Planning a front garden driveway in Crawley
Crawley has a big mix of housing, from older terraces near the centre to newer estates further out, so no two drives here start from the same ground.
Planning-sensitive towns and conservation areas are common in the South East, so we check the front-garden rules before quoting.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Crawley?
For Crawley, our guide is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is likely to be £4,600–£7,550. 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 | £90–£150 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £11–£45 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£55 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £380–£1,100 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,100–£3,250 |
Guide figures for the South East, 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.
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
What the survey covers
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
Do you need permission in Crawley?
Crawley 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
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
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
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.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Front garden drives in Crawley: 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.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Crawley?
Our guide for Crawley is £90–£150 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² double drive is usually about £4,600–£7,550. Your fixed price follows the survey.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Crawley?
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.
Do I need planning permission for a front garden driveway in Crawley?
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.
Front garden drives near Crawley
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across West Sussex:
- Front garden drives in Horsham
- Front garden drives in East Grinstead
- Front garden drives in Haywards Heath
- Front garden drives in Burgess Hill
- Front garden drives in Worthing
