Driveway Project Estimator
Complete driveway material list — sub-base, bedding, surface and muck-away calculated together. Block paving, resin bound or gravel. 2026 UK pricing.
Build Guide
Driveway Layer by Layer
Block paving — the standard approach
Excavate to 200–240mm below finished level. Compact the formation. Lay 150mm MOT Type 1 in two 75mm passes, compacting each with a vibrating plate. Lay 40mm sharp sand bedding screeded to level. Lay blocks in your chosen pattern. Compact blocks with a plate compactor (rubber pad over blocks). Brush kiln-dried sand into joints and vibrate twice more until joints are fully filled.
Edge restraints (haunching concrete) are essential around the perimeter — without them the blocks spread outward over time. A concrete haunch on the outer edge, or proprietary plastic edging pins, holds the driveway together.
Resin bound — SuDS compliant
Excavate to 250mm. Lay 150mm MOT Type 3 (reduced fines — not Type 1, which is impermeable). Then 70mm open-graded bitmac (macadam) base, laid and compacted hot by a specialist. The resin bound top is mixed on-site in a forced-action mixer — aggregate and resin combined then trowelled to 18mm. Must be laid in a single continuous operation; any cold joints will be visible. Not a DIY surface — requires a specialist installer.
Gravel — the permeable DIY option
Excavate 170–200mm. Lay 100mm MOT Type 1 and compact. Lay geo-textile membrane (prevents gravel mixing with sub-base). Lay 50–75mm of 20mm single-size angular gravel (rounded gravel migrates and does not bind). Use plastic or steel edging restraints to prevent spread. Cell confinement grids (plastic honeycomb) help prevent migration on slopes and reduce maintenance significantly.
FAQ
Common Questions
Since 2008, paving over more than 5m² of front garden with a non-permeable surface requires planning permission in England. Permeable surfaces (gravel, permeable block paving, resin bound) are exempt. If the surface drains to a lawn or border rather than to the highway, it is also exempt regardless of material. Side and rear driveways are generally not affected by this rule.
MOT Type 1 contains fine particles that fill the voids between larger stones — it compacts to a very dense, stable surface but is impermeable. MOT Type 3 has the fines removed, so it stays permeable when compacted. Use Type 1 under block paving and most surfaces. Use Type 3 (reduced fines) only under resin-bound and permeable surfaces where SuDS compliance is required.
Material costs only (no labour): block paving £35–80/m², gravel £18–40/m², resin bound £60–120/m² (materials only — requires specialist installation). Full installed costs including labour typically run: block paving £80–150/m², gravel £30–60/m², resin bound £80–150/m². Our estimator covers materials only — labour varies significantly by region and contractor.
A wacker plate (vibrating plate compactor) is essential for compacting sub-base. Without proper compaction, the driveway will sink and shift under vehicle loads. Hire one — typically £60–90/day — and compact sub-base in layers of no more than 100mm. Also used after laying blocks to bed them into the sand and vibrate jointing sand into joints. Do not skip this step.