Update 2022: As has been reported in the media and confirmed by our own findings, the cost of home improvement and construction projects in the UK is skyrocketing with some firms reporting that materials are costing 50-70% more than they did 18 months ago. The Driveway block paving prices on this page were updated in April 2022 but we ask consumers to fill in this form if they would like a custom price.
Block paving has been around for decades and is a very popular choice for driveways, paths and as an alternative to patio slabs in the garden.
Personally, I love the appearance of “tumbler” type square blocks as I feel they look more visually appealing than the mass-produced rectangular blocks that are seen on millions of driveways.
Whatever your tastes and preferences, on this page you’ll find lots of helpful information.
In a hurry?
Here’s how much drive block paving costs in 2022, prices are elevated at the moment but that may change in the coming months:
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| 2-car driveway (40 sq mtr) | £5000 - £5500 (£125 - £140 per sq mtr) |
| Larger driveway (100 sq mtr) | £11,500 - £13,000 (£115 - £130 per sq mtr) |
| Get a fixed quote online -> | Get a Custom Price Here |
The price guide above includes:
- Standard blocks.
- Standard edgings.
- Drainage solution connecting to an existing drain/soakaway.
- New base.
- Waste disposal.
- All labour.
- VAT.
We’ve got a ton of helpful information on this page, so keep reading to discover:
- Alternatives.
- A look at how a driveway is replaced.
- Information about regulations such as drainage and how much this costs.
- Planning permission info.
- A time-lapse video of a typical installation.
Alternatives to Block Paving
Blocks are one the most expensive surfaces for driveways as they take the longest to lay and recent price increases in 2022 have pushed up their cost.
There are alternatives to consider:
Gravel/stones – This is one of the cheapest materials to use on a driveway, they can look appealing at first but are difficult to keep clean, especially if you have lots of trees nearby that shed leaves. Gravel and stone can be difficult to walk on in high heels and the material can get caught in the grip of car tyres and fall off in the street outside the house.
Tarmac – Black is the most popular colour but red is also an option to consider. Tarmac is fairly cheap but does require as much preparation underground as block paving.
Concrete – Pattern imprinted concrete offers the most choice in terms of pattern size and shapes. It’s not to everyone’s taste but check out our price guide here.
In our opinion, blocks and tumblers are the most visually appealing and there are various pattern and edging options available.
Once complete, the driveway can increase the value of the property and also help your house to sell quickly as it will be more desirable.
What You Get For Your Money
Here is a list of the steps involved with a block paving installation, the prices on this page include all of this:
- Locate all services such as water, gas and cables.
- Plan the works, including drainage channel, manhole covers and soakaway location if needed.
- Excavate the area to the required depth and level off.
- Next, the ground is compacted and a weed proof membrane is laid.
- MOT type 1 material is then compacted to a depth of 150mm with a layer of sharp sand on the top.
- The blocks are then laid, edgings cemented in place and a doorstep constructed if needed.
- Very fine sand is then brushed into the gaps between each block.
- Dispose of all waste material.
This is a Great Time-Lapse Video
Extra Costs to Consider
No two projects are ever the same and extras such as rainwater soakaways, complex drainage solutions and block upgrades will add to the cost.
You may find the prices below insightful but for more complex projects, we suggest getting a custom written quote that is based on your driveway.
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Upgrade from standard blocks to premium tumblers | Add 15 - 20% |
| Upgrade to permeable blocks and rainwater storage system | Add 15 - 20% |
| Construct a soakaway under the driveway and connect drain/drain channels | £1250 - £2000 depending on size |
| Relocate manhole cover and drain | £1000 - £3000 depending on depth of the drain and complexity |
| Excavating and substantial levelling such as raising or lowering driveway height | Depends on size of project |
| Get a fixed quote online -> | Get a Custom Price Here |
Assumptions
To produce the driveway block paving price guide you see on this page, we’ve had to make some assumptions:
- No trees or stumps need to be removed.
- The ground doesn’t need any substantial excavations such as raising or lowering the driveway by a significant amount.
- Any rainwater can be diverted to a flowerbed, lawn or to an existing soakaway via a drain or drain channel.
- You have the work completed in 2022. Prices are elevated at the moment due to a shortage of skilled labour and supply-chain issues but this may change and prices may normalise in the future.
- You’ll pay VAT which is included in the block paving driveway prices. Not every installer charges VAT, more info here.
What Prices Have You Been Given For a New Driveway?
When we first published this guide to block driveway prices, we asked visitors to this page how much they’ve been quoted for a new driveway.
We hoped that by sharing knowledge of real-world prices, our visitors would be able to see how much similar projects cost in their area.
