How much does a front garden driveway cost in Greater London?
Guide price in Greater London: £100–£170 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £5,100–£8,400. These are London guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Concrete block driveway, new sub-base | £100–£170 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £12–£50 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £25–£60 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £420–£1,200 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,200–£3,600 |
Guide figures for London, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in Greater London
Choose a town for local prices and details for front garden drives:
- Brent
- Islington
- Bexley
- Barking
- Sutton
- Croydon
- Ilford
- Enfield
- Harrow
- Tottenham
- Walthamstow
- Dagenham
- Becontree
- Romford
- Hayes
- Fulham
- Edmonton
- Southall
- Putney
- Battersea
- Canary Wharf
- Purley
- Peckham
- Chingford
- Uxbridge
- Wimbledon
- Stamford Hill
- Brixton
- Hounslow
- Finchley
- Cricklewood
- Mitcham
- Feltham
- Acton
- Beckenham
- Streatham
- South Croydon
- Leytonstone
- Eltham
- Morden
- Carshalton
- Catford
- Willesden
- Canning Town
- Holloway
- Welling
- Shepherds Bush
- Surbiton
- Greenford
- Heston
- Stratford
- Chiswick
- Thamesmead
- Ruislip
- Greenwich
- Barnet
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.
Front gardens in much of London are short, so parking depth and the dropped kerb usually decide whether a drive is possible.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
What the survey covers
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
Rules for front drives in Greater London
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 Greater London: questions
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Greater London?
Our guide for Greater London is £100–£170 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £5,100–£8,400. Your fixed price follows the survey.
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 Greater London?
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.
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.
