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Laying a hard surface to the front of a house is usually exempt development, but the rules changed and two things matter now. Surface water must not run onto the public road, so the surface has to be permeable or drain to a soakaway, and any new or widened entrance, dropped kerb, or removal of front railings or a boundary wall generally needs permission from your local council. We check drainage and access at the survey and tell you before we quote, and it is always worth confirming with the council first.

It is one of the first things anyone sees, and kerb appeal is the first impression a valuer or buyer forms. A finished, properly drained driveway makes a property look cared for rather than unfinished, and it removes an obvious job for the next owner. How much it recoups depends on the street and the finish, but it is one of the few improvements you will see and use every single day.

A typical home driveway is 5 to 8 working days from groundworks to handover, weather permitting, and longer if the site needs full excavation. As for using it, resin bound should be kept clear for 24 to 48 hours and not driven on for 48 to 72 hours. Tarmac takes light domestic use after 48 hours and full load after 7 days. We give you the exact times for your job at handover, with a written aftercare guide.

Built properly on a full structural base, it should last for decades. The finish is only ever as good as what is underneath it, which is why every Prestige driveway is engineered on a full depth sub-base instead of laid over a tired surface. Most of the tarmac jobs we are called out to replace are only six or seven years old, and they failed because the groundworks were cut short.

Each has its place. Resin bound is permeable, seamless and available in dozens of finishes, which is why it suits most front driveways. Tarmac is still the right choice for long access roads and heavy vehicles. Block paving gives a traditional look and can be lifted and relaid if repairs are ever needed. We will tell you honestly which suits your property rather than pushing one product.

Ask to see recent work nearby that you can drive past, ask for a written quote and a written guarantee on workmanship, and ask who will actually be doing the work. Ask about the sub-base and the drainage, not just the surface finish. Anyone who quotes without looking at the site, or who will not put the guarantee in writing, is worth avoiding. We use our own team from survey to handover, and every installation carries a full written guarantee.

Almost always the groundworks. If the sub-base is too thin, poorly compacted, or has no proper drainage, the surface moves, the blocks sink and the tarmac cracks. It is the most common fault we are called out to fix, and it is why we never cut the base, whatever surface goes on top.