New Driveway Cost

Thinking of having a driveway added to the front of your property? Whether you want to replace your current space (e.g. grass space) or an existing driveway, you’ll want to know how much it may cost in your particular case.

A well-designed and well-built driveway can add functionality to your home, along with aesthetic value and curb appeal. It can also increase your property’s resale value.

When considering adding a new driveway, it’s essential that you’re aware of the many factors that can shape the cost.

In the following guide, we’ll look at the key cost factors that can influence the price of a new driveway, helping you make an informed decision ahead of what is a substantial home improvement project. Let’s go!

How Much is a New Driveway?

A driveway is a small area that acts as an entryway from the main road into the front of a property so that household members and visitors can park their cars on the property. This may come in the form of a paved area or ‘short road’, depending on your definition.

There are many driveway ideas you may want to focus your attention on, so it’s worth considering a wide range of aspects before deciding what driveway is right for you and your home. But, to start things off, how much does a new driveway cost?

Beginning with tarmac drives, for a 30m² installation, it will likely cost around £1,300 to £3,200, with prices reaching £2,500 to £5,000 for an average 60m² driveway or £4,000 to £7,500 for a 90m² driveway made of tarmac.

Next, we have concrete. In this case, a 30m² driveway will probably set you back about £2,500 to £4,000, or £5,500 to £8,000 if you’re looking for a 60m² concrete drive or £8,300 to £12,000 for a 90m² concrete driveway.

If you’d rather have a gravel driveway, you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of £1,000 to £2,500 for a 30m² driveway, £2,100 to £4,800 for a 60m² driveway or £3,200 to £7,100 for a 90m² driveway.

As for resin drives, these tend to cost approximately £1,200 to £2,000 for a 30m² drive, £2,500 to £5,000 for a 60m² drive, £4,500 to £7,000 for a 90m² drive.

Lastly, those interested in a block paving drive, will need to pay about £1,200 to £4,000 for a 30m² driveway, £2,500 to £8,000 for a 60m² driveway or £3,800 to £12,000 if you’d like a 90m² block paving driveway.

New Driveway Prices

As you can tell, the size and type of driveway are key cost factors. Of course, there are other factors to consider, but we’ll look at those later. First, here is a summary of the prices mentioned above.

Cost By Size and Type of Driveway

Supply Only Costs

The overall cost of having a new driveway installed will comprise primarily of the price of labour and supply only costs. Another cost element that may apply is that of waste removal costs.

Focusing on a supply only costs, tarmac will probably cost about £45 to £65 per m², whereas the material costs will land around £60 to £90 per m² in the case of concrete, £30 to £90 per m² for gravel, £50 to £85 per m² for resin or £85 to £125 per m² for block paving.

Additional Costs

Here are some added costs that may apply if you decide to have other relevant work undertaken at the same time: *

• Garden landscaping - £250 to £1,200
• Roof maintenance - £60 to £1,000
• Exterior house painting - £550 to £1,500
• New front door installation - £150 to £4,000
• Adding a porch to front of house - £2,000 to £4,000
• Outdoor lighting - £20 to £400
• Gutter cleaning - £18 to £75
• Gutter repairs or replacement work - £30 to £1,100
• Add uPVC double-glazed windows to your home - £1,600 to £5,250
• Have new curtains added to your living room - £40 to £400

*Most, if not all, of the above work cannot be performed by driveway installers. Therefore, you’d probably need different professionals depending on the job in question.

Labour Costs and Timescales

Along with the cost of materials, the labour price is the other primary cost element involved in a new driveway installation.

On average, a driveway installation team is likely to charge between £150 and £200 per day. Of course, the total labour price will then depend on how long the project takes.

In general, a small driveway installation will probably last for 1-2 days, with the average timeframe reaching 2-3 days for a mid-sized drive or between four days and a week in the case of a large drive.

