Planning a front garden driveway in Strood
Homes in Strood include plenty of semis and detached houses with room for a drive, plus older terraces where parking is tighter.
Chalk, clay and sandy ground all occur across the South East, so the dig and sub-base depth are set on the survey rather than assumed.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Strood?
For Strood, 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 does a front garden driveway involve?
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.
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
What we check on a Strood survey
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
Rules for front drives in Strood
Strood 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
Send the basics
Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.
Survey
We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.
Written quote
An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.
The work
Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.
How we work
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.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Front garden drives in Strood: questions
Is the survey in Strood free?
Yes, for new paving here: the survey and written quote are free with no obligation. Repairs and cleaning are usually priced from photos, or from a short visit where needed.
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 Strood?
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 Rochester, Gillingham and Gravesend?
Yes. We cover Strood and the places around it, including Rochester, Gillingham and Gravesend, and the rest of Kent.
Front garden drives near Strood
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Kent:
- Front garden drives in Rochester
- Front garden drives in Gillingham
- Front garden drives in Gravesend
- Front garden drives in Maidstone
- Front garden drives in Sittingbourne
- Front garden drives in Dartford
