What to know before a front garden driveway in Portishead
In Portishead, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.
The South West is wetter than the east of England, so falls and drainage are planned before the pattern is chosen.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Portishead?
Guide price in Portishead: £85–£140 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £4,250–£7,000. These are South West guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| 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 South West, 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.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
What we check on a Portishead survey
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Trees and roots near the drive
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
Do you need permission in Portishead?
Portishead 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.
What happens next
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.
How we work
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.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Front garden drives in Portishead: 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.
Is the survey in Portishead 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 you cover Nailsea, Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare?
Yes. We cover Portishead and the places around it, including Nailsea, Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare, and the rest of Somerset.
Front garden drives near Portishead
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across Somerset:
- Front garden drives in Nailsea
- Front garden drives in Clevedon
- Front garden drives in Weston-super-Mare
- Front garden drives in Bath
- Front garden drives in Burnham-on-Sea
