Block paved driveway extensions in Cardiff: the local picture
Cardiff has everything from short terrace frontages to wide drives on newer estates, so the survey sets the layout and the dig.
Wales is wetter than most of England, and new front paving has to be permeable or drain within the property, so drainage is designed in from the start.
How much does a driveway extension cost in Cardiff?
For Cardiff, our guide is £85–£140 per m² including VAT, so a 15 m² extension is likely to be £1,450–£2,400. Smaller jobs cost more per square metre because set-up and waste costs do not shrink with the area.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Driveway extension in block paving | £85–£140 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £9.50–£35 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £19–£45 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £330–£930 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £930–£2,800 |
Guide figures for Wales, 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.
- Dig-out and sub-base for the new area
- New edging, kerbs or a low retaining edge where the lawn is cut back
- Old edge restraint taken out and the new paving toothed into the old pattern
- Joint sand, compaction and a clean-down of the old section
- Matching options: same range, re-mixing old and new, or a planned contrast
What the survey covers
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
Rules for front drives in Cardiff
Cardiff is in Wales, so these rules apply:
In Wales, any new or replacement hard surface at the front of a house should be permeable or drain to a permeable area within the property to avoid needing planning permission. Unlike England, there is no 5 m² allowance for new paving; only repairs of up to 5 m² of existing surface are exempt.
Since January 2019, construction work covering 100 m² or more with drainage implications, including drives and patios, needs approval from the local SuDS Approving Body (SAB) before work starts, even where planning permission is not needed.
A dropped kerb needs your council's approval as highway authority, and a new access onto a classified road 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
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
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.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Drive extensions in Cardiff: questions
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.
How much does a driveway extension cost in Cardiff?
Our guide for Cardiff is £85–£140 per m² including VAT, so a 15 m² extension is usually about £1,450–£2,400. Your fixed price follows the survey.
Is the survey in Cardiff free?
Yes, for new paving here: the survey and written quote are free with no obligation. Repairs and cleaning are usually priced from photos, or from a short visit where needed.
Do you cover Penarth, Dinas Powys and Rhiwbina?
Yes. We cover Cardiff and the places around it, including Penarth, Dinas Powys and Rhiwbina, and the rest of South Glamorgan.
Drive extensions near Cardiff
Nearby towns we cover for drive extensions, and drive extensions across South Glamorgan:
- Drive extensions in Penarth
- Drive extensions in Dinas Powys
- Drive extensions in Rhiwbina
- Drive extensions in Barry
- Drive extensions in Llantwit Major
