How Much Does a New Driveway Cost in the UK? (2026 Guide)

Typical driveway costs per square metre

Most UK driveway prices are quoted per square metre, fully installed, including excavation and a proper sub base. As a rough guide for 2026, gravel is the cheapest option, tarmac and concrete sit in the middle, and block paving and resin bound surfacing cost the most. Prices in the South East, including Aylesbury and the Vale, tend to sit at the upper end of national averages because labour and tipping costs are higher here.

For a typical two car driveway of around 40 to 50 square metres, that means a realistic total of roughly £2,500 for basic gravel up to £7,000 or more for quality block paving or resin. Anything dramatically cheaper than these ranges usually means corners are being cut somewhere you cannot see, most often in the sub base.

• Gravel: roughly £40 to £70 per square metre
• Tarmac: roughly £60 to £100 per square metre
• Concrete: roughly £70 to £110 per square metre
• Block paving: roughly £100 to £160 per square metre
• Resin bound: roughly £110 to £170 per square metre

What actually drives the price up or down

The surface you can see is often less than half the cost. The biggest variables are what is under your existing driveway and how easy it is to get machinery and skips to it. Excavating and carting away an old concrete drive costs far more than lifting tired block paving, and a sloping plot needs more groundwork than a flat one. Clay soil, which is common around Aylesbury, can also mean digging deeper and laying a thicker sub base so the surface does not sink or crack later.

Drainage matters too, and not just for practical reasons. If you are laying a new impermeable surface over five square metres facing the street, planning rules require rainwater to drain within your property, either through a permeable surface, a soakaway or channel drains. Building that in properly adds cost up front but avoids pooling, flooding complaints and planning headaches later.

• Size and shape of the drive, including awkward curves and steps
• What needs digging out and disposing of, especially old concrete
• Access for diggers and skips
• Ground conditions and required sub base depth
• Drainage requirements and any channel drains or soakaways
• Edging, walls, gates and lighting added to the job

Which surface gives the best value

If budget is the priority, a well laid gravel drive on a proper membrane and sub base is hard to beat, though it needs occasional topping up and raking. Tarmac is the workhorse choice for larger drives and holds up well if laid on a sound base, but it can soften in hot summers and look tired sooner than paving.

Block paving costs more but individual blocks can be lifted and relaid if you ever need access to pipes underneath, and a damaged area can be repaired invisibly. Resin bound surfacing gives a smooth, modern finish and is naturally permeable, which usually deals with the drainage rules in one go, but it must go onto a sound existing base or a new one, which is where much of the cost sits. Over a 15 to 25 year life, the more expensive surfaces often work out reasonable per year of use.

How to compare quotes sensibly

When you get quotes, make sure each one specifies the excavation depth, the sub base material and thickness, the edging detail and how rainwater will be handled. Two quotes for block paving can differ by thousands simply because one includes 150mm of compacted MOT Type 1 and one includes half that. The cheaper drive may look identical on day one and be rutted within two winters.

Ask to see a recent local job, check the firm carries public liability insurance, and be wary of anyone knocking on the door offering to do it cheap because they have leftover tarmac. A written quote with a clear breakdown, a realistic start date and no pressure to decide today is generally a good sign.