Replacing tarmac or concrete with block paving in Pontarddulais: the local picture
Pontarddulais is a smaller town, and many of its homes have more frontage to work with than city houses, which leaves room for borders and planting.
Hilly streets in much of Wales mean many drives slope, which shapes the falls, the edging and the water route.
How much does a replacement block drive cost in Pontarddulais?
For Pontarddulais, our guide is £90–£165 per m² including VAT, so a 45 m² replacement drive is likely to be £4,000–£7,550. Smaller jobs cost more per square metre because set-up and waste costs do not shrink with the area.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Replace tarmac or concrete with block (incl. break-out) | £90–£165 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £9.50–£35 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £19–£45 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £330–£930 |
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £930–£2,800 |
Guide figures for Wales, 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
- Drainage added where the old drive sent water to the house or road
- New edging, sub-base where needed, and the block drive
- Levels set below the damp-proof course with falls away from the house
What we check on a Pontarddulais survey
- Ground conditions under the old surface and how deep the sub-base must be
- Whether front-garden planning rules apply
- The kerb: is it already dropped, and is it wide enough?
- Access for a mini-digger, skip or grab lorry
- Levels against the damp-proof course (the finished paving must sit at least 150 mm below it)
Do you need permission in Pontarddulais?
Pontarddulais is in Wales, so these rules apply:
In Wales, any new or replacement hard surface at the front of a house should be permeable or drain to a permeable area within the property to avoid needing planning permission. Unlike England, there is no 5 m² allowance for new paving; only repairs of up to 5 m² of existing surface are exempt.
Since January 2019, construction work covering 100 m² or more with drainage implications, including drives and patios, needs approval from the local SuDS Approving Body (SAB) before work starts, even where planning permission is not needed.
A dropped kerb needs your council's approval as highway authority, and a new access onto a classified road needs planning permission.
General guidance, not legal advice. Your survey confirms what applies to your home. See the planning guide.
How it works
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
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
One point of contact
You deal with one team from survey to sign-off, with work carried out by paving teams working under S&K.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Replace an old drive in Pontarddulais: questions
Do you cover Gorseinon, Clydach and Swansea?
Yes. We cover Pontarddulais and the places around it, including Gorseinon, Clydach and Swansea, and the rest of West Glamorgan.
How long does a replacement 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.
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.
Can you match the blocks to my house in Pontarddulais?
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 Pontarddulais
Nearby towns we cover for replace an old drive, and replace an old drive across West Glamorgan:
- Replace an old drive in Gorseinon
- Replace an old drive in Clydach
- Replace an old drive in Swansea
- Replace an old drive in Neath
- Replace an old drive in Briton Ferry
