How much does a tarmac driveway cost?
Published figures vary from about £35 to over £100 per square metre. That gap is not regional variation — it is quotes describing different work.
Short answer
Budget roughly £35–£85 per square metre fully installed. Resurfacing over a sound base sits near the bottom; full excavation with a new sub-base, edgings and drainage sits near the top. A typical 50m² driveway therefore lands somewhere between about £1,750 and £4,250.
Why the published ranges disagree
Search for this and you will find national cost guides quoting anything from £40 to over £100 per square metre. Both numbers can be accurate, because they are describing different jobs.
The cheap end almost always means laying new material over an existing, sound base. No excavation, no spoil to cart away, no new sub-base. The expensive end means digging out 250mm of ground, carting it away, laying and compacting a sub-base, setting edgings on concrete and dealing with where the water goes.
When you compare two quotes that differ by 40%, the first thing to check is not the contractor. It is whether both are pricing the same job.
What you are actually paying for
| Element | Share of a typical new driveway |
|---|---|
| Excavation and disposal of spoil | Substantial — tipping charges are a real cost |
| Sub-base material and compaction | Significant, and the part that decides longevity |
| Edgings and haunching | Modest, but a drive without them spreads at the edges |
| Binder and surface course | Less than most people assume |
| Drainage or soakaway | Varies — sometimes nothing, sometimes a day's work |
| Plant, delivery and labour | Fixed, which is why small drives cost more per m² |
The visible black surface is the cheapest part of a driveway. That is why a quote that is much lower than the others is usually not cheaper — it is smaller.
Rough figures by size
| Driveway | Approximate area | Indicative range, full installation |
|---|---|---|
| Single car | 20m² | £700–£1,700 |
| Two cars | 40–50m² | £1,400–£4,250 |
| Large or multiple vehicles | 100m² | £3,500–£8,500 |
Smaller driveways sit higher per square metre because the crew, the plant and the delivery cost much the same whether they cover 20m² or 60m². [Replace with Cooper Jackson's own ranges once confirmed]
What pushes a price up
- Ground conditions. Soft or wet ground means digging deeper and importing more stone.
- Access. If a lorry cannot get close, material is barrowed, which is slow.
- Slope and levels. Falls have to work against thresholds, airbricks and the pavement.
- Drainage. Where run-off has nowhere to go, a soakaway or channel is needed.
- Removal of an existing surface. Concrete is considerably more expensive to break out than tarmac.
- Region. London and the South East typically run 10–20% above the Midlands and the North.
- Colour. Red and other coloured finishes usually add 10–20% to the surface course.
Questions to ask before accepting a quote
- How deep are you excavating, and what is going back in?
- What depth of sub-base, and is it compacted with a roller?
- What depth of binder and surface course?
- Are edgings included, and are they set on concrete?
- Where does the rainwater go?
- Is spoil removal and tipping in the price?
- Is VAT included?
A contractor who can answer those without hesitating is pricing a specification. One who cannot is pricing a hunch.
Do you need planning permission?
Usually not. In England, permission is only required where a new or replacement driveway over five square metres drains directly onto the public road. Using a permeable surface, or directing run-off to a soakaway or a border within your property, avoids it. A dropped kerb is a separate application to the local authority.
Is tarmac cheaper than the alternatives?
Generally yes. Block paving typically runs well above tarmac per square metre, and resin-bound higher again. Tarmac's trade-off is appearance and repairability: you get a continuous surface laid in a day or two, which can be patched but not lifted and reset the way block paving can.
Related reading and services
Want a fixed price for your driveway?
Send a photo and the rough dimensions. Most driveways can be priced without a visit.