Planning a front garden driveway in Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.
Wet winters in Northern Ireland make falls, edge restraints and full joints especially important.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Newtownabbey?
For Newtownabbey, our guide is £80–£135 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £4,050–£6,650. 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 | £80–£135 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £9.50–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £19–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £330–£950 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £950–£2,850 |
Guide figures for Northern Ireland, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What does a front garden driveway involve?
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.
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
What we check on a Newtownabbey survey
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
Rules for front drives in Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is in Northern Ireland, so these rules apply:
In Northern Ireland, a hard surface between the front of the house and the road that covers or replaces more than 5 m² must be porous or permeable, or drain to a permeable area within the property, to be permitted development.
Hard surfaces within the grounds of a listed building need listed building consent. Planning is handled by your district council, so check with its planning office if you are unsure.
Dropped kerbs in Northern Ireland are approved by DfI Roads (the Department for Infrastructure), not the council; check planning separately with the council.
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.
How we work
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.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Front garden drives in Newtownabbey: questions
How long does a front garden driveway take to build?
Most homes take between three and seven working days, depending on size, the dig and the drainage. Your quote gives the expected duration.
Do you cover Belfast, Carrickfergus and Castlereagh?
Yes. We cover Newtownabbey and the places around it, including Belfast, Carrickfergus and Castlereagh, and the rest of County Antrim.
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 Newtownabbey?
In Northern Ireland, front paving over 5 m² must be porous or drain within your boundary to be permitted development. Ask us on the survey if you are unsure.
Front garden drives near Newtownabbey
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across County Antrim:
- Front garden drives in Belfast
- Front garden drives in Carrickfergus
- Front garden drives in Castlereagh
- Front garden drives in Ballyclare
- Front garden drives in Lisburn
- Front garden drives in Antrim
