New Driveway Costs in 2026

Driveway cost per square metre

The guide price column uses one source, so the surfaces can be compared fairly on the same basis. The typical range column shows the spread across four 2026 UK cost guides, so you can see how much quotes vary. Both are fitted prices (materials and labour).

Sources: guide price from Checkatrade’s driveway cost guide; typical ranges cross-checked against MyJobQuote, BestBuilders and The Driveway Directory, checked November 2026. In Surrey, tight access, waste disposal and drainage work often push prices towards the top of these ranges. The 50 m² column is just the area multiplied by the guide price. Check VAT, digging out, waste removal, drainage and anything not included with the contractor quoting. Do not add the cost of preparation twice if it is already included.

What changes your quotation?

Two drives of the same size can need very different work. One may have a solid base and easy access. Another may have a thick concrete slab to break out, a low garage door and nowhere for rainwater to go. A site visit should sort out these differences before you choose a finish.

• What is there now: find out what can stay and what must come out. A photo of the surface cannot show what is underneath.
• Access and soil removal: measure the narrowest way in and allow for legal waste removal, loading space and delivery limits.
• Levels: note the levels of the house, garage, pavement and next door. Changes may need steps, a retaining wall or different slopes.
• Drainage: price the whole route from the surface to a suitable outlet, including any checks needed first.
• Details: curves, cutting patterns, borders, manhole covers and joining an existing drive all add work.

Replacement or resurfacing?

Resurfacing keeps a sound existing base and puts a new top layer on. Full replacement takes out the poor layers and rebuilds them. These are different jobs, so do not compare them on price per m² alone. Sinking, puddles that keep coming back and loose edges can mean problems underneath, and a new top layer may not fix them.

Our asphalt and resin surfacing service starts by checking the existing drive, what it carries and how it drains. If only one area has sunk, read the sunken driveway repair guide before deciding to replace the whole drive.

Drainage and permission checks

In England, the rules for paving a front garden depend on where the rain goes. A surface that lets water through, or one that drains onto a lawn or border, is treated differently from a solid surface that does not. More than 5 m² of solid surface without that drainage usually needs planning permission. Other limits and permissions can still apply. See the Planning Portal’s front-garden guidance and our Surrey driveway drainage guide.

A dropped kerb is a separate matter for the highway authority. Check with them before changing the pavement. A resin-bound surface does not always drain on its own: the base, the ground and where the water goes must all be suitable too.

Compare like-for-like quotes

Ask each contractor to price the same area and the same written brief. Note the surface product, digging out, base, drainage, edging, waste, making good, VAT and any provisional sums. Ask what happens if poor ground is found, and how any extra work is agreed before it starts.

Use our printable driveway quote checklist to note the answers. The site-survey brief builder helps you organise measurements and photos. Remember an online estimate is not a site visit.

What we check before turning a benchmark into a quote

When we visit for a driveway, we look at how it needs to be built before talking about the surface. We measure the real area and door levels, look for signs of movement, see which way rainwater runs, note the edging and manhole covers, and check how machines, deliveries and soil removal can reach the front of the house.

For a measured starting point, use the patio and driveway materials calculator. Then take its measurements into the written quote checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What does a double driveway cost?

For a measured 50 m² area, the examples above range from £3,000 to £6,000. A “double driveway” is not a set size or build, so measure yours and check the preparation, drainage and VAT before relying on that range.

Which surface is cheapest?

Gravel has the lowest guide price here. Whether it suits you depends on the slope, loose stones moving about, access for wheelchairs and buggies, and how you use the drive. The cheapest surface is not always the cheapest job overall.

Can I reuse the existing base?

Possibly, once it has been checked for strength, depth, levels and whether it suits the new surface. Keeping a poor base to cut the headline price can leave the cause of future sinking in place.

How do I get a Surrey quote?

Send A Jones the postcode, rough measurements, photos of the front and any drainage worries. We cover Woking, Guildford and the surrounding Surrey areas. Look at our driveway service, then request a site survey for a written quote.