Driveways in Worcestershire

What should you know before starting in Worcestershire?

For driveways in Worcestershire, 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 Worcestershire County Council.

Permeable surfaces in Worcestershire help reduce surface water running onto the road.
A driveway should finish well below the damp-proof course of the house.
Before you drive across the pavement, you need the highway authority's consent for a dropped kerb.

Postcode district: All Worcestershire postcodes
Planning and building control: Your district council
From our West Bromwich base: About 14 miles to the centre

Which option fits your home?

Gravel with ground grids

Gravel laid over plastic ground grids on a membrane and compacted sub-base. The grids stop the gravel moving into ruts, and the whole surface drains naturally, so it meets the front garden rules. Gravel is the most affordable surface, though it needs occasional raking and topping up, and it's less practical for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Tarmac

Hot-laid asphalt over a compacted sub-base, finished with a roller and edged with kerbs or setts. Tarmac is quick to lay and good value for larger areas. Standard tarmac is impermeable, so on a front garden it needs to drain to a soakaway or border, or use a porous asphalt mix.

How much should you budget in Worcestershire?

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. A free survey turns this guide into a fixed, itemised price.

Your questions answered

Which driveway surface is best?

It depends on budget, looks and drainage. Block paving is hard-wearing and repairable; resin-bound is smooth, tidy and permeable on the right base; tarmac is good value for larger areas; gravel is the cheapest and drains naturally. A permeable option avoids the need for planning permission on a front garden. We'll show you samples at survey.

How do I book a survey in Worcestershire?

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 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.

Does the council need to approve my driveway?

Only for a new or widened dropped kerb, which needs consent from Worcestershire County Council, or for a non-permeable surface over 5 m² that drains to the road, which needs planning permission from the district or borough council for your town.

Driveways across Worcestershire

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