HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

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

No register covers tarmac contractors. Check where the water goes, the dropped kerb, 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 tarmac contractor in five steps

  1. Never sign on the doorstepGet written quotes from firms you contacted.
  2. Ask where the water goesTarmac is sealed: it must drain to a permeable area in England.
  3. Get the layers in writingSub-base, base course and wearing course, with depths.
  4. Check the kerbCouncil dropped kerb for a new crossing.
  5. Keep your cancellation right14 days for a contract agreed at home.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Anyone may trade as one of the tarmac contractors in any UK nation; no statutory register exists, and TrustMark registration is voluntary. The rules sit on the job instead: how the drive drains, the crossing and the waste.

Look at two or three jobs they finished a year ago, and check any TrustMark claim on its website. trustmark.org.uk →

Front-garden drainage (England) and the dropped kerb

A front-garden surface over 5 square metres is permitted development in England only if it is permeable or drains onto a lawn, bed or soakaway within the property (Class F, General Permitted Development (England) Order 2015). A solid, sealed surface needs planning permission. Crossing the pavement to reach a new drive needs a dropped kerb, which in England and Wales you apply for through the council before the work is done.

Ask which permeable method the tarmac contractor is using, or whether planning permission is needed. Ask the tarmac contractor whether the council's approval is in place before they quote for the crossing. legislation.gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration

Taking the dug-out soil and old surface off your property makes the tarmac contractor a waste carrier, and every nation requires carriers to register — the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the NIEA, depending on where you live.

Get the registration number in writing and look it up by number, name or postcode. environment.data.gov.uk →

Cancelling a doorstep deal

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give 14 days to cancel a service contract agreed at your home; without the cancellation information, that can stretch to 12 months.

Check the tarmac contractor's paperwork tells you about your cancellation right. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

A tarmac driveway is standard-rated at 20%. A tarmac contractor turning over more than £90,000 a year must register, charge it on the base, the layers and the edging, and show the 20% separately on the written quote.

Ask the tarmac contractor for the VAT number and check it matches the trading name on the written quote. gov.uk →

“Where will water from the tarmac drive go?”

A good answer: Falls to a channel, soakaway or bed within the property.

“How many tarmac layers, and how thick?”

A good answer: Sub-base, base and wearing course depths stated.

“Is the tarmac hot-laid and rolled?”

A good answer: Hot material laid and rolled with a roller, not raked thin.

“Is a dropped kerb needed?”

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

“Where will the tarmac spoil go?”

A good answer: A registered carrier.

“What is the tarmac guarantee?”

A good answer: Written, with the period.

“When is payment due?”

A good answer: On completion, not a large cash deposit.

Getting the quote right

  • Area and layer depths
  • Edging
  • Drainage
  • Dropped kerb arrangements
  • Spoil removal and the carrier number
  • Who actually attends to lay the tarmac, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown apart from the layers and edging

Walk away if

  • "Leftover tarmac from a job nearby"
  • Pressure to start today
  • No cancellation information
  • Cash only
  • No drainage plan
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£50
HIGH
£100

What a tarmac contractor costs: £40–£100 per m²

Tarmac driveways are priced per square metre; the dig, the base and layer depths, drainage and edging set the price. Tarmac & Asphalt Driveway 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

Tarmac 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. ExcavateOld surface and soil removed.
  2. Sub-baseStone laid and compacted to falls.
  3. EdgingKerbs set.
  4. Base courseHot base layer laid and rolled.
  5. Wearing courseTop layer laid, rolled and edges sealed.

Wearing course
The top layer of tarmac.
Base course
The layer beneath the wearing course.
Sub-base
Compacted stone under the tarmac.
Roller
A machine that compacts hot tarmac.
Channel drain
A grated drain that catches surface water.
Dropped kerb
A lowered kerb for vehicles.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkQuote, invoice and guarantee.
Watch it in rainNo pooling against the house or running into the road.
Avoid sharp turns at firstFresh tarmac scuffs in hot weather.
Leave the reviewReviews of the tarmac contractor on Locufy come only from booked jobs. If something was left wrong, the make-it-right step comes first.

STEP 1Tell the tarmac contractor, in writingSay what is wrong with the drive and what you want done. A trader owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; if that was missing, ask for the work to be redone at their cost or for money off.
STEP 2Make it right through LocufyGive fewer than four stars and you are asked whether the tarmac contractor should get the chance to fix it first; we follow it through before the review goes up.
STEP 3Planning or building control problemsIf the tarmac contractor's work breaks planning or building rules, the council's planning or building control team is the authority, and an enforcement notice can require the work to be undone. Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133, England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262) advise and can refer a trader to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money still in disputeA claim against the tarmac contractor can go to court without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a tarmac contractor: questions people ask

In England, for a front drive over 5 square metres unless it drains to a permeable area within the property.

Usually within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, longer if you were not told about the right.

£40–£100 a square metre, typically around £50. The tarmac & asphalt driveway price guide explains what pushes it up or down; type your town above to compare tarmac contractors near you.

There is no licence for tarmac contractors and no register to check.

Many years if the base is right.

For a new crossing, yes, through the council in England and Wales.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

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

Tarmac contractors near you

Tarmac contractors in LondonTarmac contractors in ManchesterTarmac contractors in BirminghamTarmac contractors in GlasgowTarmac contractors in BelfastAll tarmac 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. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  5. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  6. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  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