Planning a front garden driveway in Loughborough
Homes in Loughborough include plenty of semis and detached houses with room for a drive, plus older terraces where parking is tighter.
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 Loughborough?
For Loughborough, 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 is included?
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.
- 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
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
What we check on a Loughborough survey
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
Do you need permission in Loughborough?
Loughborough 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.
From enquiry to finished paving
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
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
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 Loughborough: questions
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Loughborough?
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.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Loughborough?
Our guide for Loughborough is £85–£140 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £4,250–£7,000. Your fixed price follows the survey.
Do you cover Coalville, Leicester and Oadby?
Yes. We cover Loughborough and the places around it, including Coalville, Leicester and Oadby, and the rest of Leicestershire.
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 Loughborough
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Leicestershire:
- Front garden drives in Coalville
- Front garden drives in Leicester
- Front garden drives in Oadby
- Front garden drives in Melton Mowbray
- Front garden drives in Wigston
- Front garden drives in Hinckley
