Planning a driveway extension in Market Harborough
In and around Market Harborough, village-style frontages sit alongside newer cul-de-sacs, so the right block often depends on the age of the house.
Block drives laid twenty or thirty years ago are often ready for re-laying rather than replacing, because sound blocks outlast a weak base.
How much does a driveway extension cost in Market Harborough?
Guide price in Market Harborough: £90–£150 per m² including VAT, which puts a 15 m² extension at about £1,550–£2,600. These are East Midlands guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Driveway extension in block paving | £90–£150 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £10–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £350–£1,000 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,000–£3,000 |
Guide figures for the East Midlands, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What is included?
The hard part is the join. Blocks from the same range can differ in shade from a batch made years ago, and older blocks have weathered, so the survey looks at whether a close match is possible, whether lifting and re-mixing some existing blocks will help, or whether a deliberate border or contrasting panel will look better than a near-miss.
- Matching options: same range, re-mixing old and new, or a planned contrast
- Check of the existing drive: block range, thickness, levels and condition
- New edging, kerbs or a low retaining edge where the lawn is cut back
- Dig-out and sub-base for the new area
- Old edge restraint taken out and the new paving toothed into the old pattern
What we check on a Market Harborough survey
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Trees and roots near the drive
Planning and kerb rules in Market Harborough
Market Harborough 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.
What happens next
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.
What you can expect from us
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
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.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Drive extensions in Market Harborough: questions
Do I need planning permission for a driveway extension in Market Harborough?
In England, a front drive over 5 m² needs planning permission unless it is permeable or drains to a lawn or border within your boundary. Ask us on the survey if you are unsure.
How much does a driveway extension cost in Market Harborough?
Our guide for Market Harborough is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 15 m² extension is usually about £1,550–£2,600. Your fixed price follows the survey.
Do you cover Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough?
Yes. We cover Market Harborough and the places around it, including Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, and the rest of Northamptonshire.
What happens to my old drive?
It is broken out and taken away by skip or grab lorry, listed as its own line on your quote.
Drive extensions near Market Harborough
Nearby towns we cover for drive extensions, and drive extensions across Northamptonshire:
- Drive extensions in Corby
- Drive extensions in Kettering
- Drive extensions in Wellingborough
- Drive extensions in Northampton
- Drive extensions in Daventry
- Drive extensions in Rushden
