What to know before a front garden driveway in Acocks Green
Acocks Green is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.
Clay ground is widespread in the West Midlands, so the sub-base depth and drainage are checked on every survey.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Acocks Green?
Guide price in Acocks Green: £85–£140 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² double drive at about £4,250–£7,000. These are West Midlands 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 West 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.
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
What we check on an Acocks Green survey
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Trees and roots near the drive
Planning and kerb rules in Acocks Green
Acocks Green 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.
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.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Front garden drives in Acocks Green: questions
Do you cover Shirley, Solihull and Washwood Heath?
Yes. We cover Acocks Green and the places around it, including Shirley, Solihull and Washwood Heath, and the rest of the West Midlands.
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 Acocks Green?
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.
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 Acocks Green
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across West Midlands:
- Front garden drives in Shirley
- Front garden drives in Solihull
- Front garden drives in Washwood Heath
- Front garden drives in Birmingham
- Front garden drives in Aston
- Front garden drives in Smethwick
