If you're pricing up a new driveway, the honest answer is that the cost depends far more on what's underneath than what you see on top. A tired old driveway with poor drainage can cost more to put right than the surface itself. Here's a plain breakdown of real UK ranges and what actually moves the price.
As a rough guide for 2026, expect to pay somewhere in these ranges per square metre, supplied and laid. A standard two-car driveway is around 40 to 50 square metres, so multiply accordingly.
These figures assume a straightforward job. The groundworks below the surface, often the part nobody quotes for properly, are where budgets get blown.
The surface material is only part of it. The biggest hidden cost is excavation and the sub-base. A proper driveway needs the topsoil dug out, a compacted MOT Type 1 stone base of 100 to 150mm, and often a geotextile membrane. Skip this and the surface will sink or crack within a couple of winters.
Site access matters too. Around Chorley and the wider Lancashire area we see a lot of properties on slopes or with narrow access, which slows excavation and adds to muck-away costs. Disposing of dug-out spoil and old surfacing to a licensed tip is a real line item, often £200 to £400 in skip or grab-lorry charges alone.
Since 2008, if your driveway is over five square metres and drains onto a public road, you legally need to manage the water on your own land or use a permeable surface. This isn't optional and a reputable contractor will build it in.
In practice that means either a permeable surface like resin or open-jointed paving, a soakaway, or a linear drainage channel feeding somewhere sensible. Our clay-heavy soils in this part of Lancashire don't always drain freely, so a soakaway may need a percolation test first. Budget a few hundred pounds for proper drainage rather than hoping water finds its own way.
Always get the quote in writing with the sub-base depth, materials and drainage spelled out. A price that looks suspiciously low usually means a thin base or no drainage allowance, and you'll pay for it later. Be wary of anyone wanting full payment up front or knocking on the door with leftover tarmac.
A good contractor will visit, look at access and ground conditions, and explain what they're recommending and why. If two quotes are hundreds apart, the difference is almost always in what's happening below ground, so ask each one to itemise it.
Most domestic driveways take three to five working days once started, depending on size, the amount of excavation and the surface chosen. Block paving and resin tend to take a little longer than tarmac.
Usually not, provided you use a permeable surface or manage rainwater drainage on your own property. If you're paving over more than five square metres with a non-permeable surface that drains to the road, you may need permission, so check with Chorley Council if unsure.
Sometimes, but it's rarely a good idea. Overlaying hides underlying problems like a failing base or poor drainage, and the new surface often fails early as a result. A proper excavation and new sub-base costs more upfront but lasts far longer.