Planning a front garden driveway in Worthing
Across Worthing, front gardens range from narrow terrace plots to broad modern drives, and the best block, pattern and drainage choice changes with them.
Chalk, clay and sandy ground all occur across the South East, so the dig and sub-base depth are set on the survey rather than assumed.
How much does a front garden driveway cost in Worthing?
For Worthing, 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 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.
- Wall, hedge or fence opening and making good the ends
- Space check: car length, door swing and the gap to the pavement
- Dig-out, sub-base and edging
- Advice on the dropped kerb application before work starts
- Permeable blocks or falls to a planted border
What we check on a Worthing survey
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
Do you need permission in Worthing?
Worthing 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.
How it works
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
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
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.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Front garden drives in Worthing: questions
Can you match the blocks to my house in Worthing?
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.
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 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.
Do you cover Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Burgess Hill?
Yes. We cover Worthing and the places around it, including Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Burgess Hill, and the rest of West Sussex.
Front garden drives near Worthing
Nearby towns we cover for front garden drives, and front garden drives across West Sussex:
- Front garden drives in Littlehampton
- Front garden drives in Bognor Regis
- Front garden drives in Burgess Hill
- Front garden drives in Horsham
- Front garden drives in Haywards Heath
- Front garden drives in Chichester
