HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

How to hire a driveway contractor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register covers driveway contractors. Check the drainage rule, the dropped kerb and the base depth — and never buy a drive at the door.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a driveway contractor in five steps

  1. Never agree at the doorGet three written quotes from contractors you approached.
  2. Ask how the drive drainsPermeable, or falls to a soakaway or lawn. In England the planning rule depends on it.
  3. Get the build-up in writingDig depth, sub-base, surface and edging.
  4. Check the dropped kerbApproved by the council before the crossing is built.
  5. Ask for the waste carrier numberTonnes of spoil leave a drive dig.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses driveway contractors in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme — is voluntary. What the law does regulate is the work: how the drive drains, the crossing over the pavement and the spoil.

Ask for addresses of finished jobs and, if they claim TrustMark, search the business on trustmark.org.uk. trustmark.org.uk →

Front-garden drainage (England) and the dropped kerb

In England, Class F of the General Permitted Development (England) Order 2015 lets a driveway contractor pave more than 5 square metres between the house and the road without planning permission only if the surface is porous, or the water runs to a permeable area within your boundary. A dropped kerb, so a car can cross the pavement onto a new drive, is applied for through your council in England and Wales; driving over a full kerb is not the answer.

Ask the driveway contractor how the surface drains, in writing. Ask the driveway contractor whether the council's approval is in place before they quote for the crossing. legislation.gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration

A driveway contractor who drives away the dug-out soil and old surface is transporting waste as a business, which needs registration: with the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland or the NIEA in Northern Ireland.

Ask for the carrier number and search it on the public register before anything leaves. environment.data.gov.uk →

Cancelling a doorstep deal

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you 14 days to cancel a service agreed at your home; if you are never told about that right, the period can run for up to 12 months.

If you agreed at the door, check the paperwork names your cancellation right. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

A new driveway is standard-rated, so VAT on it is 20%. A driveway contractor whose turnover is above £90,000 must be registered, charge it and print the 20% separately on the written quote.

Ask for the driveway contractor's VAT number and check it against the business name on the written quote. gov.uk →

“Which surface do you recommend for my driveway, and why?”

A good answer: A reason tied to use, slope, drainage and budget — block, resin-bound, tarmac or gravel.

“How will the driveway drain?”

A good answer: Permeable build or falls to a soakaway or bed, never onto the road.

“How deep is the driveway sub-base?”

A good answer: A depth in millimetres suited to cars.

“Is a dropped kerb needed for the driveway?”

A good answer: Yes or no, and who applies to the council.

“Where will the spoil go?”

A good answer: A registered carrier or skip firm, with the number.

“What is the driveway guarantee?”

A good answer: Written, with the period and what it covers.

“When do you need payment?”

A good answer: Staged or on completion; not a large cash deposit.

Getting the quote right

  • Area, surface and edging named
  • Dig depth and sub-base
  • Drainage design
  • Dropped kerb: included, or who applies
  • Spoil removal and the carrier number
  • The guarantee, in writing, with its length
  • Who actually attends to dig out and lay the drive, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT set out apart from materials and labour

Walk away if

  • A door-knock offer with "leftover" material
  • Pressure to sign today
  • No cancellation information for a deal agreed at home
  • Cash only, large deposit
  • Water directed onto the road
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£85
HIGH
£134

What a driveway contractor costs: £40–£134 per m²

Driveways are priced per square metre; the surface chosen, the depth of the dig and base, drainage and any kerb work set the price. Driveway Paving price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Driveway contractors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyLevels, drains and the kerb checked.
  2. ExcavateOld surface and soil removed to depth by a registered carrier.
  3. BaseSub-base laid and compacted to falls; edging set.
  4. SurfaceBlocks, resin, tarmac or gravel laid.
  5. FinishJoints, drains and kerb completed, site cleared.

Sub-base
The compacted stone layer under the surface.
Falls
The slope that carries water away.
Soakaway
A buried pit for drainage.
Permeable surface
One that lets water through.
Dropped kerb
A lowered kerb that lets cars cross the pavement.
Edging
The kerb or border that holds the surface in place.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkQuote, invoice, guarantee and any council approvals.
Test the drainageHose it, or look after rain.
Check the edges and levelsNo dips, cracks or loose edges.
Write the reviewYour review is what the next customer reads before booking this driveway contractor. If there is something to fix, use the make-it-right step before you post it.

STEP 1Write to them firstSend the driveway contractor a message naming the problem with the drive and the fix you want. If the work lacked reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015), you may ask for it to be done again or for a price cut.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the driveway contractor under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to them first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Planning or building control problemsWork that needed planning permission and did not get it can bring an enforcement notice from the council ordering it undone, and the notice falls on the owner. If the driveway contractor cut that corner, tell the council early. Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4The court, if it comes to thatAn unpaid refund from the driveway contractor can be claimed for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland and £5,000 in Northern Ireland, with no lawyer needed.

Hiring a driveway contractor: questions people ask

In England, only if more than 5 square metres of front garden is paved with a surface that neither lets water through nor drains to a permeable area within the property.

Usually within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013; if you were not told about the right, the period can extend up to 12 months.

Between £40 and £134 a square metre; about £85 is typical. Read the driveway paving price guide for the detail, and search your area above for local prices.

If cars cross the pavement, yes; apply through the council in England and Wales.

A well-laid block or resin drive on a good base lasts many years; the base matters more than the surface.

The law has no licence and no register for driveway contractors.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

How to hire: Block PavingHow to hire: Resin DrivewayHow to hire: Tarmac & Asphalt DrivewayHow to hire: Patio LayingHow to hire: LandscapingHow to hire: Gate InstallationHow to hire: Garden Wall BuildingHow to hire: Fencing InstallerAll 701 hiring guides →

Driveway contractors near you

Driveway contractors in LondonDriveway contractors in ManchesterDriveway contractors in BirminghamDriveway contractors in GlasgowDriveway contractors in BelfastAll driveway contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1 — outbuildings and hard surfaces
  2. gov.uk — permeable surfacing of front gardens: guidance
  3. gov.uk — apply for a dropped kerb (England and Wales)
  4. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  5. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  7. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  9. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  10. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money (simple procedure)
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register