Hampshire · Front garden drives

Front garden to driveway conversions in Hythe

We quote front garden driveways throughout Hythe and Hampshire. The survey sets the depth of dig and the drainage; the pattern and colour are your choice.

  • Postcodes SO45, SO31, SO42
  • £90–£150 per m² inc VAT
  • Free survey for new paving
Small front garden of a Victorian terrace converted into a block paved parking space with a planted border

Front garden to driveway conversions in Hythe: the local picture

Around Hythe, plots are often larger and drives longer, so edging, falls and the route the water takes need planning.

Planning-sensitive towns and conservation areas are common in the South East, so we check the front-garden rules before quoting.

How much does a front garden driveway cost in Hythe?

Guide price in Hythe£90–£150 per m²Including VAT at 20%

Most front garden driveway quotes in the South East fall within £90–£150 per m² including VAT. A 50 m² double drive would usually be about £4,600–£7,550, with any extras listed separately on your quote.

ItemGuide price inc VAT
Concrete block driveway, new sub-base£90–£150 per m²
Breaking out an old surface£11–£45 per m²
Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched£20–£55 per metre
Typical channel drain run£380–£1,100
Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction£1,100–£3,250

Guide figures for the South East, 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.

  • Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
  • Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
  • Dig-out, sub-base and edging
  • Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
  • Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement

Before we price your front garden driveway

  • Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
  • The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
  • Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
  • Steps, thresholds and door heights
  • Trees and roots near the drive

Rules for front drives in Hythe

Hythe 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

  1. Send the basics

    Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.

  2. Survey

    We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.

  3. Written quote

    An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.

  4. The work

    Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.

What you can expect from us

Repair before replace

If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.

Clean finish

The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.

Edges set in concrete

Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.

The dig and sub-base in writing

Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.

Front garden drives in Hythe: questions

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 Southampton, Totton and Eastleigh?

Yes. We cover Hythe and the places around it, including Southampton, Totton and Eastleigh, and the rest of Hampshire.

How much does a front garden driveway cost in Hythe?

Our guide for Hythe is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £4,600–£7,550. Your fixed price follows the survey.

Can you match the blocks to my house in Hythe?

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 Hythe

Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Hampshire:

Other block paving services in Hythe

Or see all block paving services in Hythe.

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Ready to talk about your front garden driveway? Send your postcode and a few details, and we will arrange the next step.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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