How much does a driveway cost in Kent?
A new driveway in Kent costs between £20 and £150 per square metre installed, depending entirely on the material. Gravel sits at the bottom, block paving at the top, and tarmac in the middle at £60 to £110 per square metre. For a standard domestic driveway that works out at roughly £1,800 for gravel and £6,000 for block paving, with most people landing somewhere in between.
We have been laying driveways across Kent for over 40 years, in Ashford, Tenterden, Canterbury, Folkestone, Hythe and everywhere between. The prices below are what we are actually quoting in 2026.
Driveway costs by material
Every one of these surfaces needs the same excavation and the same compacted sub base underneath. A large part of the cost is identical whichever you choose, which is why the cheap options are less of a saving than they look.
| Material | Installed cost per m² | Typical 40m² driveway | Lifespan | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | £20 – £40 | £800 – £1,600 | 3–5 years before topping up | High |
| Tarmac | £60 – £110 | £2,400 – £4,400 | 20–25 years | Low |
| Concrete | £75 – £125 | £3,000 – £5,000 | 20–30 years | Low, but prone to cracking |
| Resin bound | £80 – £130 | £3,200 – £5,200 | 15–20 years | Low to medium |
| Block paving | £90 – £150 | £3,600 – £6,000 | 20+ years | Medium to high |
Two things that table does not show.
Gravel is cheapest once and most expensive over twenty years. At three to five years before it needs topping up, you will buy it four or five times over the life of one tarmac driveway. It also migrates. You will be raking stones back off the road, picking them out of the hallway, and clearing mud & leaves off can be a bit miserable. Most people who switch from gravel to tarmac say the same thing, which is that they should have done it years ago.
Block paving costs more to own than to buy. It is a genuinely good surface, but the joints need sand, they grow weeds, individual blocks sink and need lifting and relaying, and the whole thing needs cleaning periodically to stop it going green. Budget for that as well as the installation. Key takeaway; looks lovely but be prepared for the maintenance.
Which material should you actually pick
Most people arrive at this question with a budget rather than a preference, so here is how we would answer it on a site visit.
If the driveway takes daily car use and you want to stop thinking about it, choose tarmac. It sits in the middle of the price range, it lasts twenty to twenty five years, and beyond the odd wash and keeping the drainage clear it needs nothing. That is why it is the surface we lay most across Kent. If budget allows you can even go for different colours & patterns for tarmac driveways which will look stunning.
If appearance is the deciding factor and the budget stretches, look at resin bound or block paving. Resin bound is permeable, which removes the drainage question entirely and keeps you inside permitted development without a channel drain or soakaway. Block paving gives you the most design freedom and the ability to lift and relay a section if a service ever needs digging up.
If the budget is genuinely tight, be careful with gravel. It is the right answer for a long rural drive or a period property where it suits the house. It is usually the wrong answer for a small suburban frontage, for the migration reasons above. If you have to go with a gravel driveway then you also have the choice of stone, the most commong stone is a 20mm angled stone that lock itself in but your can go for a self binding gravel which is compressed and gives a much smoother finish but more costly.
If the driveway carries something heavy, ask about the construction rather than the surface. A drive taking a horsebox, a van or a caravan needs a deeper sub base, and that decision matters far more than what goes on top of it. We build roads and car parks as well as driveways, so this is a specification question we deal with every week.
You do not have to pick just one. A tarmac field with a block paving or granite sett border is one of our most popular finishes in Kent. You get the look of a premium surface at a sensible overall cost, and the border does a useful job holding the tarmac edge.
Whichever way you are leaning, we quote in writing and fully itemised, so you can see exactly what each element costs rather than a single number at the bottom of a page. Request a quote.
Tarmac driveway costs in detail
Tarmac is what we lay most, so this is the material we can be most specific about.
2026 price guide, new tarmac driveway in Kent
Installed prices including sub base, edging and a standard wearing course finish.
| Driveway size | Approx. area | Cost range |
|---|---|---|
| Single car (tight) | 15–20m² | £1,800 – £2,800 |
| Single car (standard) | 20–30m² | £2,500 – £3,800 |
| Double car | 35–50m² | £3,500 – £5,500 |
| Large double or triple | 50–80m² | £5,000 – £7,500 |
| Extended or shared access | 80m²+ | Price on survey |
Guide prices for 2026. Varies by site conditions, access and specification. All quotations are free following a site visit.
What drives the cost up or down
Size is the starting point. A tight single car drive at 15m² and a large double at 60m² are very different jobs in materials and time on site. Larger areas often work out cheaper per square metre, because the setup cost of bringing the gang, the roller and the hot box is the same regardless of size.
What is already there has a big effect. Surfacing over a sound existing base costs considerably less than starting from scratch on a grass or gravel garden, which needs full excavation and a new sub base before any tarmac goes down.
The sub base is the layer you never see, roughly 150mm of compacted Type 1 MOT hardcore under the tarmac. It is what makes a driveway last twenty years rather than five. If the base under your current surface is compromised, it has to come out and be replaced.
