Driveways & Paving in the UK

Finding a good driveway contractor in the UK

A driveway is built from the ground up, and what you cannot see decides whether it lasts: the excavation, the compacted sub-base, the edges, the falls to drainage. Block paving, resin-bound, tarmac, gravel, imprinted concrete and natural stone are the finishes; a good contractor talks about the base first and the finish second, quotes the depths in writing, and has drives from ten years ago you can go and look at. Many also lay patios, paths and paving, build walls and steps, and install the drainage and soakaways the rules now require.

The trade attracts more rogues than most — the leftover-tarmac knock on the door, the cash price for a drive with no base — so the checks matter: a proper written quote with specification, a fixed address and a landline, an insurance-backed guarantee, membership of a trade body such as Interlay or the resin manufacturers' approved installer schemes, and reviews with photographs. Since 2008 a new front drive over five square metres must drain to a permeable surface, a soakaway or a lawn, or it needs planning permission, and a contractor should know this before you ask.

The listings here show each contractor's reviews, the surfaces they lay, examples of work and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who specialises in block paving or resin, and whose drives in your town still look right years on.

What driveway contractors do

Block paving: concrete or clay blocks on a compacted sub-base and sand bed, edged and jointed, in every pattern and colour, permeable versions available.

Resin-bound and bonded: aggregate bound in resin over a stone or tarmac base, seamless, permeable and low maintenance, in dozens of colours.

Tarmac and asphalt: the hard-wearing choice for long drives and vans, with block or stone edging.

Gravel and natural stone: gravel on a grid or a base with edging, and sandstone, granite or porcelain paving for drives and patios.

The rest: drainage, soakaways and channels, kerbs and dropped kerbs through the council, walls, steps, patios and paths, and pressure washing and resanding of existing paving.

Before you choose a driveway contractor

• Get three written quotes with the specification: excavation depth, sub-base depth and material, edging, drainage and the finish.
• Check the address, insurance and trade body membership, and ask for an insurance-backed guarantee.
• Look at drives they laid five or ten years ago, not just last month's photos.
• Ask how the drive will drain; over five square metres it must be permeable or drain to a soakaway or lawn.
• Ask about a dropped kerb if you need one; the council does the kerb, the contractor applies or advises.
• Never pay cash up front to someone who knocked on the door with leftover materials.

What a driveway costs in the UK

As a rough guide, per square metre installed on a proper base: block paving £70 to £130, resin-bound £60 to £110, tarmac £45 to £80, gravel £30 to £60, imprinted concrete £60 to £100 and natural stone £90 to £160. An average two-car drive of 40 to 50 square metres therefore runs £2,500 to £4,000 in tarmac or gravel, £3,000 to £6,000 in block paving or resin, and £4,000 to £8,000 in stone, with excavation and removal of the old surface, edging and drainage included in a proper quote; a soakaway adds £500 to £1,500 and a dropped kerb £1,000 to £2,500 through the council.

A quote a third below the others is usually a base a third too thin; the drive that sinks in two years is the expensive one.