Cost guide
How much do driveways cost?
£2,500 to £5,000 buys a 60 square metre driveway in tarmac or resin during 2026, while concrete and block paving reach £8,000 at the same size. Site preparation adds £750 to £1,500 and taking up the old surface adds £500 to £2,000.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Gravel, 60 square metres | £2,100 to £4,800 |
| Tarmac, 60 square metres | £2,500 to £5,000 |
| Resin bound, 60 square metres | £2,500 to £5,000 |
| Concrete, 60 square metres | £5,500 to £8,000 |
| Block paving, 60 square metres | £2,500 to £8,000 |
| Dropped kerb, council fee and crossing | £2,000 to £3,000 |
Excavation depth is where a keen price is found, because nobody can inspect it afterwards. Get the dig depth and the Type 1 thickness in writing, and check whether spoil removal and the dropped kerb sit inside the figure.
What moves the price
- Surface material, spanning tarmac at £45 per square metre to cobbles at £150.
- Subgrade condition, because clay and made ground need deeper excavation and a geotextile layer.
- Old driveway removal, charged at £20 to £50 per square metre plus tipping.
- Drainage, where a soakaway or linear channel adds £500 to £1,500.
- Dropped kerb works, £139 to £570 in council fees before the crossing itself is built.
Who quotes for it
3 of the 18 gardeners listed on this site take on driveways.
Most of them in one place: Shrewsbury (2), Telford (1).
Questions about driveways
How long does each driveway surface last?
Concrete and block paving commonly run 25 years or more with resanding and the occasional relaid patch. Tarmac gives 15 to 20 years before it wants a fresh wearing course. Gravel needs topping up every few years, though the base underneath lasts as long as any other.
Can a new driveway go over the old one?
Sometimes, for tarmac and resin, where the existing base is sound, drains properly and sits low enough to keep levels below the damp proof course. Overlaying a cracked or rutted slab transfers those cracks upwards within two years. Breaking out and carting away an old drive costs £20 to £50 per square metre.