These aforementioned timeframes apply well to tarmac, concrete, gravel and blocking paving drives. However, resin drives generally take quite a bit longer (e.g. a large resin drive could take up to three weeks to install). Ultimately, the cost of labour may fall somewhere between £150 and £1,400 for most materials or around £450 to £4,200 in the case of building a resin driveway.

The bulk of the work will consist of the installation process itself; however, a small percentage of the project’s timeframe will be dedicated to preparation and some to the clean-up or/waste disposal process.

Both the price of labour and timescale can be influenced by a range of factors including the size and type of driveway being built and the state of the work area. The job may also be slowed down by poor weather conditions although you probably won’t get billed for days where the project is on pause.

Cost Factors of a New Driveway

As discussed, there are a range of factors that can influence the total cost of having a new driveway installed. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable cost factors in some detail.

Driveway Size and Layout

Both the size and layout of a driveway can significantly influence the cost. While it’s fairly obvious that a larger driveway will likely take longer to complete and thus cost more (both in terms of labour and supply costs), the complexity of the design is important, too.

A relatively complex design may require more materials but it may also take longer to work on and in some cases both of these scenarios can apply. Whatever the case, a more complex design generally means a more expensive project.

Type of Material

As you already know, some materials cost more than others with regards to a driveway instalment. While resin drives are generally priced at £50 to £85 per m² for supply only costs, block paving drives may have a material cost of up to £125 per m² or even more in some cases.

Site Preparation and Grading

It is essential that the site is well-prepared and graded properly to ensure a high-quality driveway and one that can last.

While all of this is important, naturally, how difficult and time-consuming the site preparation and grading proves to be can impact the total cost. Factors such as soil type and slope can, in turn, influence the total price of having your driveway installed to a certain degree.

Additional Features

If you’d like to have extra features included alongside the installation, these can naturally add to your total bill.

You may, to give some examples, be considering decorative elements, borders or/and edging for a more aesthetically pleasing driveway. Such features are often customisable too which can make them that bit more expensive. However, they may indeed prove a worthy investment.

Removal of Existing Driveway

If you have an existing driveway in some form or another, the cost of having its contents/materials recycled or disposed of can also incur fees.

Of course, even if you don’t have a current driveway, some other materials or land may need removing in some form or another, which could also add to the project’s total cost.

Professional Installation vs. DIY

Note: Along with the various points listed below, some driveway types may not be suitable for DIYers due to their complexity and other factors. If you’re concerned about whether or not you can lay/build a specific type of driveway (even if you feel you tick the boxes to safely justify a DIY approach in all other ways), consult with a professional to be sure.

While households will generally opt to have a driveway installed by a company, you may be considering taking a DIY approach.

The main benefit of this is that while you’d need to put a lot of time and energy into the project, it could save you somewhere in the region of £150 and £1,400 or more in the case of a resin driveway since the cost of labour will be removed.

With that said, you should only attempt a DIY driveway installation if you’re absolutely sure you can pull it off to a sufficient degree and in a safe manner.

Among the key safety points to take into account for a DIY approach are:

• Use steel toe cap Wellington boots to protect your feet from the material being used due to the weight of the material having the potential to damage your feet if striking them.
• Wear rubberised protective gloves to protect your hands.
• Be sure to also wear suitable eye protection and a particulate dust mask at all times. The dust mask must comply with EN143 or EN149 standards.
• Protect exposed skin with work overalls. This is important because if you have any cuts or abrasions, the material could get on it and cause an infection.
• Other members of your household, especially children and pets, should not be on the work site as they will be exposed to harm in various ways (e.g., a lack of eye protection or dust masks).

Other safety requirements may apply depending on the nature of the work. All round, you’ll want to proceed with caution, particularly when dealing with heavy loads or active equipment (e.g. a cement mixer).

If you have any doubts regarding your skills, knowledge, or safety understanding regarding building a driveway, hire a team of professionals. Otherwise, you risk spending time on a project only for it to go awry. Also, in general, professionals will probably create a higher-quality and more durable driveway one way or another.

