Front garden to driveway conversions in Ilford: the local picture
Ilford has everything from short terrace frontages to wide drives on newer estates, so the survey sets the layout and the dig.
Front gardens in much of London are short, so parking depth and the dropped kerb usually decide whether a drive is possible.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Ilford?
Guide price in Ilford: £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 is included?
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.
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
Before we price your front garden driveway
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Trees and roots near the drive
Rules for front drives in Ilford
Ilford 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.
What you can expect from us
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.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Front garden drives in Ilford: questions
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.
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 you cover Barking, Becontree and Leytonstone?
Yes. We cover Ilford and the places around it, including Barking, Becontree and Leytonstone, and the rest of Greater London.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Ilford?
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.
Front garden drives near Ilford
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Greater London:
- Front garden drives in Barking
- Front garden drives in Becontree
- Front garden drives in Leytonstone
- Front garden drives in Stratford
- Front garden drives in Canning Town
- Front garden drives in Dagenham
