Replace an old drive in Kirkby-in-Ashfield

Planning a replacement block drive in Kirkby-in-Ashfield

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

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 Kirkby-in-Ashfield?

Guide price in Kirkby-in-Ashfield£95–£180 per m²Including VAT at 20%

Guide price in Kirkby-in-Ashfield: £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 is included?

Replacing an old drive with block paving means breaking out the existing tarmac, concrete or gravel, checking what is underneath, and then building a block drive on a sound base. Many older tarmac and concrete drives have cracked, sunk or broken up, which is why this is such a common way into block paving.

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

What the survey covers

Steps, thresholds and door heights
Existing manhole and inspection covers, and whether to recess them
Trees and roots near the drive
Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
Edges against lawns, beds, walls and neighbours

Rules for front drives in Kirkby-in-Ashfield

Kirkby-in-Ashfield 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

Tell us about the job
Use the form, the quote tool, WhatsApp or a call.
We take a look
A survey visit, or photos for smaller repair and cleaning jobs.
Price in writing
Every line itemised, including the dig, edging and drainage.
Booked and built
Agreed start date, then the work, the final clean-down and the joint top-up.

How we work

The dig and sub-base in writing

Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.

Clean finish

The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.

Repair before replace

If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.

Honest timescales

We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.