Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?

Under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order, you may need planning permission if more than 5 m² of your front garden is covered with an impermeable surface (such as standard tarmac, concrete or block paving) and the water doesn't drain to a permeable area. You can avoid needing planning permission by using permeable surfacing (permeable block paving, gravel or resin bound) or draining water to a lawn or border. This is part of the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) requirements.

How deep should a driveway sub-base be?

For a standard domestic driveway, the Type 1 MOT sub-base should be 100-150mm deep after compaction. We use 150mm in our calculations for a robust base. The sub-base must be well compacted with a plate compactor or roller. On soft or clay soils, you may need a deeper sub-base (200-225mm) or a geotextile membrane to prevent mixing. Use our Type 1 Sub-Base Calculator (/landscaping/type-1-sub-base-calculator) for detailed sub-base quantities.

How many block pavers do I need per m²?

Standard 200×100mm block pavers laid in a herringbone pattern require approximately 50 blocks per m². This accounts for the blocks themselves with 2-3mm joints. For a typical single-width driveway (3m × 8m = 24 m²), you would need roughly 1,200 blocks before wastage. Add 10% for cuts and wastage, especially for herringbone patterns. See our Block Paving Calculator (/landscaping/block-paving-calculator) for more patterns.

What is the cheapest type of driveway?

Gravel is typically the cheapest driveway surface at around £30-50 per m² installed (materials and labour). Block paving costs £60-100 per m², tarmac £50-80 per m², resin bound £60-90 per m², and concrete £50-85 per m². However, gravel requires periodic topping up and raking. Block paving and resin bound offer the best balance of durability, appearance and permeability.

How thick should a concrete driveway be?

A domestic concrete driveway should be at least 100mm thick for car use, laid on a compacted 150mm Type 1 sub-base. Use C25/30 (ST4) grade concrete as a minimum. Reinforcement mesh (A142) should be placed in the lower third of the slab. Include expansion joints every 4-5 metres to prevent cracking. For ready-mix concrete quantities, see our Concrete Volume Calculator (/structural/concrete-volume-calculator).

Driveway Calculator — Gravel, Block Paving, Tarmac, Resin & Concrete UK

How We Calculate This

This calculator works out materials for five common UK driveway surface types. All options include a 150mm Type 1 MOT sub-base and perimeter edging.

Base calculations

Area = Length × Width
Perimeter = 2 × (Length + Width)
Sub-base (Type 1) = Area × 0.15m × 2.1 t/m³

Gravel driveway

Type 1 sub-base: 150mm at 2.1 t/m³
Decorative gravel: 50mm at 1.7 t/m³
Weed membrane with 10% overlap

Block paving

50 blocks per m² (standard 200×100mm)
Sharp sand bedding: 50mm at 1.6 t/m³
Kiln-dried sand: ~4 kg/m² for jointing

Tarmac

Binder course: 40mm at 2.3 t/m³
Wearing course: 25mm at 2.3 t/m³

Resin bound

Surface depth: 16mm of resin bound aggregate
Aggregate at 1.7 t/m³
Resin: 7% of aggregate weight by mass

Concrete

Concrete slab: 100mm thick
A142 reinforcement mesh (4.8×2.4m sheets)
Expansion joints every 4-5m

SuDS note: Under permitted development rules, driveways over 5 m² with impermeable surfacing may require planning permission unless water is drained to a permeable area. Consider permeable block paving, gravel or resin bound surfaces to comply without needing planning permission.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Verify with your supplier.

Driveway Calculator — Materials for Any Surface Type