Driveway Tips & Advice

Each surface has its strengths. Block paving offers the most flexibility on pattern and colour, and individual blocks can be lifted and replaced if needed. Tarmac is the most cost-effective on larger areas and is incredibly hard-wearing. Resin is the modern, low-maintenance choice with the cleanest finish.

As a general rule from our family team: traditional Hampshire homes tend to suit block paving, modern builds love resin, and any large shared access benefits from tarmac with block-paved borders.

Lay a few sample blocks against your brickwork on a dry day and a wet day before you commit. Block paving looks dramatically different wet versus dry. Generally: warm brick houses suit brindle, buff or autumn-toned paving; cool grey houses suit charcoal, silver or slate-toned blocks; cream or stone-rendered houses can carry pretty much any palette. Avoid trying to exactly match brick colour — pick a complementary tone instead.

Lower maintenance, but not zero. You’ll need to brush leaves and debris off occasionally so the surface drains properly, treat any oil spills quickly, and re-seal once every 5-7 years to keep the colour vibrant and the resin elastic. Compared to weeding block paving joints every spring, it’s much easier work.

The depth and compaction of the sub-base is the biggest factor in how long your driveway lasts. We dig to 200mm minimum on standard driveways and 300mm where heavier vehicles will park, lay Type 1 MOT in compacted layers, and finish with sharp sand or a laying course. Cheap quotes that skip sub-base depth typically result in sinking driveways within 3-5 years. Always ask for the sub-base depth in writing.

Edge restraints are critical — without them, block paving spreads outwards over time and joints open up. We use concrete-haunched kerb units, sleeper edges, or contrasting block-paved soldier-course borders as the primary restraint. Decorative metal edging looks good but isn’t structural; it should always be combined with proper concrete haunching beneath.

Surface water needs to go somewhere. We design every driveway with proper falls (a gentle slope, usually 1:80 minimum) and then either: route water to a permeable surface like resin or permeable block paving, install soakaways or attenuation tanks on your land, or fit linear ACO drains connected to existing surface water drainage. We never just let driveway water run off onto the public highway.

Since 2008, planning permission is required if you’re creating a non-permeable driveway over 5 square metres that drains onto the public highway. The simple solutions are: use a permeable surface like resin-bound or permeable block paving, route water to a soakaway in your own garden, or install a linear drain that connects to the existing drainage. Most of our installations are designed to be SUDS-compliant from the start.

The government’s full guidance on permeable driveways is published here.

SUDS stands for Sustainable Drainage Systems. The idea is that instead of letting hard surfaces dump rainwater directly into sewers and rivers (causing flooding), driveways and patios should manage water locally — either by being permeable, or by routing water into soakaways or attenuation. Most modern driveway installations are designed to be SUDS-compliant, and that’s what gets you out of the planning-permission requirement.

If you’re crossing a public footpath with a vehicle, you need a vehicle crossover from your local Highway Authority — in most of Hampshire that’s Hampshire County Council. The process takes 4-8 weeks and costs a few hundred pounds. We’ll talk you through it during the site visit and can coordinate timing with our installation.

Top up the jointing sand once a year with kiln-dried sand brushed in on a dry day. Jet wash every 12-18 months at low pressure. Treat oil spills quickly with a proper driveway cleaner. If your drive is sealed, plan to re-seal every 3-5 years to keep colours rich and joints stable.

Optional. Sealing block paving (typically 6 months after laying, once efflorescence has finished) deepens the colour, stabilises the jointing sand, and makes oil and stains easier to clean. It’s a maintenance trade-off — you’ll need to re-seal every 3-5 years. For resin driveways, sealing is built into the original install. Tarmac doesn’t need sealing in the traditional sense, but re-coats every 5-10 years keep it looking fresh.

If your jointing sand is properly topped up and you’ve had the drive sealed, weeds shouldn’t establish in the first place. If they have, brush them out with a stiff broom, treat with an appropriate weedkiller, and re-sand the joints. Polymeric jointing sand (which sets slightly tacky) is dramatically more weed-resistant than standard kiln-dried sand if it’s a recurring problem.

It depends on size, materials, drainage, edgings, and any walls or extras. As a rough family-business guide: a small block paved driveway typically starts from around £3,500, mid-size driveways with proper drainage and edging tend to be £6,000-£12,000, and large or premium driveways with walls, lighting or 3D-designed details range upwards from there. We always provide a full written quote at no charge.

Nine times out of ten, the gap is sub-base depth. A cowboy operator quoting half the price has saved themselves the cost of digging out properly, laid the surface on a thin layer of sand straight onto compacted soil, and pocketed the difference. The driveway will look fine for 18 months and then start sinking, opening joints and pooling water. Always insist on a written sub-base specification.

No. The most expensive driveway with the wrong material choice for your property still looks wrong. The right driveway is the one specified appropriately for your property, finished to proper construction standards, in materials that complement your home. A correctly-specified mid-range block paved driveway often looks better than an over-spec’d premium one.