What to know before a front garden driveway in Dunoon
Dunoon is a smaller town, and many of its homes have more frontage to work with than city houses, which leaves room for borders and planting.
In Scotland, front paving must be porous or drain within the property whatever its size, so drainage is part of every design.
In Scotland block paving is often called monoblock; it is the same thing, and the same rules for the base, edging and drainage apply.
Work in Argyll and Bute is by arrangement: we confirm availability and any travel charge before a visit, and many jobs can be priced from photos first.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Dunoon?
For Dunoon, our guide is £85–£140 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £4,250–£7,000. Smaller jobs cost more per square metre because set-up and waste costs do not shrink with the area.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Concrete block driveway, new sub-base | £85–£140 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 Scotland, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our front garden drives service
We check those three things before anything else. A typical small front garden needs the boundary wall or hedge opened, the ground dug out, a sub-base built and the surface laid so rain drains into a planted strip or through permeable blocks. Keeping a narrow planted border is often what makes the drainage work.
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
What the survey covers
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
Planning and kerb rules in Dunoon
Dunoon is in Scotland, so these rules apply:
In Scotland, a hard surface between the house and the road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a permeable area within the property. There is no 5 m² threshold: the rule applies whatever the size.
Hard surfaces are not permitted development in a conservation area or within the grounds of a listed building, so planning permission is needed there.
A dropped kerb needs consent from your council as roads authority under section 56 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, and planning permission may also be needed depending on the road.
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.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Front garden drives in Dunoon: questions
Can you match the blocks to my house in Dunoon?
We bring samples to the survey and suggest blocks and borders that suit the age and brick of the house. Final colour is your choice.
Do you cover Helensburgh, Gourock and Greenock?
Yes. We cover Dunoon and the places around it, including Helensburgh, Gourock and Greenock, and the rest of Argyll and Bute.
Is the survey in Dunoon free?
In Argyll and Bute we cover jobs by arrangement. We will confirm before any visit whether a charge applies, and many jobs can be priced from photos first.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Dunoon?
In Scotland, front paving must be porous or drain within your boundary at any size, and permitted development does not apply in conservation areas. Ask us on the survey if you are unsure.
Front garden drives near Dunoon
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Argyll and Bute:
- Front garden drives in Helensburgh
- Front garden drives in Gourock
- Front garden drives in Greenock
- Front garden drives in Port Glasgow
- Front garden drives in Largs