Edging and drainage add to the cost, but they are not optional extras in any meaningful sense. Concrete pin kerbs stop the tarmac spreading over time, and drainage is a planning requirement on most domestic drives. Getting both right first time is cheaper than rectifying them later. We advise on options as part of the quote. On this tarmac driveway in Folkestone the client wanted a yellow spec in the tarmac, so we suggested a grey granite edging that framed it without competing with it.
The tarmac specification varies. A standard wearing course suits the large majority of domestic driveways. Open graded permeable tarmac, coloured asphalt and road grade stone mastic asphalt are all available for specific situations, at different price points. We normally lay two layers, a binder course and then a wearing course on top.
Resurfacing an existing driveway
If the base underneath is solid and the surface is the problem, whether that is crumbling edges, a tired finish or surface cracking, an overlay is considerably cheaper than a full dig out.
| Job type | Cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Overlay, new wearing course on existing base | £35 – £65 per m² | Base is sound and level |
| Full resurfacing, strip, relay and new base | £70 – £110 per m² | Base is failing or uneven |
| Patch repair or pothole fill | £200 – £600 | Isolated damage only |
| Edge repair | £150 – £400 | Edges failing, main surface sound |
There are two mistakes we see regularly. The first is homeowners assuming they need a full replacement when an overlay would do the job perfectly well. The second is less common but more costly, which is a contractor selling an overlay when the base actually needs replacing. The difference matters, because an overlay on a failing base only delays the problem and it cracks in the same places within a year or two.
Garden to driveway conversion
Turning a front garden into a driveway is our most common job across Kent. It costs more than resurfacing because the excavation and sub base work is all from scratch, and it brings planning permission and drainage into the conversation in a way a straight resurface does not.
Budget £2,800 to £4,800 for a standard front garden conversion of 20 to 35m², covering excavation to 200 to 250mm, removal of the spoil off site, a 150mm compacted Type 1 MOT sub base, concrete pin kerb or block paving edging, and two layer tarmac.
If you need a dropped kerb, that is a separate application to Kent County Council, and we can walk you through it when we visit.
Our full guide covers the planning rules, the drainage options and the timescales: grass to tarmac driveway cost in Kent.
What may not be in the quote
When comparing quotes from different contractors, check whether these are included or priced separately:
- Skip or grab lorry for excavated material
- Dropped kerb application and works
- ACO drainage channels or a soakaway
- Gate posts or pedestrian steps
- Utility diversions, worth checking with your provider if you think there are shallow services
We provide a fully itemised written quote, so there is nothing hidden and you can compare us properly against anyone else.
Frequently asked questions
Which driveway material is cheapest? Gravel, at £20 to £40 per square metre installed. It is only the cheapest at the point of purchase though. It needs topping up every three to five years, so over twenty years it costs more than tarmac and needs far more attention. Tarmac at £60 to £110 per square metre is the cheapest option that lasts.
Which driveway material lasts longest? Concrete at twenty to thirty years, with tarmac and block paving close behind at twenty to twenty five. Lifespan depends more on the sub base and the drainage than on the surface material, so a well built tarmac drive will outlast a badly built concrete one every time.
Can you lay one driveway material over another? Sometimes. Tarmac over sound concrete works with a tack coat bonding agent, and tarmac over tarmac is a standard overlay. Resin bound needs a solid base, usually tarmac or concrete, so it is often laid over an existing drive. Block paving and gravel both need lifting and starting again. What matters in every case is whether the base underneath is sound.
How much does it cost to tarmac a driveway in Kent? For a typical domestic installation, £2,500 to £6,500 covers most jobs. The main variables are the size of the area, whether excavation is needed, and what edging and drainage are required. Quotations are free and in writing after a site visit.
Is tarmac cheaper than block paving? For most driveways, yes. Tarmac runs at £60 to £110 per square metre installed, block paving at £90 to £150. Tarmac is also quicker to lay and needs less upkeep. Where the two work well together is a tarmac field with block paving or granite sett borders, which gives you a premium look at a sensible overall cost.
How long does a tarmac driveway last? Twenty to twenty five years with a proper sub base and reasonable care. The main causes of early failure are an inadequate base, poor drainage, and patch repairs done with cold lay DIY products rather than hot asphalt. Our driveway maintenance guide covers what actually helps and what is a waste of money.
Do you need planning permission to lay a driveway in Kent? Not usually. Using a permeable surface, or directing drainage to a lawn, border or soakaway on your own property, means permitted development applies. A non permeable surface over 5m² does technically need permission unless drainage is managed on site. We cover this at every site visit.
How long does installation take? One to two days for most domestic driveways. Larger jobs, or those needing significant excavation, run to two or three days. You can drive on new tarmac within 24 to 48 hours in normal conditions.
Why is one quote much lower than the others? Usually sub base depth, material grade, or exclusions. A significantly lower quote often means the sub base preparation has been cut back, or recycled road planings are being used rather than fresh tarmac. Both save money on the day and cause problems within a few years. Ask for an itemised breakdown so you are comparing like for like.
Get a quote
Hundreds of quotes go out each year using the form below, and we can arrange a site visit across Ashford, Tenterden, Canterbury, Folkestone, Margate, Medway and the surrounding areas of Kent.
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