Driveways in Sandwell

Before your driveway in Sandwell

For driveways in Sandwell, the rules that matter are drainage and access. Permeable paving or a soakaway avoids a planning application, and any change to the kerb goes through Sandwell Council.

A driveway should finish well below the damp-proof course of the house.
Permeable surfaces in Sandwell help reduce surface water running onto the road.
Planning permission is usually needed for a new access onto a classified road.

Postcode district: All Sandwell postcodes
Planning and building control: Sandwell Council
From our West Bromwich base: About 1 mile to the centre

Which option fits your home?

Permeable block paving

Blocks with wider joints filled with grit, laid on an open-graded stone sub-base that stores rainwater and lets it soak into the ground. Permeable paving meets the front garden rules without planning permission. It costs a little more because of the deeper, specially graded sub-base, and it suits clay soils only with extra design.

Block paving

Concrete blocks laid in a pattern on a sand bed over a compacted stone sub-base, held in by edging kerbs. Blocks come in many colours and sizes, and single blocks can be lifted and relaid if a drain needs work. Standard block paving needs drainage planning, because the sand joints alone don't usually let enough water through.

Driveways prices in Sandwell

Guide prices start at £2,200 and run to £12,000 depending on size and specification. Block paving driveway of about 45 m² for two cars, with dig-out, sub-base, edging and drainage: around £5,000–£7,200.

Guide prices for driveways
Option	Guide price	Good to know
Gravel or tarmac driveway	£2,200 – £4,800	About 40 m², new sub-base and edging
Block paving driveway	£4,500 – £7,500	About 40–50 m², with drainage or permeable build
Resin-bound driveway	£5,000 – £8,500	About 40–50 m², on a permeable base

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. Access, parking and the state of what's there now can move the price — the survey settles it.

Your questions answered

What guarantee comes with a new driveway?

The materials, such as blocks, resin and drainage channels, come with their manufacturers' guarantees, and the terms for your driveway are set out in your quote. How long a driveway stays level depends largely on the sub-base, so we name its depth and type in your specification. Keep your quote and paperwork with your house documents.

How do I book a survey in Sandwell?

Send the form on this page, use the guide-price tool or call 0800 088 6248 free. We'll ask a few questions about your driveway and arrange a time to visit.

What should I sort out before the work starts?

If you need a dropped kerb, apply to the council early, because it can take weeks. Move cars, bins and pots off the area, and let neighbours know about the skip and noise. If you know where drains, cables, gas pipes or outside taps run, tell us at survey.

Will I need permission from the council in Sandwell?

Only for a new or widened dropped kerb, which needs consent from Sandwell Council, or for a non-permeable surface over 5 m² that drains to the road, which needs planning permission from Sandwell Council.

Driveways across Sandwell

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Driveways near Sandwell

Other home improvements in Sandwell

Want to see block, resin and gravel samples side by side? Call 0800 088 6248 and we'll bring them to Sandwell.