Some of the entries below are dated and no longer as relevant as they once were:
| Name: | Desc: | Price: |
|---|---|---|
| Martin E (Somerset) | 110 sq yrd driveway with blocks and drainage by the entrance (2022) | £14,500 |
| Colin N (S East) | Tarmac driveway for our 3 cars (2022) | £6500 |
| Warren Sidaway (West Midlands) | Excavate to levels required (sloping driveway), lay 150 mm Type 1 MOT, lay membrane weed control. Hand lay 50 mm of 20 mm base course black tarmac, hand lay 40 mm of 6 mm dense black SMA wearing course. Driveway area 300 square metres. 5-year guarantee. (2021) | £13,000 inc VAT |
| Adam (Cardiff) | 160 sq m tarmac overlay residential driveway (2020) | £6500 |
| Margaret (Manchester) | Driveway 18m2 Ecogrid £270 Sub base £90 Under gravel £90 Sand and cement £60 Machinery £70 Edging £50 Waste removal/skip £140 Labour 3/4 days £950 Not including the gravel (2020) | £1720 |
| Mrs Paige (South London) | Driveway for three cars. New tarmac. (2020) | £3900 |
| Clara (unknown) | Old stone driveway removed and replaced with tarmac with white speckles. raised edges. 10m long and 4m wide roughly (2020) | £5600 |
| mr angel (newcastle) | tarmac topup over original four-car driveway that was looking tired but otherwise in good condition (2020) | £2300 |
| Kalpesh (Essex) | Concrete imprint driveway 48m2 @ £100 per m2. Agreed the price @ £4,500. Was expecting between £4,000 and £4,500. (2019) | £4500 |
| Adam Lawrence (Newport) | 237M2 of Printed Concrete. 6 car drive at the front of the house with a 2.5m strip running 35m to the garage at the rear. Just completed in printed concrete. (2019) | £13000 |
| Cindy (Gateshead) | 117 square meters stamped concrete (2019) | £7000 |
| SLI Driveways (Dudley) | In our are which is Dudley West Midlands (includes Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Halesowen) Block paving is anything from £45.00 m2 by bodgit and scarperand upto and beyond £120.00 m2 by reputable companies like ourselves. The upper price includes all excavation work, removal of spoil, supply, lay and compaction of hardcore, supply and screed sand and lay blocks. All work should always come with a no quibble guarantee of at least 5 years. (2019) | £120 per m2 inc VAT |
| Ann Haywood (Nuneaton Warwickshire) | WANT TARMAC DRIVE. STONED DRIVE AT PRESENT. DRIVE IS ROUGHLY 25 X 22 METERS (2019) | £5000 |
| Joshua (Plymouth) | Gravel drive way 4.8 x 2.4 including removal of wall (2017) | £5605 |
| Kevin (W London) | Small driveway for just two cars (blocks) (2017) | £3250 |
| Mike (Sunbury) | Tarmac to driveway for three cars (2017) | £2750 |
| Kelly Kitson (Midlands) | Tarmac driveway (2017) | £2000 |
| Daniel West (Poole) | Gravel driveway including new drainage soakway (2017) | £2250 |
You can add your own prices by filling out this form (no email required).
Need Inspiration?
As frequent visitors to our site will know, we love Pinterest and feel it’s the best place to get ideas for almost any interior or exterior home improvement project.
For those of you that have never been to this site before; it’s really easy to use.
Anyone can sign up and create a portfolio of awesome images that are sourced from anywhere on the web.
These then form collections and can be searched by entering a few words into the search bar.
Pinterest is popular with artists and designers wanting to showcase their work but can also be used by homeowners to get ideas.
If you’re in need of a little inspiration, you could start with the link below:
Discover 25+ awesome block paving ideas on Pinterest.
Here are some ideas we sourced from Pinterest:
Rustic Quartz Quartzite Block Paving. Image sourced from Natural Paving
Hidden drainage channel from Kebur
The hidden drainage channel looks discreet when viewed from above. Image from Kebur
Bradstone Block Paving – Stonemaster Granite Grey. Image sourced from Landscape Supplies Direct
Get more ideas and inspiration from Pinterest
Compare Driveway Block Paving Prices Online
Our guideline prices for a new block paved driveway are just that, guide prices that provide a ballpark figure.
Tap the button below and fill out the form with details of your driveway project and you’ll be given prices from local driveway installers which you can then compare:
More:
Cheap blocks cost around £35 per square metre inc VAT delivered. This is double what they cost a few years ago.
Premium Blocks will set you back up to £50+ per square metre.
Neither of those prices includes the cost of the sub-base, membrane, bedding sand, top sand or extras such as drainage channels and manhole covers.
As a guideline, we suggest a "supply only" price of around £60 - £75 per metre for regular blocks and materials, depending on driveway size.
This depends on how much excavation work is involved, this and the sub-base will take up most of the time.
Also, the more workers on the project, the quicker it will take.
For a small driveway, around 40 square metres, we would suggest around 3-4 days.
For a larger 100 square metre project, expect the work to take around 5-8 days, depending on the complexity.
Yes, we have included VAT in our price estimates shown above.
Did you know that some businesses don't need to charge VAT?
Find out more on our VAT guidance page.
Below you can find a link to our recently updated trade day rates page:
This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.
Don’t forget; we have price guides for hundreds of home improvement projects.
Explore our full list of detailed price guides here.