Building Regulations and Planning Permission

In most cases, planning permission will not be needed to have a driveway installed. For starters, if the surface area that will be covered with the new driveway exceeds five square metres and you want a driveway that is traditional and impermeable and the area will lack a way for water to run to an area that is permeable, you must get planning permission.

Other planning permission rules may apply, particularly if you’re looking to have additional work undertaken along with or around the same time as the construction of your new driveway.

Therefore, either way (and this applies in general for any new project on your property), be sure to contact your local council for clarity as to whether or not the specific driveway project you have in mind (per the design of a professional designer or architect) requires planning permission.

Building regulations also apply but any good professional driveway installer or installation company will know what these are and how to adhere to them. Both planning permission (if it proves necessary) and building regulations can incur fees.

Maintenance Costs

It’s important to have your driveway maintained every so often. How frequently will depend on the type of driveway and how soon it seems necessary based on the state of the drive. If in doubt, consult with a professional.

Since maintenance is required, the cost of periodic sealing (for relevant driveways) and repairs should be taken into account when considering the long-term cost of having a driveway.

Here are some average maintenance costs for different driveways and jobs:

To secure specific quotes, you can contact a local driveway installation and maintenance company to get an idea of how much specific maintenance work for your driveway might cost in the future. Obviously, prices can vary over time, but it should give you a sense of what you can expect to pay.

When having your drive installed, you may also want to inquire about how often maintenance should be needed for your specific drive so that you can budget ahead. Obviously, maintenance may be required more often (or, with a bit of luck, less often) than expected.

Ultimately, you should have your driveway repaired/maintained when needed based on the level of damage, issues, or worn-down nature of the driveway. Again, if in doubt, you can always chat with a professional.

Type of Driveways

As already discussed, there are various types of driveways to choose from. Let’s explore some of the best options in more detail.

Tarmac Driveway Cost

Starting with tarmac driveways, the average tarmac driveway cost is approximately £45 to £65 per m² in supply-only costs, making it a relatively inexpensive option.

Along with being fairly cost-effective, tarmac as a material option for a driveway dries fairly fast and is easy to install. In fact, it should only take one to two days to be installed.

Other upsides include that it is easy to maintain (although you should review it every 5 years on average to determine if it needs any repair work), durable and long-lasting and it’s known for being weather-resistant too. As for its weather resistance, tarmac drives repel water extremely well while also being one of the better options for dealing with cold weather.

As for the downsides, tarmac drives can be susceptible to weed growth as well as issues with algae and moss, and while designed to deal well with heat, tarmac driveways are vulnerable to UV light damage over time.

Another potential concern is that oils, petrol and diesel can all damage tarmac drives. This can happen because the aforementioned liquids cause the tarmac’s binder to weaken, enabling cracks to appear. So, as you can tell, there are a range of pros and cons to consider when it comes to tarmac drives, and, of course, this is true for all types of driveways.

Concrete Driveway Cost

Next, we have concrete drives. The average cost of materials in this case is likely to end up between £60 and £90 per m². This makes concrete relatively expensive in many cases.

As for the benefits, concrete drives can prove a particularly smart investment since they are particularly durable, often lasting for 25-50 years. Along with being long-lasting, they are known for being durable.

Furthermore, concrete drives are especially strong and may add a greater curb appeal and more value to your home than many other driveway options.

With all that said, as touched on, concrete drives are relatively costly. Another disadvantage worth noting include concrete drives can be more vulnerable to damage from cold weather than most types of driveways. Naturally, this means concrete drives can end up requiring more maintenance more often than other options.

Also, concrete driveways cannot be simply topped up like other types. Instead, they must be replaced entirely when they are beyond economic repair.

Gravel Driveway Cost

Moving on to gravel driveways, the supply only costs in this case will likely end up somewhere in the region of £30 to £90 per m².

While the price of a gravel drive can range quite widely, with some luck you can find a company in your area able to create a gravel drive for a relatively low price as the supply only price can end up more in the region of £30 to £50 per m² fairly often, which would make it particularly low-costing when compared with most other types of driveways.

