A new driveway in Birmingham and the West Midlands typically costs £35–£200 per m² for the surface, supplied and laid. Gravel is the cheapest, tarmac next, then resin, imprinted concrete and block paving, with natural stone at the top. Digging out what is there now, edgings and drainage come on top, so a typical two-car drive of about 30m² on an old lawn works out at roughly £1,900 for gravel up to £7,500 for natural stone.
These are the ranges our quote form uses. They are indicative, include taking waste away, and assume a sub-base built to take a car. The fixed price comes from the local specialist.
Driveway surfaces compared per m²
| Surface | Per m², laid | Typical life with care | Permeable as laid? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel (on a stabilising grid or compacted base) | £35–£60 | 10 years or more, topped up | Yes |
| Tarmac | £50–£80 | 15–20 years | No |
| Resin-bound aggregate | £75–£115 | 15–25 years | Yes |
| Imprinted concrete | £80–£120 | 15–20 years | No |
| Block paving | £90–£140 | 20–30 years | Only if laid as permeable paving |
| Natural stone setts or slabs | £120–£200 | 30 years or more | Only if jointed to drain |
| Not sure yet | £70–£130 | — | — |
The per-m² rate covers the new sub-base, the laying course and the surface. It does not cover taking up what is there now, which is priced separately below. For a closer look at the three most popular options, see block paving vs resin vs tarmac and the block paving vs resin cost guide.
Digging out the existing surface
Every new driveway needs the old surface taken up and the ground dug down to make room for a proper sub-base. How much that costs depends on what is there now.
| Existing surface | Excavation per m² |
|---|---|
| Gravel | £8–£14 |
| Lawn or soil | £10–£18 |
| Old decking | £10–£20 |
| Tarmac | £15–£25 |
| Block paving | £15–£25 |
| Paving slabs | £15–£25 |
| Concrete | £20–£35 |
| Anything else | £15–£30 |
Concrete costs the most because it has to be broken out and is heavy to take away. Where an old tarmac or concrete drive is sound and level, resin can sometimes be laid over it without digging out at all, at £55–£80 per m².
Edgings, drainage and the dropped kerb
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Edging kerbs to hold the surface in | £25–£45 per metre |
| Channel drain (for example across the garage or the gate) | £60–£100 per metre |
| Soakaway | £600–£1,200 |
| Dropped kerb | £1,200–£2,500, plus the council's fees |
| Minimum for any new surface | £1,500 |
Edgings go round the edge of block paving, resin, tarmac and gravel. Our estimates allow roughly four times the square root of the area as the edge length, so a 30m² drive has about 22m of edging.
Drainage. In England, a new or replaced front-garden hard surface over 5m² must be permeable or drain onto a permeable area in your garden. If not, it needs planning permission. Tarmac, imprinted concrete and block paving laid on a sealed base usually need a channel drain and a soakaway to comply. Resin-bound and gravel are normally permeable as laid. See the 5m² rule for front gardens and drainage and soakaways.
Dropped kerb. If there is no dropped kerb, you need the council's consent before you drive across the pavement. See the dropped kerb cost guide.
Prices for one, two and three-car driveways
These assume the drive is going onto an old lawn, with edgings all round and no drainage extras. A one-car drive is taken as about 15m², two cars about 30m² and three cars about 45m².
| Surface | 1 car (15m²) | 2 cars (30m²) | 3 cars (45m²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | £1,500–£1,870 | £1,900–£3,330 | £2,700–£4,720 |
| Tarmac | £1,500–£2,170 | £2,350–£3,930 | £3,370–£5,620 |
| Resin-bound | £1,660–£2,690 | £3,100–£4,980 | £4,500–£7,190 |
| Resin over a sound tarmac base | £1,500–£1,900 | £2,200–£3,390 | £3,150–£4,810 |
| Imprinted concrete | £1,740–£2,770 | £3,250–£5,130 | £4,720–£7,420 |
| Block paving | £1,890–£3,070 | £3,550–£5,730 | £5,170–£8,320 |
| Natural stone | £2,340–£3,970 | £4,450–£7,530 | £6,520–£11,020 |
Where the low end of the calculation falls under £1,500, the table shows the £1,500 minimum. Any job where the estimate goes over £8,000, or the drive is over 100m², is priced after a free survey rather than from a table.
Worked examples
Two-car block paved drive on an old lawn, 30m²
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Block paving, 30m² × £90 / £140 | £2,700 | £4,200 |
| Digging out lawn, 30m² × £10 / £18 | £300 | £540 |
| Edgings, about 22m × £25 / £45 | £550 | £990 |
| Total | about £3,550 | about £5,730 |
If the drive is at the front and the paving is not laid as permeable, add £600–£1,200 for a soakaway, taking the top of the range to about £6,930.
One-car tarmac drive replacing old concrete, 15m²
Tarmac at 15m² × £50–£80 is £750–£1,200. Breaking out concrete at 15m² × £20–£35 is £300–£525. Edgings of about 15.5m at £25–£45 add roughly £390–£700. The low end, about £1,440, is under the £1,500 minimum, so the range is about £1,500–£2,420. It is a front drive over 5m² and tarmac is not permeable, so expect a drainage channel or soakaway on top.
What pushes the price up or down
- Size. Larger drives cost less per m² because the machinery, skip and set-up are shared across more area.
- What is underneath. Soft clay, old foundations or buried rubble can mean digging deeper and adding more sub-base.
- Levels. A drive that slopes towards the house needs a channel drain. Steep drives, or ones with more than one level change, are priced after a survey.
- Access. No room for a mini digger adds about 20%. Access only through the house is always a survey.
- Pattern and borders. Herringbone block paving, contrasting borders and curves take more cutting than a plain stretcher bond.
- Manholes and inspection covers. Recessed covers that take the new surface cost more than a plain lid, but look far neater.
What is included
A fixed price should normally cover digging out and taking the spoil away, a membrane, a compacted sub-base, edgings, the surface itself, and making good at the boundaries. Ask for the sub-base depth in writing. Thin sub-bases are the main reason budget drives sink and crack: see why cheap driveways fail.
How to get a fixed price
- Measure your driveway: length and width to the nearest half metre is enough.
- Use the quote form to get an instant range for your surface and size.
- Add photos of the whole area, the pavement and kerb, any drains and the access for a digger.
- We pass your enquiry to one local driveway specialist, who confirms a fixed price or arranges a free visit.
Questions
What is the cheapest driveway surface?
Gravel, at about £35–£60 per m² laid on a proper base. Tarmac is the cheapest sealed surface at £50–£80 per m². Both still need digging out and edgings.
How much does a 2-car driveway cost?
On an old lawn with edgings, about £1,900–£3,330 in gravel, £2,350–£3,930 in tarmac, £3,100–£4,980 in resin and £3,550–£5,730 in block paving. A soakaway adds £600–£1,200 where one is needed.
Why is there a £1,500 minimum?
A new surface needs the same machinery, skip, sub-base delivery and crew whether the drive is 8m² or 18m². Below about £1,500 the job does not cover those fixed costs.
Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?
Not usually, if the surface is permeable or drains to a permeable area. A front-garden surface over 5m² that drains onto the road does need permission. See do I need planning permission for a driveway?
Does the price include the dropped kerb?
No. A dropped kerb is separate: about £1,200–£2,500 for the work plus the council's own fees, and only after the council has agreed it.
How long does a new driveway take?
Most one or two-car drives take two to five days, depending on the surface and how much digging there is. Resin and tarmac need a short time to cure before you park on them.