Front garden to driveway conversions in Reading: the local picture
Reading has everything from short terrace frontages to wide drives on newer estates, so the survey sets the layout and the dig.
Planning-sensitive towns and conservation areas are common in the South East, so we check the front-garden rules before quoting.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Reading?
Guide price in Reading: £90–£150 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £4,600–£7,550. These are South East guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Concrete block driveway, new sub-base | £90–£150 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £11–£45 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£55 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £380–£1,100 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,100–£3,250 |
Guide figures for the South East, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our front garden drives service
A front garden conversion turns a lawn or small front garden into off-street parking. For terraces and semis without a drive, it is often the single most useful change to the house, but it only works if a car fits, the water has somewhere to go and the council will drop the kerb.
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
What the survey covers
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Trees and roots near the drive
- 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
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
Do you need permission in Reading?
Reading 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
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
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.
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.
Front garden drives in Reading: questions
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Reading?
Our guide for Reading is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £4,600–£7,550. Your fixed price follows the survey.
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.
Do you cover Earley, Wokingham and Crowthorne?
Yes. We cover Reading and the places around it, including Earley, Wokingham and Crowthorne, and the rest of Berkshire.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Reading?
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.
Front garden drives near Reading
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Berkshire:
- Front garden drives in Earley
- Front garden drives in Wokingham
- Front garden drives in Crowthorne
- Front garden drives in Bracknell
- Front garden drives in Sandhurst
- Front garden drives in Maidenhead
