What goes into a driveway that lasts
Most driveway problems have nothing to do with the blocks. Sunken wheel tracks, blocks rocking underfoot, puddles that never drain: that's the base giving up, usually because it was too thin or never compacted properly in the first place.
So the part you never see is where most of our time goes:
- Dig out. We excavate to the right depth for a driveway, take out soft spots and roots, and take the spoil away.
- Sub-base. Crushed stone (MOT Type 1), laid in layers and compacted with a plate compactor. Usually around 150mm for a domestic drive, deeper where the ground is soft.
- Levels and falls. The drive is set to fall away from the house and towards somewhere the water can go, so you're not left with a pond by the front door.
- Edges. Kerbs or edging blocks set in concrete. Block paving relies on its edges to stay locked together, so this matters more than most people think.
- Surface. Blocks laid on a screeded sand bed, cut in neatly at the edges, then compacted and finished with kiln-dried sand brushed into the joints.
Block paving or gravel?
Block paving
Hard-wearing, easy to sweep and available in plenty of colours and patterns. If a block gets stained or damaged it can be lifted and replaced on its own. It costs more than gravel, but it's what most people choose for the front of the house.
Gravel
Quicker to lay and cheaper per square metre. Water drains straight through it, which helps with the planning rules below. It does move about, so we finish it with solid edging and can lay a stabilising grid underneath to hold it in place.
Plenty of drives are a mix of the two: a block-paved apron with gravel borders, or block paving with a contrasting edge course. We'll talk you through what suits the house and the budget when we come out.
Driveway security posts
If people keep parking across your drive, or you want to stop a van, caravan or trailer being driven away, a security post is a simple fix. We fit fold-down and removable posts set into a concrete foundation, so they can't just be levered out of the ground.
The best time to fit one is while a new drive is going in, because the ground is already open. We can also retrofit posts into an existing drive by cutting out a neat section, setting the foundation and making good around it.
Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?
For most houses in England, no, as long as the drive is built so rainwater can drain away. Since 2008, covering more than five square metres of a front garden with a hard surface that water can't soak through needs planning permission, unless the rain runs off onto a lawn, border or soakaway on your own land.
In practice that means either a permeable surface, such as gravel or permeable block paving, or a standard surface laid to drain somewhere it can soak away. We plan the drainage with that in mind and tell you which way we're doing it.
Need a dropped kerb? Driving across the pavement to reach your drive needs permission from the council, and the work on the footpath itself is done by their approved contractors. In Walsall that's Walsall Council; in Cannock and the rest of Staffordshire it's Staffordshire County Council. We'll lay your drive to line up with it.
What affects the price
Every driveway is priced on the job in front of us, which is why we come out and measure up rather than guess over the phone. The main things that move the price:
- The size of the area and how deep it needs digging out
- What's there now. Breaking out old concrete or tarmac takes longer than lifting turf
- Ground conditions, and how much sub-base is needed
- The blocks or gravel you choose, and any borders or patterns
- Drainage, steps, walls or kerbs that need building at the same time
- Access for the digger and the skip
You'll get a free quote covering the materials and the timescale, and no pressure to go ahead.
More driveways & block paving work
Driveways & Block Paving: your questions
How long does a block paved driveway take?
A typical front drive is usually done within a week, depending on its size and how much has to come out first. Bad weather can push it back a day or two. We'll give you a realistic timescale with the quote.
Can you lay new block paving over my old concrete drive?
Not usually, and we wouldn't recommend it. Laying over an old slab raises the level, can cause problems with your damp course and front door, and hides whatever was wrong underneath. We break it out and start again from a proper base.
Will weeds grow through the joints?
Very little, as long as the joints are kept topped up with kiln-dried sand. A quick brush and re-sand every so often keeps block paving looking sharp. Under gravel, a weed membrane does the same job.
Can I park on it straight away?
With block paving you can usually drive on it once it's been compacted and sanded. Anything set in concrete, like kerbs or a security post foundation, needs a few days to cure first, and we'll tell you when it's ready.
Do you fit security posts on existing driveways?
Yes. We cut out a neat section of the existing surface, set the post's foundation in concrete and make good around it.
