Planning a front garden driveway in Stratford
Stratford is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.
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 Stratford?
For Stratford, 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 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.
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
What we check on a Stratford survey
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Do you need permission in Stratford?
Stratford 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
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
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
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.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Front garden drives in Stratford: questions
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Stratford?
Our guide for Stratford 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.
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 I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Stratford?
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 Stratford
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 Canary Wharf
- Front garden drives in Leytonstone
- Front garden drives in Ilford
- Front garden drives in Barking
- Front garden drives in Greenwich
