What to know before a replacement block drive in Melton Mowbray
In Melton Mowbray, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.
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 replacement block drive cost in Melton Mowbray?
Guide price in Melton Mowbray: £95–£180 per m² including VAT, which puts a 45 m² replacement drive at about £4,300–£8,100. These are East Midlands guide figures; the survey confirms the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide 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 East Midlands, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our replace an old drive service
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.
- New edging, sub-base where needed, and the block drive
- Break-out of the old surface with waste removal and skip or grab lorry
- Assessment of the old base: keep, top up or replace
- 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
What we check on a Melton Mowbray survey
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- Trees and roots near the drive
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Block range, thickness, colour and pattern to suit the house
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
Do you need permission in Melton Mowbray?
Melton Mowbray 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
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.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Replace an old drive in Melton Mowbray: 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.
Do you cover Loughborough, Leicester and Oadby?
Yes. We cover Melton Mowbray and the places around it, including Loughborough, Leicester and Oadby, and the rest of Leicestershire.
Do I need planning permission for a replacement block drive in Melton Mowbray?
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.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Melton Mowbray?
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.
Replace an old drive near Melton Mowbray
Nearby towns we cover for replace an old drive, and replace an old drive across Leicestershire:
- Replace an old drive in Loughborough
- Replace an old drive in Leicester
- Replace an old drive in Oadby
- Replace an old drive in Wigston
- Replace an old drive in Coalville
