What to know before a front garden driveway in Manchester
Manchester has everything from short terrace frontages to wide drives on newer estates, so the survey sets the layout and the dig.
Terraced streets across the North West often have very short frontages, so we check parking depth before quoting a conversion.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Manchester?
Expect front garden driveways in Manchester to come in at around £85–£140 per m², including VAT at 20%. As an example, a 50 m² double drive usually comes to between £4,250 and £7,000.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Concrete block driveway, new sub-base | £85–£140 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £10–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £350–£1,000 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,000–£3,000 |
Guide figures for the North West, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our front garden drives service
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.
- 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
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
What the survey covers
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
Planning and kerb rules in Manchester
Manchester 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
Tell us about the job
Use the form, the quote tool, WhatsApp or a call.
We take a look
A survey visit, or photos for smaller repair and cleaning jobs.
Price in writing
Every line itemised, including the dig, edging and drainage.
Booked and built
Agreed start date, then the work, the final clean-down and the joint top-up.
How we work
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.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
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 Manchester: questions
Can you match the blocks to my house in Manchester?
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.
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 Manchester?
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.
Do you cover Salford, Old Trafford and Failsworth?
Yes. We cover Manchester and the places around it, including Salford, Old Trafford and Failsworth, and the rest of Greater Manchester.
Front garden drives near Manchester
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Greater Manchester:
- Front garden drives in Salford
- Front garden drives in Old Trafford
- Front garden drives in Failsworth
- Front garden drives in Droylsden
- Front garden drives in Stretford
- Front garden drives in Eccles
