Quick to lay, kind to budgets, tolerant of real life
Tarmac is the pragmatist's driveway: laid in a day or two, comfortably the cheapest hard surface per square metre, and hard to upset with daily use. For households running multiple vehicles, a work van, or the school-run shuffle, it simply gets on with the job. As a slightly flexible surface it also tolerates the minor ground movement this side of Norfolk serves up better than a rigid slab, provided the base underneath was built properly in the first place.
Tarmac has one trick nothing else offers: if your existing tarmac or concrete drive is structurally sound, a fresh wearing course can be laid straight over it. No excavation, no skips, a fraction of the cost, and the drive is back in use almost immediately. Where the old surface is heaved or crumbling, though, an overlay only photographs well; the repairs page explains how to tell the difference.
Tarmac prices in 2026
Published guides put new tarmac at roughly £45-90 per square metre fitted, with a typical two-car drive landing around £2,200-3,800 as a full job. Overlays on a sound base run cheaper, from about £35-55 per m². Upgraded stone mastic asphalt wearing courses add roughly £10 per m² and stretch the surface life considerably, which is worth weighing on a drive you plan to keep for decades.
Because tarmac is not permeable, a new front drive over five square metres needs its rainwater managed on your own property, typically with a drainage channel or soakaway, to stay inside the paving rules. Installers price this in as standard; if a cheap quote is silent about drainage, that is where the saving is hiding. If the planning question is a headache, resin bound and gravel sidestep it entirely, and comparing all three costs nothing through the quote service.
Tarmac FAQs
How much does a tarmac drive cost?
Roughly £45-90 per square metre fitted in 2026 for a new installation with proper excavation and sub-base, or £35-55 per m² for an overlay on a sound existing surface. Size helps: bigger areas cost less per metre because the crew and plant costs spread further.
How long does tarmac last?
A standard wearing course is typically good for 12-18 years; upgraded SMA surfaces stretch toward 20 and beyond. Resealing every few years keeps water out of hairline cracks, and small repairs done early prevent the freeze-thaw cycle turning them into potholes.
Does a tarmac drive need planning permission?
Not if the rainwater stays on your property. Tarmac is impermeable, so drives over five square metres need a soakaway, channel drain or permeable border to drain to. Meet that condition and no application is required; a dropped kerb remains a separate council consent whatever the surface.
Other paving work we can price for you
Block Paving
See block paving in Downham MarketResin Bound Driveways
See resin bound driveways in Downham MarketGravel & Shingle Driveways
See gravel & shingle driveways in Downham MarketPattern Imprinted Concrete
See pattern imprinted concrete in Downham MarketDriveway Repairs & Relaying
See driveway repairs & relaying in Downham MarketPatios & Garden Paths
See patios & garden paths in Downham MarketWhere installers quote
Areas covered: installers quoting through this service work across Downham Market and the surrounding villages, including Denver, Wimbotsham, Hilgay, Stowbridge, West Dereham, Salters Lode.