Planning a front garden driveway in Romford
Across Romford, front gardens range from narrow terrace plots to broad modern drives, and the best block, pattern and drainage choice changes with them.
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 Romford?
In London, a front garden driveway usually costs £100–£170 per m² including VAT. For a 50 m² double drive, that is roughly £5,100–£8,400. Your exact price depends on what the survey or your photos show, and is fixed in writing before anything is booked.
| 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.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
Before we price your front garden driveway
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
Planning and kerb rules in Romford
Romford 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.
From enquiry to finished paving
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.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Front garden drives in Romford: questions
Do you cover Dagenham, Becontree and Ilford?
Yes. We cover Romford and the places around it, including Dagenham, Becontree and Ilford, and the rest of Greater London.
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.
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.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Romford?
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 Romford
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Greater London:
- Front garden drives in Dagenham
- Front garden drives in Becontree
- Front garden drives in Ilford
- Front garden drives in Barking
- Front garden drives in Thamesmead
- Front garden drives in Leytonstone
