Planning a front garden driveway in Montrose
In and around Montrose, village-style frontages sit alongside newer cul-de-sacs, so the right block often depends on the age of the house.
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.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Montrose?
Guide price in Montrose: £85–£140 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £4,250–£7,000. These are Scotland guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| 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
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.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
What we check on a Montrose survey
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Do you need permission in Montrose?
Montrose 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
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.
What you can expect from us
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.
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.
Front garden drives in Montrose: 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 Montrose?
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 I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Montrose?
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.
Do you cover Arbroath, Forfar and Carnoustie?
Yes. We cover Montrose and the places around it, including Arbroath, Forfar and Carnoustie, and the rest of Dundee and Angus.
Front garden drives near Montrose
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Dundee and Angus:
- Front garden drives in Arbroath
- Front garden drives in Forfar
- Front garden drives in Carnoustie
- Front garden drives in Monifieth
