Reviewed, sourced guidance
Driveway cost guide: observed UK 2026 figures
Direct answer
A UK cost guide accessed on 25 September 2026 puts a 60 square metre driveway at about £2,100 to £4,800 for gravel, £2,500 to £5,000 for tarmac, and £5,500 to £8,000 for concrete. Labour is roughly £150 to £200 per person per day and site preparation about £750 to £1,500. Those are published ranges, not quotations.
A driveway quote is several jobs added together. Knowing which parts move explains why two quotes for the same drive can differ by thousands.
Key takeaways
- A 60 square metre driveway ranges from about £2,100 for gravel to about £8,000 for concrete.
- Labour is often 40 to 60 per cent of the total, so material cost alone misleads.
- Site preparation and removal of an existing surface are separate, significant costs.
- A dropped kerb is a distinct job that also needs council approval.
Cost by size
Published installed costs for a single-car driveway of around 30 square metres start at about £1,000 for gravel and reach about £4,000 for concrete.
At around 60 square metres, the same materials span roughly £2,100 to £8,000. The spread widens with size because groundwork and access matter more.
The table in this section keeps two publishers separate. MyJobQuote reports installed ranges per square metre; Checkatrade reports materials-and-labour point estimates per square metre. The guides do not describe identical scopes, so the figures stay side by side and are not averaged.
In each source column, the 40 square metre total is an arithmetic illustration: the published rate multiplied by 40. It is not a quotation or prediction and does not merge with the 30, 60 and 90 square metre totals above.
Published figures cover different scopes. MyJobQuote's installed ranges include average labour, basic groundwork and standard materials; Checkatrade's points cover materials and labour. MyJobQuote lists site preparation, existing-surface removal, soakaway drainage and dropped kerbs separately. Confirm VAT, access and ground conditions with each contractor.
- 30 square metres: gravel about £1,000 to £2,500, concrete about £2,500 to £4,000.
- 60 square metres: gravel about £2,100 to £4,800, concrete about £5,500 to £8,000.
- 90 square metres: gravel about £3,200 to £7,100, block paving about £3,800 to £12,000.
| Surface | MyJobQuote: £/m² × 40 m² | Checkatrade: £/m² × 40 m² |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel | £40–£100/m² × 40 m² = £1,600–£4,000 | £60/m² × 40 m² = £2,400 |
| Tarmac | £60–£90/m² × 40 m² = £2,400–£3,600 | £90/m² × 40 m² = £3,600 |
| Resin | £70–£120/m² × 40 m² = £2,800–£4,800 | £120/m² × 40 m² = £4,800 |
| Concrete | £85–£130/m² × 40 m² = £3,400–£5,200 | £95/m² × 40 m² = £3,800 |
| Block paving | £115–£175/m² × 40 m² = £4,600–£7,000 | £100/m² × 40 m² = £4,000 |
Sources for this section: MyJobQuote new driveway cost guide, UK 2026 prices (observed 2026-09-25)Checkatrade, Driveway Costs in the UK (updated April 2026; observed 2026-09-25)
What else lands on the bill
Site preparation and grading are quoted separately at roughly £750 to £1,500. Removing an existing driveway adds about £500 to £2,000.
Drainage work can add a separate cost. MyJobQuote gives a soakaway range of about £700 to £1,100, and a dropped kerb range of about £800 to £1,200 with council approval required.
- Site preparation and grading: about £750 to £1,500.
- Removal of an existing driveway: about £500 to £2,000.
- Soakaway drainage: about £700 to £1,100 in the cited guide.
- Dropped kerb: about £800 to £1,200, plus council approval.
Sources for this section: MyJobQuote new driveway cost guide, UK 2026 prices (observed 2026-09-25)
What drives the range
Labour is charged by the person-day, commonly £150 to £200, and larger projects use two or three people. That is why block paving costs more than gravel for the same area.
Timescales follow the same pattern. Published estimates run from one to two days for a small gravel drive up to four to six days for block paving.
- Labour: about £150 to £200 per person per day.
- Gravel 30 square metres: about 1 to 2 days.
- Block paving 60 square metres: about 4 to 6 days.
- Bad weather and waiting for materials extend these estimates.
Sources for this section: MyJobQuote new driveway cost guide, UK 2026 prices (observed 2026-09-25)
Next steps
- Get at least three quotes for the same specification.
- Ask each contractor what the quote excludes before comparing.