Planning a front garden driveway in Blackwood
Around Blackwood, plots are often larger and drives longer, so edging, falls and the route the water takes need planning.
Hilly streets in much of Wales mean many drives slope, which shapes the falls, the edging and the water route.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Blackwood?
In Wales, a front garden driveway usually costs £80–£130 per m² including VAT. For a 50 m² double drive, that is roughly £3,950–£6,500. 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 | £80–£130 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £9.50–£35 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £19–£45 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £330–£930 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £930–£2,800 |
Guide figures for Wales, 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
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
What we check on a Blackwood survey
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
Do you need permission in Blackwood?
Blackwood is in Wales, so these rules apply:
In Wales, any new or replacement hard surface at the front of a house should be permeable or drain to a permeable area within the property to avoid needing planning permission. Unlike England, there is no 5 m² allowance for new paving; only repairs of up to 5 m² of existing surface are exempt.
Since January 2019, construction work covering 100 m² or more with drainage implications, including drives and patios, needs approval from the local SuDS Approving Body (SAB) before work starts, even where planning permission is not needed.
A dropped kerb needs your council's approval as highway authority, and a new access onto a classified road needs planning permission.
General guidance, not legal advice. Your survey confirms what applies to your home. See the planning guide.
What happens next
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.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
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.
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.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Front garden drives in Blackwood: questions
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Blackwood?
Our guide for Blackwood is £80–£130 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £3,950–£6,500. 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.
Do you cover Bargoed, Abercarn and Abertillery?
Yes. We cover Blackwood and the places around it, including Bargoed, Abercarn and Abertillery, and the rest of Gwent.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Blackwood?
In Wales, new front paving should be permeable or drain within your boundary to avoid planning permission, and drives of 100 m² or more need SuDS approval. Ask us on the survey if you are unsure.
Front garden drives near Blackwood
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Gwent:
- Front garden drives in Bargoed
- Front garden drives in Abercarn
- Front garden drives in Abertillery
- Front garden drives in Risca
- Front garden drives in Caerphilly
- Front garden drives in Pontypool