The key upsides of gravel drives include its aesthetic value offered by its natural appearance, how permeable it is, the fact it’s easy to top-up when needed and it's one of the more DIY-friendly options for those with the right skills, knowledge and specific safety understanding.

Also, unlike with other types of driveways, you don’t need to wait for it to settle once it’s been installed and you can therefore use it once the project is complete and the gravel drive is 100% ready to use.

On the other hand, gravel driveways are difficult to clean, they can be susceptible to weed growth and gaps and holes may appear. It has a loose structure and is prone to becoming messy too.

Beyond that, in snowy conditions, removing snow can be tricky as it’s easy, perhaps inevitable, to accidentally remove gravel in the process. Therefore, you may simply want to add salt to the snow rather than physically removing it yourself. If this issue arises, hire a professional. Also, gravel drives are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea from an aesthetic perspective.

Resin Driveway Cost

Another popular type of driveway worth considering is a resin drive. As mentioned earlier, the average resin driveway cost (supply-only cost) is about £50 to £85 per m². This is essentially a mid-range choice from a pricing point of view.

Resin driveways have quite a few benefits of their own. For one, they are super durable. A resin drive will be very hard-wearing and should be well-suited to deal with temperature extremes, UV rays and even large weights (e.g. a relatively heavy car).

What’s more, resin drives often last for 20-25 years, and as an added bonus, they are relatively low-maintenance. This type of driveway is also super versatile, easy on the eye and fairly eco-friendly.

However, resin drives are relatively difficult to repair, clean or/and maintain. Also, resin may prove a health hazard due to its harmful toxins and chemicals. As a result, you shouldn’t spend time hanging out on your drive, and it’s important to keep children and pets away from the drive other than when walking along it to leave or exit the property swiftly.

Another disadvantage you should know is that resin drives can see their colour fade with time (if they lack UV-resistant capabilities), and they are susceptible to the growth of moss.

Block Paving Cost

Last but not least, block paving is an expensive choice with a material cost of approximately £85 to £125 per m². Pricing can vary significantly depending on what type of block paving you wish to opt for.

To explain in more detail, in supply-only costs, concrete blocks cost about £20 to £50 per m², brick blocks are priced at around £30 to £65 per m², whereas pricing ends up between £65 and £95 per m² on average in the case of stone blocks. Lastly, composite blocks should cost around £90 to £125 per m².

Given that there are several types of block paving, the pros and cons naturally vary depending on which specific material you’d like. However, in general the upsides of a block paving driveways include the wide range of designs and colours available, their capacity to visually enhance the front of your home, its low-maintenance nature and how eco-friendly it is.

As for the downsides, block paving may simply not be everyone’s cup of tea, depending on what sort of driveway look they’d prefer. And, of course, as discussed earlier, block paving generally takes quite a bit longer to install than other types of driveways.

Hiring Contractors for a New Driveway Checklist

When looking for a driveway installation company or professional, it’s important that you take time to consider who might be right for the job. By weighing up various aspects of each option (beyond their pricing), you can make a more informed decision.

Here are some key pointers to take on board when looking for the right person or company to install your new driveway:

• You’ll want to be sure you find someone with a lot of experience behind them and that they can show you previous examples of their work. For the latter point, this will give you the chance to gauge the quality of their work and get a sense of their level of professionalism.
• While qualifications are not needed, if the individual(s) you’re thinking of hiring has a qualification, this is obviously an added bonus. That said, with a lot of experience and knowledge, a driveway installer/installation company can still be stellar at their work even if they did not secure a diploma or similar.
• Further, check whether the individuals you’re considering are part of an accreditation. As with qualifications, this is not needed when it comes to driveway installers, but it would prove an added bonus.
• Also, if they have online reviews or ratings, take a look at these to get a sense of their levels of customer satisfaction, which can be a great measure of the quality of the work of a given professional service or contractor.

FAQs

Sources

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/paving-your-front-garden