What to know before a front garden driveway in Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow 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 Port Glasgow?
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 you get with our front garden drives service
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
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
Before we price your front garden driveway
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
Planning and kerb rules in Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow 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
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.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
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.
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.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Front garden drives in Port Glasgow: questions
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.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Port Glasgow?
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.
Is the survey in Port Glasgow 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.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Port Glasgow?
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 Port Glasgow
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde:
- Front garden drives in Greenock
- Front garden drives in Gourock
- Front garden drives in Erskine
- Front garden drives in Johnstone
- Front garden drives in Paisley
- Front garden drives in Renfrew
