What to know before a front garden driveway in Chorley
Homes in Chorley include plenty of semis and detached houses with room for a drive, plus older terraces where parking is tighter.
The North West is one of the wetter parts of England, so falls, channel drains and permeable options matter more than usual.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Chorley?
For Chorley, our guide is £85–£140 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £4,250–£7,000. 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 | £85–£140 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £10–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £350–£1,000 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,000–£3,000 |
Guide figures for the North West, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our front garden drives service
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.
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
Before we price your front garden driveway
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Rules for front drives in Chorley
Chorley 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.
How it works
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
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.
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.
Front garden drives in Chorley: questions
Can you match the blocks to my house in Chorley?
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.
Do you cover Leyland, Darwen and Preston?
Yes. We cover Chorley and the places around it, including Leyland, Darwen and Preston, and the rest of Lancashire.
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.
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 Chorley
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Lancashire:
- Front garden drives in Leyland
- Front garden drives in Darwen
- Front garden drives in Preston
- Front garden drives in Blackburn
- Front garden drives in Skelmersdale
- Front garden drives in Ormskirk

