What’s the Average Cost of Tarmac Driveway Installation in Manchester?

We can only speak for our own prices. A new tarmac driveway with us works out at around £90–£105 per m², and that price includes excavating the existing surface and laying a new base, not just the tarmac. Your exact price comes after a free site visit.

Our tarmac driveway price

Around £90–£105 per m², installed, with the dig-out and new base included. What moves the figure is the size of the area, access for machinery, how much old surface has to come up, and any drainage or edging work.

When you compare quotes, check whether a per-m² price includes excavation and a new base. Ours does. Material on its own is often quoted by the tonne, which tells you little about the finished cost.

What that works out at

Multiply your area by the band. As a guide, before a survey:

• 30 m²: £2,700–£3,150
• 50 m²: £4,500–£5,250
• 80 m²: £7,200–£8,400

To work out your own area, use our tarmac driveway cost calculator.

Tarmac or resin?

Once the same excavation is included, resin bound comes out only a little higher per m² than tarmac (around £100–£125 per m² for a full resin install), which is why a lot of our customers compare the two before deciding. If your existing base is sound, a resin overlay at around £50–£65 per m² can come in below a new tarmac drive. Our resin driveway prices set out both options.

Planning permission and drainage

Tarmac is impermeable. If a front driveway will cover more than 5 m² with an impermeable surface that drains onto the road, you need planning permission, unless the water runs off to a lawn or border to drain naturally. The exceptions to the usual rules are conservation areas with an Article 4 direction (Stockport has 24 of them), listed buildings, and access onto a classified road. Our guide to driveway planning permission in Greater Manchester sets out each council’s position.

The ground matters too. Much of the eastern side of the county drains poorly, while the sand and gravel under Stockport, Altrincham, Didsbury and Bury drains freely. We check drainage at the site visit, before we quote.

What’s included

• A free site visit and a written quote.
• Excavating the existing surface and laying a new base.
• Our 5-year guarantee, which covers everything except dry turning, spillage and failure to follow general maintenance.

Common questions

Does your price include digging out the old drive?

Yes. Around £90–£105 per m² covers excavating the existing surface and laying a new base as well as the tarmac.

Is tarmac much cheaper than resin?

Not by much once excavation is included on both. A full resin install is around £100–£125 per m². See our tarmac driveways and resin driveways pages to compare the finishes.

How do I get an exact price?

Book a free site visit. Call 0161 917 2477 or send us your details. You can read what our customers say in our 500+ five-star Google reviews.