What to know before a front garden driveway in Johnstone
Johnstone is a smaller town, and many of its homes have more frontage to work with than city houses, which leaves room for borders and planting.
In Scotland, front paving must be porous or drain within the property whatever its size, so drainage is part of every design.
In Scotland block paving is often called monoblock; it is the same thing, and the same rules for the base, edging and drainage apply.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Johnstone?
Most front garden driveway quotes in Scotland fall within £85–£140 per m² including VAT. A 50 m² double drive would usually be about £4,250–£7,000, with any extras listed separately on your quote.
| 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 Scotland, 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.
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- 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
What we check on a Johnstone survey
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Where an electric vehicle charger cable might run
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
Do you need permission in Johnstone?
Johnstone is in Scotland, so these rules apply:
In Scotland, a hard surface between the house and the road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a permeable area within the property. There is no 5 m² threshold: the rule applies whatever the size.
Hard surfaces are not permitted development in a conservation area or within the grounds of a listed building, so planning permission is needed there.
A dropped kerb needs consent from your council as roads authority under section 56 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, and planning permission may also be needed depending on the road.
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
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.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Front garden drives in Johnstone: questions
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.
Do you cover Paisley, Barrhead and Erskine?
Yes. We cover Johnstone and the places around it, including Paisley, Barrhead and Erskine, and the rest of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Johnstone?
In Scotland, front paving must be porous or drain within your boundary at any size, and permitted development does not apply in conservation areas. Ask us on the survey if you are unsure.
Front garden drives near Johnstone
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde:
- Front garden drives in Paisley
- Front garden drives in Barrhead
- Front garden drives in Erskine
- Front garden drives in Renfrew
- Front garden drives in Newton Mearns
- Front garden drives in Giffnock
