Planning a front garden driveway in Prestonpans
Prestonpans is a smaller town, and many of its homes have more frontage to work with than city houses, which leaves room for borders and planting.
Frost and heavy rain test paving in Scotland, so a well-drained sub-base and full joints matter as much as the blocks.
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 Prestonpans?
Expect front garden driveways in Prestonpans to come in at around £85–£140 per m², including VAT at 20%. As an example, a 50 m² double drive usually comes to between £4,250 and £7,000.
| 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 is included?
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.
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
What the survey covers
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
Rules for front drives in Prestonpans
Prestonpans 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.
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
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
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.
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.
Front garden drives in Prestonpans: questions
Do you cover Tranent, Musselburgh and Dalkeith?
Yes. We cover Prestonpans and the places around it, including Tranent, Musselburgh and Dalkeith, and the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
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 Prestonpans?
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 Prestonpans?
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.
Front garden drives near Prestonpans
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Edinburgh and the Lothians:
- Front garden drives in Tranent
- Front garden drives in Musselburgh
- Front garden drives in Dalkeith
- Front garden drives in Haddington
- Front garden drives in Bonnyrigg
- Front garden drives in Penicuik
