Permeable block paving in Market Harborough: the local picture
Around Market Harborough, plots are often larger and drives longer, so edging, falls and the route the water takes need planning.
Block drives laid twenty or thirty years ago are often ready for re-laying rather than replacing, because sound blocks outlast a weak base.
How much does a permeable block drive cost in Market Harborough?
Guide price in Market Harborough: £105–£170 per m² including VAT, which puts a 50 m² drive at about £5,250–£8,500. These are East Midlands guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Permeable block paving driveway | £105–£170 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 East Midlands, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our permeable paving service
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.
- Geotextile layer where the design needs one
- Edge restraints and any overflow or outlet the design needs
- Grit laying course and permeable blocks with grit-filled joints
- Ground check: how well the soil drains and how high the water table sits
- Open-graded crushed stone (no fines) laid and compacted in layers
What we check on a Market Harborough survey
- Steps, thresholds and door heights
- Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
Rules for front drives in Market Harborough
Market Harborough 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.
How we work
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Permeable paving in Market Harborough: 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 permeable block drive cost in Market Harborough?
Our guide for Market Harborough is £105–£170 per m² including VAT, so a 50 m² drive is usually about £5,250–£8,500. Your fixed price follows the survey.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Market Harborough?
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 you cover Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough?
Yes. We cover Market Harborough and the places around it, including Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, and the rest of Northamptonshire.
Permeable paving near Market Harborough
Nearby towns we cover for permeable paving, and permeable paving across Northamptonshire:
- Permeable paving in Corby
- Permeable paving in Kettering
- Permeable paving in Wellingborough
- Permeable paving in Northampton
- Permeable paving in Daventry
- Permeable paving in Rushden
