How much does a front garden driveway cost in Cambridgeshire?
In the East of England, a front garden driveway usually costs £90–£145 per m² including VAT. For a 50 m² double drive, that is roughly £4,450–£7,350. Your exact price depends on what the survey or your photos show, and is fixed in writing before anything is booked.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Concrete block driveway, new sub-base | £90–£145 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £11–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£55 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £370–£1,050 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,050–£3,150 |
Guide figures for the East of England, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in Cambridgeshire
Choose a town for local prices and details for front garden drives:
What is included?
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.
Clay soils are common in parts of the East of England, so drainage and sub-base depth get extra attention.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
What the survey covers
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
Rules for front drives in Cambridgeshire
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.
How it works
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.
Front garden drives in Cambridgeshire: 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.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Cambridgeshire?
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.
Do you cover Peterborough, Cambridge and Wisbech?
Yes. We cover all of Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough, Cambridge and Wisbech.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Cambridgeshire?
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.
