| Element | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation and muck away | £400 to £900 | 200mm to 300mm dig, skip or grab lorry |
| Sub-base, MOT Type 1 | £450 to £750 | 150mm compacted, for impermeable surfaces |
| Permeable sub-base, clean stone | £500 to £1,200 | Required for a SuDS-compliant build-up |
| Excavation and sub-base combined | £15 to £30 per m² | Rule of thumb on a straightforward site |
| Removing an existing drive | £20 to £40 per m² | Concrete and reinforced slabs at the top end |
Two London problems live down here. Made ground and old cellar backfill turn up regularly on Victorian frontages and need digging deeper. And excavating near mature street trees on London clay needs care, particularly where there is any history of subsidence. If a tree preservation order applies, you need consent before going near the root zone.
Planning and drainage: the SuDS rule
This is the rule that catches people out: paving a front garden of more than 5 square metres in a non-permeable material needs planning permission, unless the water drains to a permeable area within your property. Permeable options such as gravel, permeable block paving and resin-bound surfaces usually avoid this, which is why they are recommended. On an impermeable surface, falls to a soakaway or planted area inside the boundary are what keep it compliant and keep water off the highway.
The Planning Portal sets out three ways to stay within permitted development, and you only need one of them:
- Use a permeable or porous surface over a permeable sub-base, so rainwater soaks away where it falls. Gravel, porous asphalt, permeable block paving and resin-bound all qualify.
- Fall the surface to a lawn, border or soakaway within your own boundary, so nothing discharges to the highway.
- Keep the paved area to 5 m² or less, which in practice is smaller than a single parking space.
Three caveats matter in London. These rights apply to houses only, not flats, maisonettes or converted properties, so a flat owner needs permission for any front garden paving. Where an Article 4 direction is in force the paving right may have been removed. Conservation area status alone does not remove it, but front boundary walls and railings are often protected there, and a listed house needs listed building consent for works that affect its character, including its front boundary. And draining surface water onto the public highway is an offence whatever the size of the paving, so a soakaway or permeable build-up is not optional on a sloping frontage.
Source: Planning Portal, paving your front garden guidance, and gov.uk permeable surfacing guidance, 2026.Do you need a dropped kerb?
Yes, if there is not already one, and it is a separate job from the driveway with a separate approval. Driving over an unmodified kerb is an offence and boroughs do enforce it. Expect £1,800 to £2,500 for construction of a standard residential crossover, plus a non-refundable council application fee of £100 to £350 and an inspection charge of around £120. London sits at the top of the national range.
Published borough figures give a sense of the spread: Royal Greenwich lists a residential crossover at £1,791 plus a £125 non-refundable inspection fee, while Enfield publishes a £301 application fee with construction charged per square metre. Many boroughs insist the crossover is built by their own approved contractor, so you cannot simply have your driveway installer do it.
Applications are commonly refused where the frontage is too shallow to park clear of the footway, where the crossing sits too close to a junction or bus stop, on a classified road, or where a street tree, lamp column or utility chamber is in the way. Allow 8 to 12 weeks from application to construction, and apply before you commit to a driveway date.
Source: Checkatrade and MyJobQuote dropped kerb cost guides, plus published London borough crossover fees, 2026.How long does it take?
A typical domestic driveway takes 3 to 7 days. Day one is excavation and muck away, days two and three the sub-base, edgings and drainage, and the rest is laying and finishing. Resin-bound cures within hours. Block paving takes longer to set out and needs jointing sand and compaction at the end. Fresh tarmac wants a few days before heavy standing loads, and concrete a week before you park on it.
Plan for no vehicle access throughout, a skip or grab lorry on the road, and a parking suspension in most inner London boroughs. Rain stops resin work outright, since the surface must be dry when it is laid.
What is often left out of a quote?
Driveway quotes vary far more in what they exclude than in the rate per square metre. Check for:
- Breaking out and disposing of the existing surface, and skip or grab lorry hire.
- The dropped kerb, its application fee and any highway works.
- Drainage: aco channels, soakaways, gullies and connection details.
- Edgings and kerbs, which are a separate line and add up on a long frontage.
- Raising or lowering manhole covers and utility chambers to the new level.
- Parking suspensions, permits and any footway crossing licence.
- Steps, level changes, retaining walls and reinstating planting or the front boundary wall.
Check the sub-base depth is specified in writing. Our guide to choosing a builder in London covers what a proper quote looks like, and a written renovation contract should fix the price and programme.
Does it add value?
In London, where on-street parking is scarce and expensive, off-street parking is a real asset that adds convenience and kerb appeal. The best return comes from a tidy, well-drained driveway that suits the house, not the most expensive surface. Keeping some planting and a permeable surface also avoids the bleak, fully paved frontage that puts buyers off.
If the front garden is being redone at the same time, price garden landscaping costs alongside the driveway. Where a new driveway is part of a wider project, GS Renovation can coordinate a specialist driveway contractor within the programme of a full home renovation across London. The crossover itself is often built by the council's own approved contractor. For a free quote, contact us or call 07472 424 226.