New Driveway Checklist

A new driveway is one of the most impactful changes you can make to a property’s kerb appeal and practical usability, but it also involves planning rules, drainage obligations, and contractor decisions that catch homeowners off guard. Getting the groundwork right before a single spade goes in is what separates a driveway that performs well for 15–25 years from one that cracks, floods, or falls foul of enforcement action.

A new driveway in the UK in 2026 can cost from under £2,000 for a modest gravel or tarmac drive (40 m² of tarmac is about £1,600–£2,800 on the rates below) to £12,000 or more for a large block paving or resin-bound installation with kerbs and drainage works. This checklist covers every stage of the planning and installation process.

Step 1: Check Whether You Need Planning Permission

In England, front driveways are subject to specific planning rules that came into force on 1 October 2008 and now sit in Class F of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.¹ The key principle: if the surface is permeable, or rainwater from it is directed to a lawn, border or soakaway on your own land, no planning permission is needed; a front hard surface of more than 5 square metres that does neither needs planning permission.²

Permitted development applies if you are:

• Installing a new hard surface of any size at the front of your house, and
• The surface allows rainwater to drain through it (permeable block paving, gravel, resin-bound with permeable base) or surface water is directed to a lawn, border, or soakaway, not to the public highway or sewer

If your proposed surface is impermeable (standard tarmac, concrete, standard block paving with jointed mortar), covers more than 5 square metres, and its water is not directed to a permeable area within your property, you will need planning permission.²

For rear driveways or drives not serving the principal elevation, different rules may apply, check with your local planning authority if unsure.

Step 2: Understand SuDS and Drainage Requirements

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are designed to manage surface water at source rather than discharging it to the public sewer, reducing flood risk and pollution. For new driveways, your SuDS obligations depend on the type of surface:

• Permeable surfaces (permeable block paving, gravel, resin-bound with open-grade base): water drains through the surface and into the sub-base, filtering naturally, these inherently comply
• Impermeable surfaces with a soakaway: water runs off the surface into a drainage channel, then into a soakaway (a rubble-filled pit or plastic crate system) in the garden, this also complies if the soakaway is properly designed
• Running water onto a lawn or border: acceptable if the volume is manageable and there is no risk of flooding neighbours or the highway
• Running to the public highway or sewer: not permitted without planning consent

A drainage contractor or civil engineer can assess your soil type (drainage rates vary hugely, clay drains slowly, sandy soils quickly) and size a soakaway appropriately. Soakaway installation costs depend on the depth and capacity needed and on the ground, so ask for the soakaway to be priced as its own line in the quote.

Step 3: Choose Your Material

The cited prices in this table were published in 2024 and brought to 2026. What that means.

Tarmac is generally the most cost-effective hard surface; block paving and resin bound cost more but offer better aesthetics and, in the case of resin bound, inherent permeability.

For a typical 40m² driveway, indicative total costs: tarmac £1,600–£2,800; block paving £3,200–£4,800; resin bound £2,800–£4,400.

Step 4: Plan the Layout and Levels

Before contacting contractors, think through:

• Size and shape: measure the area accurately. Allow for turning space if needed, can you currently manoeuvre safely onto the drive?
• Levels: does the existing ground slope towards the house? Surface water must fall away from the building. Where a drive has to slope towards the house, government guidance is to fit a drainage channel to collect the water before it reaches the building.¹
• Edge restraints: all loose or semi-rigid surfaces need haunched concrete edging or similar restraints to prevent spread. Factor this into the quote.
• Existing surfaces: if there is an existing drive, the cost of breaking it out and taking the old material away will be added, and on an old concrete drive this can be a significant line in the quote.
• Dropped kerb: if you do not have an existing dropped kerb, you will need one before vehicles can use the drive legally. This requires approval from the local highway authority, which charges a non-refundable application fee (about £180–£300 at the councils we checked) and then builds the crossing or has its approved contractor do it; published council prices for the construction run from about £1,575 to £3,050.

Step 5: Get Quotes and Evaluate Contractors

Getting at least three quotes is strongly recommended for any driveway project over £1,500. When requesting quotes:

• Ask for a written itemised quote (not a verbal price or a single-line estimate)
• Confirm what the quote includes: excavation, sub-base, surface material, edging, drainage, waste removal, and any site reinstatement
• Check the specification: what depth of sub-base? What grade of material? MOT Type 1 sub-base, commonly 100–150mm deep, is the usual base for a conventional drive, but a permeable drive needs an open-graded stone sub-base instead, because Type 1 holds too much fine material to let water through¹
• Ask to see previous work: request two or three completed examples you can view in person or by photograph
• Check for reviews: Google and Checkatrade reviews from the last 12 months are more reliable than those from 3+ years ago
• Confirm waste disposal: spoil, concrete, and old asphalt must be disposed of at a licensed facility. Ask if this is included or if you will receive a waste transfer note

Step 6: Contractor Checks

A trader must register for VAT once taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes over £90,000, so a smaller firm may quite properly charge no VAT.⁵

Step 7: Driveway Checklist Summary

Use this list to track progress through your project:

• Measured the area and sketched the layout
• Checked whether planning permission is required (surface type and drainage)
• Confirmed whether a dropped kerb exists or needs to be applied for
• Assessed drainage options (permeable surface, soakaway, or surface run-off to garden)
• Chosen material and confirmed it meets SuDS/planning requirements
• Obtained at least three written, itemised quotes
• Checked contractor reviews, insurance, and VAT registration
• Confirmed the specification (sub-base depth, material grade, edging type)
• Signed a written contract with payment schedule
• Agreed completion date and access arrangements

Timescales

Most standard driveways, up to around 60m², can be completed in 2–4 days once the contractor is on site. Allow 2–4 weeks for scheduling after accepting a quote. Planning permission, if required, adds at least two months: a householder application should normally be decided within 8 weeks of submission.¹ A dropped kerb application can also take several weeks, so check your highway authority’s stated timescale.

Start the process earlier than you think you need to, good driveway contractors book up fast, especially in spring and early summer.