Block paved driveways in Welwyn Garden City

Planning a block paved driveway in Welwyn Garden City

Welwyn Garden City is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.

Clay soils are common in parts of the East of England, so drainage and sub-base depth get extra attention.

How much does a block paved driveway cost in Welwyn Garden City?

Guide price in Welwyn Garden City£90–£145 per m²Including VAT at 20%

In the East of England, a block paved driveway usually costs £90–£145 per m² including VAT. For a 50 m² double drive, that is roughly £4,450–£7,350. Your exact price depends on what the survey or your photos show, and is fixed in writing before anything is booked.

Item	Guide price inc VAT
Concrete block driveway, new sub-base	£90–£145 per m²
Breaking out an old surface	£11–£40 per m²
Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched	£20–£55 per metre
Typical channel drain run	£370–£1,050
Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction	£1,050–£3,150

Guide figures for the East of England, 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.

Crushed-stone sub-base laid in layers and compacted
Survey, measurements and a written, itemised quote
Edge restraints or kerbs bedded and haunched in concrete
Removal of the old surface and soil to the agreed depth, with waste taken away
Kiln-dried sand brushed in and the surface vibrated with a plate compactor

Before we price your block paved driveway

Trees and roots near the drive
Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours

Do you need permission in Welwyn Garden City?

Welwyn Garden City 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

Send the basics
Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.
Survey
We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.
Written quote
An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.
The work
Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.

How we work

Water planned first

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

Itemised quotes

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

Edges set in concrete

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

Honest timescales

We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.