Planning a permeable block drive in Ilford
Across Ilford, front gardens range from narrow terrace plots to broad modern drives, and the best block, pattern and drainage choice changes with them.
Front gardens in much of London are short, so parking depth and the dropped kerb usually decide whether a drive is possible.
How much does a permeable block drive cost in Ilford?
For Ilford, our guide is £125–£205 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is likely to be £6,300–£10,200. Smaller jobs cost more per square metre because set-up and waste costs do not shrink with the area.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Permeable block paving driveway | £125–£205 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £12–£50 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £25–£60 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £420–£1,200 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,200–£3,600 |
Guide figures for London, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What is included?
Permeable block paving is block paving built so that rainwater drains down through the joints into a deep, open-graded stone sub-base, where it is stored and soaks away slowly into the ground or is piped off. The blocks have small spacers or wider joints filled with fine grit instead of sand.
- Ground check: how well the soil drains and how high the water table sits
- Grit laying course and permeable blocks with grit-filled joints
- Deeper dig-out for the open-graded sub-base
- Open-graded crushed stone (no fines) laid and compacted in layers
- Edge restraints and any overflow or outlet the design needs
What we check on an Ilford survey
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
Rules for front drives in Ilford
Ilford 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
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
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.
Permeable paving in Ilford: 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 long does a permeable block drive 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 Barking, Becontree and Leytonstone?
Yes. We cover Ilford and the places around it, including Barking, Becontree and Leytonstone, and the rest of Greater London.
Is the survey in Ilford 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.
Permeable paving near Ilford
Nearby towns we cover for permeable paving, and permeable paving across Greater London:
- Permeable paving in Barking
- Permeable paving in Becontree
- Permeable paving in Leytonstone
- Permeable paving in Stratford
- Permeable paving in Canning Town
- Permeable paving in Dagenham
