What to know before a front garden driveway in Leicester
Leicester has a big mix of housing, from older terraces near the centre to newer estates further out, so no two drives here start from the same ground.
Block drives laid twenty or thirty years ago are often ready for re-laying rather than replacing, because sound blocks outlast a weak base.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Leicester?
For Leicester, 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 East Midlands, 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.
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
What the survey covers
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
Rules for front drives in Leicester
Leicester 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
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
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
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 Leicester: questions
Do you cover Oadby, Wigston and Loughborough?
Yes. We cover Leicester and the places around it, including Oadby, Wigston and Loughborough, and the rest of Leicestershire.
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.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Leicester?
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.
Front garden drives near Leicester
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Leicestershire:
- Front garden drives in Oadby
- Front garden drives in Wigston
- Front garden drives in Loughborough
- Front garden drives in Coalville
- Front garden drives in Hinckley
- Front garden drives in Melton Mowbray
