What to know before a front garden driveway in Canterbury
In Canterbury, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.
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 Canterbury?
For Canterbury, our guide is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £4,600–£7,550. 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 | £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 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.
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
What we check on a Canterbury survey
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
Planning and kerb rules in Canterbury
Canterbury 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
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.
What you can expect from us
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.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Front garden drives in Canterbury: questions
Do you cover Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham?
Yes. We cover Canterbury and the places around it, including Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham, and the rest of Kent.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Canterbury?
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.
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.
Front garden drives near Canterbury
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Kent:
- Front garden drives in Whitstable
- Front garden drives in Herne Bay
- Front garden drives in Faversham
- Front garden drives in Ashford, Kent
- Front garden drives in Folkestone
- Front garden drives in Deal
