What to know before a front garden driveway in Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf has everything from short terrace frontages to wide drives on newer estates, so the survey sets the layout and the dig.
Many London streets have controlled parking and narrow frontages, so we measure the car space and the crossover before anything else.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Canary Wharf?
Guide price in Canary Wharf: £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. 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
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
What the survey covers
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
Rules for front drives in Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf 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
Quick details
Your postcode and the job. It takes a minute.
On-site check
Measurements, levels against the damp-proof course, ground and drainage.
Itemised quote
Fixed once the specification is agreed, with no vague extras.
Laid and finished
Compacted, jointed and handed back clean.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
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.
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.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Front garden drives in Canary Wharf: questions
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Canary Wharf?
Our guide for Canary Wharf 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.
Do you cover Canning Town, Greenwich and Stratford?
Yes. We cover Canary Wharf and the places around it, including Canning Town, Greenwich and Stratford, and the rest of Greater London.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Canary Wharf?
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.
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.
Front garden drives near Canary Wharf
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Greater London:
- Front garden drives in Canning Town
- Front garden drives in Greenwich
- Front garden drives in Stratford
- Front garden drives in Peckham
- Front garden drives in Islington
- Front garden drives in Catford
