Front garden to driveway conversions in Oban: the local picture
Oban 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.
Frost and heavy rain test paving in Scotland, so a well-drained sub-base and full joints matter as much as the blocks.
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 Oban?
For Oban, 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.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
Before we price your front garden driveway
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
Rules for front drives in Oban
Oban 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.
How it works
Tell us about the job
Use the form, the quote tool, WhatsApp or a call.
We take a look
A survey visit, or photos for smaller repair and cleaning jobs.
Price in writing
Every line itemised, including the dig, edging and drainage.
Booked and built
Agreed start date, then the work, the final clean-down and the joint top-up.
What you can expect from us
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Front garden drives in Oban: 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.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Oban?
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 Fort William and Dunoon?
Yes. We cover Oban and the places around it, including Fort William and Dunoon, and the rest of Argyll and Bute.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Oban?
Our guide for Oban is £85–£140 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £4,250–£7,000. Your fixed price follows the survey.
Front garden drives near Oban
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Argyll and Bute:
