Front garden to driveway conversions in Sandown: the local picture
Around Sandown, 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.
Work in the Isle of Wight is by arrangement: we confirm availability and any travel charge before a visit, and many jobs can be priced from photos first.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Sandown?
In the South East, a front garden driveway usually costs £90–£150 per m² including VAT. For a 50 m² double drive, that is roughly £4,600–£7,550. 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 | £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 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.
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
What we check on a Sandown survey
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
Planning and kerb rules in Sandown
Sandown 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
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
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.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Front garden drives in Sandown: questions
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Sandown?
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 Ryde, Newport, Isle of Wight and Cowes?
Yes. We cover Sandown and the places around it, including Ryde, Newport, Isle of Wight and Cowes, and the rest of the Isle of Wight.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Sandown?
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.
Front garden drives near Sandown
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Isle of Wight:
- Front garden drives in Ryde
- Front garden drives in Newport, Isle of Wight
- Front garden drives in Cowes
