Planning a front garden driveway in Hastings
Across Hastings, front gardens range from narrow terrace plots to broad modern drives, and the best block, pattern and drainage choice changes with them.
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 Hastings?
For Hastings, our guide is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £4,600–£7,550. 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 | £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 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.
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- 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
What we check on a Hastings survey
- 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 rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
Do you need permission in Hastings?
Hastings 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
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
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Front garden drives in Hastings: questions
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Hastings?
Our guide for Hastings 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.
Do you cover Bexhill-on-Sea, Hailsham and Eastbourne?
Yes. We cover Hastings and the places around it, including Bexhill-on-Sea, Hailsham and Eastbourne, and the rest of East Sussex.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Hastings?
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.
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.
Front garden drives near Hastings
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across East Sussex:
- Front garden drives in Bexhill-on-Sea
- Front garden drives in Hailsham
- Front garden drives in Eastbourne
- Front garden drives in Seaford
- Front garden drives in Crowborough
