Cheshire · Replace an old drive

Replacing tarmac or concrete with block paving in Wilmslow

Block paving suits homes in Wilmslow because it can be repaired a block at a time and looks right for decades when the base underneath is built properly.

  • Postcodes SK9, SK12, WA16
  • £95–£180 per m² inc VAT
  • Free survey for new paving
Driveway half old cracked tarmac and half new brindle herringbone block paving

Replacing tarmac or concrete with block paving in Wilmslow: the local picture

Wilmslow is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.

Terraced streets across the North West often have very short frontages, so we check parking depth before quoting a conversion.

How much does a replacement block drive cost in Wilmslow?

Guide price in Wilmslow£95–£180 per m²Including VAT at 20%

For Wilmslow, our guide is £95–£180 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² replacement drive is likely to be £4,300–£8,100. Smaller jobs cost more per square metre because set-up and waste costs do not shrink with the area.

ItemGuide price inc VAT
Replace tarmac or concrete with block (incl. break-out)£95–£180 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 North West, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.

What is included?

Sometimes the old base can be kept: a thick, sound concrete or well-compacted hardcore layer may only need trimming and topping up. Often it cannot, because it was too thin, has sunk or sits too high against the house. The survey checks levels against the damp-proof course and the existing base before the quote is written, so the price reflects the real dig.

  • Drainage added where the old drive sent water to the house or road
  • Levels set below the damp-proof course with falls away from the house
  • Assessment of the old base: keep, top up or replace
  • New edging, sub-base where needed, and the block drive
  • Break-out of the old surface with waste removal and skip or grab lorry

Before we price your replacement block drive

  • Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
  • The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
  • Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours
  • Where rain will go: falls, lawn, border, channel or soakaway
  • Whether front-garden planning rules apply

Rules for front drives in Wilmslow

Wilmslow 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.

From enquiry to finished paving

  1. Send the basics

    Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.

  2. Survey

    We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.

  3. Written quote

    An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.

  4. The work

    Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.

How we work

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.

Water planned first

Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.

Itemised quotes

Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.

Replace an old drive in Wilmslow: 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.

Is the survey in Wilmslow 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 I need planning permission for a replacement block drive in Wilmslow?

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.

Do you cover Macclesfield, Congleton and Northwich?

Yes. We cover Wilmslow and the places around it, including Macclesfield, Congleton and Northwich, and the rest of Cheshire.

Replace an old drive near Wilmslow

Nearby towns we cover for replace an old drive, and replace an old drive across Cheshire:

Other block paving services in Wilmslow

Or see all block paving services in Wilmslow.

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Get a guide price in a couple of minutes with our quote tool, or book a survey in Wilmslow.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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