Planning a front garden driveway in Catford
Homes in Catford include plenty of semis and detached houses with room for a drive, plus older terraces where parking is tighter.
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 Catford?
For Catford, our guide is £100–£170 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £5,100–£8,400. 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 | £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 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.
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
What the survey covers
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Do you need permission in Catford?
Catford 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.
How it works
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
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
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 Catford: questions
Is the survey in Catford free?
Yes, for new paving here: the survey and written quote are free with no obligation. Repairs and cleaning are usually priced from photos, or from a short visit where needed.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Catford?
Our guide for Catford 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.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Catford?
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 Catford?
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.
Front garden drives near Catford
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Greater London:
- Front garden drives in Greenwich
- Front garden drives in Beckenham
- Front garden drives in Peckham
- Front garden drives in Eltham
- Front garden drives in Brixton
- Front garden drives in Canary Wharf
