What to know before a front garden driveway in East Grinstead
Homes in East Grinstead include plenty of semis and detached houses with room for a drive, plus older terraces where parking is tighter.
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 East Grinstead?
Most front garden driveway quotes in the South East fall within £90–£150 per m² including VAT. A 50 m² double drive would usually be about £4,600–£7,550, with any extras listed separately on your quote.
| 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 you get with our front garden drives service
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.
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Optional bin store area, planting strip and low edging
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
What the survey covers
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Trees and roots near the drive
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
Do you need permission in East Grinstead?
East Grinstead 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
Quick details
Your postcode and the job. It takes a minute.
On-site check
Measurements, levels against the damp-proof course, ground and drainage.
Itemised quote
Fixed once the specification is agreed, with no vague extras.
Laid and finished
Compacted, jointed and handed back clean.
Why choose Block Paving Contractors
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.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Front garden drives in East Grinstead: questions
Is the survey in East Grinstead 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 Crawley, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill?
Yes. We cover East Grinstead and the places around it, including Crawley, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, and the rest of West Sussex.
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 East Grinstead?
Our guide for East Grinstead 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.
Front garden drives near East Grinstead
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across West Sussex:
- Front garden drives in Crawley
- Front garden drives in Haywards Heath
- Front garden drives in Burgess Hill
- Front garden drives in Horsham
