Tarmac Driveways in Rutland | Rutland Driveways

A new tarmac driveway typically costs £90–£130 per m² on a properly rebuilt base, so a two-car drive of 40–50m² is usually £4,500–£6,500. Where the base is sound, a plane and re-top costs £45–£70 per m². Long rural drives and farm entrances are priced per job.

Full rebuild per m²: £90–£130
Two-car drive (40–50m²): £4,500–£6,500
Plane and re-top: £45–£70 per m²
Surface course: SMA as standard

Our 2026 guide prices, all in. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit.

Tarmac driveways

Tarmac, built to last

For long drives, farm entrances and larger frontages, machine-laid tarmac is hard to beat on cost per square metre and sheer durability. The trick is stopping it looking municipal, and that comes down to edging and detail.

Where tarmac makes sense

We recommend tarmac most often for longer rural drives around Rutland's villages, shared accesses, and larger frontages where resin or block would stretch the budget without adding much. Laid in two courses on a proper sub-base, it shrugs off tractors, oil deliveries and the school run alike.

Binder and wearing courses machine-laid and rolled, not hand-raked patchwork
Edged in granite setts, block borders or stone to lift the appearance
Falls and drainage designed in: tarmac is impermeable, so where the water goes matters
Red and resin-decorated finishes available where a plain black surface feels too stark

A note on planning

Because tarmac is impermeable, front gardens over five square metres need the run-off contained within the property, usually with a channel drain to a soakaway, or planning permission becomes a factor. We design this in and handle it as part of the job.

Prefer gravel?

For period and country properties we also install gravel driveways on a stabilising grid, which keeps the traditional crunch without the constant raking and migration of loose-laid gravel.

Typical tarmac build-up

Excavation and geotextile where ground requires
Sub-base: compacted MOT Type 1, thickness to suit loads
Binder course: AC20, machine laid
Wearing course: AC10 / SMA to finish
Edging: granite, block or stone set in concrete

Got a long drive to surface?

Rural access drives are our bread and butter. Send us the location and we will come and measure up.

Our standard

What you get

Stone mastic asphalt surface course as our standard build
Proper sub-base under it, so it does not rut or crack
Granite sett or block borders that lift the whole frontage
Long drives and farm entrances machine laid

The specification

Old surface out and the ground checked
150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
Binder course laid hot and rolled
SMA (stone mastic asphalt) surface course
Sett, block or kerb edging restrained in concrete
Five year workmanship guarantee in writing

Long tarmac farm drive with sett edging between stone gate piers and post-and-rail fencing

Prices by town

What a tarmac driveway costs near you

Typical sizes we price in each town, at our 2026 guide rates.

Town	Typical size	Typical cost
Oakham	35–60m²	£3,250–£7,750
Uppingham	30–55m²	£2,750–£7,250
Stamford	30–55m²	£2,750–£7,250
Market Harborough	30–55m²	£2,750–£7,250
Corby	30–50m²	£2,750–£6,500
Kettering	30–50m²	£2,750–£6,500

More detail in our price guide.

Recent finishes

The kind of finish we build

Black tarmac driveway with a brindle block border in front of a stone house

Gravel driveway through a five-bar gate to a stone village house

By council

Planning and dropped kerbs by council

A front driveway needs no planning permission if it is permeable or drains to your own lawn or border; more than 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road does (Planning Portal guidance). In the Stamford conservation area the Article 4 direction brings any new road-facing hard surface under planning control. A new or wider entrance also needs a dropped kerb, and the rules depend on the highway authority.

Highway authority	Towns	Dropped kerb fee	Who builds it
Rutland County Council	Oakham, Uppingham, Ketton, Empingham, Cottesmore, Greetham, Langham, Whissendine, Ryhall, Edith Weston	£194 for the vehicle access permit	an accredited contractor under the council's permit (we can do it)
Lincolnshire County Council	Stamford	£300 for the council to build it, or £470 for a contractor	the county council, or an accredited contractor (we can do it)
Leicestershire County Council	Market Harborough, Great Bowden	£300 to apply (plus £240 if a contractor builds it)	the county council, or an accredited contractor (we can do it)
North Northamptonshire Council	Corby, Kettering, Weldon	£333 for the licence and inspection	an approved contractor (we can do it)

Fees from each council's website, checked October 2026. See dropped kerbs for the process in each town.

★★★★★

“Really pleased with my new driveway. Beautifully finished, friendly professional workmen, would definitely recommend and will be using them again for the garden once other renovations complete.”
Driveway — Google review

“Absolutely great guys, job was done in good time and looks brilliant. No complaints, the driveway is immaculate. More work in the near future, thanks again!”
Driveway — Google review

Read the reviews

Questions

Things people ask us

How soon can we use the drive?

You can usually walk on it the same day and drive on it after two to three days, depending on weather. We will confirm at handover.

Does tarmac crack?

Edges crumble where there is no restraint, and surfaces crack where the base moves. Both are build-quality issues, which is why our quotes specify edging and base depths rather than just "supply and lay tarmac".

Can you resurface over my existing drive?

If the existing surface is sound and levels allow, an overlay wearing course can be good value. If it is breaking up, an overlay will follow it. We will give you a straight answer on site.

How much does a tarmac driveway cost?