Block paved driveways in Chester-le-Street

Planning a block paved driveway in Chester-le-Street

Chester-le-Street is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.

Wind-driven rain on the North East coast makes falls and a well-filled joint more important.

How much does a block paved driveway cost in Chester-le-Street?

Guide price in Chester-le-Street£75–£125 per m²Including VAT at 20%

Guide price in Chester-le-Street: £75–£125 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £3,850–£6,300. These are North East guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.

Item	Guide price inc VAT
Concrete block driveway, new sub-base	£75–£125 per m²
Breaking out an old surface	£9–£35 per m²
Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched	£18–£45 per metre
Typical channel drain run	£320–£900
Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction	£900–£2,700

Guide figures for the North East, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.

What does a block paved driveway involve?

We build block drives for homeowners from scratch: digging out the old surface, setting edge restraints in concrete, building and compacting the sub-base, screeding the laying course, laying the pattern, cutting in the edges and vibrating the blocks into the sand. Every quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness, the edging, the falls and where the water goes.

Blocks laid in your chosen pattern, with a contrasting border if wanted
Edge restraints or kerbs bedded and haunched in concrete
Removal of the old surface and soil to the agreed depth, with waste taken away
Crushed-stone sub-base laid in layers and compacted
Kiln-dried sand brushed in and the surface vibrated with a plate compactor

What we check on a Chester-le-Street survey

Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours

Rules for front drives in Chester-le-Street

Chester-le-Street is in England, so these rules apply:

In England, paving in front of the house that covers more than 5 m² needs planning permission unless it is permeable or drains to a lawn, border or soakaway inside your boundary. Permeable block paving, or standard blocks laid to fall onto a planted strip, avoid the need for permission in most cases.

Flats and maisonettes, listed buildings, and homes covered by an Article 4 direction can have tighter rules, and conservation areas, National Parks and National Landscapes restrict some permitted development.

A dropped kerb needs your local highway authority's approval (usually the county, unitary, metropolitan or London borough council), and a new access onto an A, B or C classified road also needs planning permission.

General guidance, not legal advice. Your survey confirms what applies to your home. See the planning guide.

From enquiry to finished paving

Quick details
Your postcode and the job. It takes a minute.
On-site check
Measurements, levels against the damp-proof course, ground and drainage.
Itemised quote
Fixed once the specification is agreed, with no vague extras.
Laid and finished
Compacted, jointed and handed back clean.

Why choose Block Paving Contractors

Itemised quotes

Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.

One point of contact

You deal with one team from survey to sign-off, with work carried out by paving teams working under S&K.

Edges set in concrete

Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.

Water planned first

Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.