Tarmac Driveways Coventry
New tarmac driveways from £180 per m² and resurfacing from £120. Quick to lay, hard-wearing and easy on the budget.
We are DNA Driveways Coventry, the driveway and paving side of DNA Landscapes. We lay new tarmac drives and resurface old ones, and we will tell you straight whether your existing drive can be saved or needs to come up.
Recent tarmac drives
Tarmac to suit any house
Tarmac sits as comfortably in front of a Victorian terrace as it does a new-build or a country cottage, especially with a block paving border to frame it.
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Block-edged drive in front of a Victorian terrace -
Full-width drive for a modern detached house -
Tarmac through to a stone cottage
Guide prices
What a tarmac driveway costs
- New tarmac drive
- £180 per m²
- Resurfacing
- £120 per m²
- Coloured tarmac
- +£10–15 per m² over black
- Block paving edging
- +£40 per linear metre
A 50m² drive comes to about £9,000 new, or about £6,000 to resurface. Access, taking up the old surface, drainage and any dropped kerb all affect the final figure, so we price every drive after a survey.
Resurface or replace?
Can your old drive be saved?
Resurfacing lays a new 25–30mm wearing course over the existing drive. It looks like a new driveway for about two-thirds of the price, but only if what is underneath is sound.
- The base is solid, with no major cracks, dips or sinking
- Wear is limited to the top layer
- Water already drains away properly
- An extra 30–40mm of height won’t cause problems at the garage or doorstep
- The base has failed and the surface is breaking up
- Water pools and the falls need correcting
- Raising the level would block a threshold or air brick
- Cracks keep coming back in the same places
A new surface over a failed base simply cracks again in the same spots, so we check before we recommend either.
How we lay it
From dig-out to first drive
- Dig out The old surface comes up and we excavate to around 200–250mm.
- Sub-base 150–200mm of Type 1 crushed stone, compacted in layers.
- Edging Block paving or a concrete haunch to stop the edges spreading.
- Binder course A 50–60mm layer of coarser tarmac, laid hot and rolled.
- Wearing course A 25–30mm finer top layer, rolled smooth.
Most new drives take three to five days from start to finish; a resurface usually takes one or two. You can walk on it within hours and drive a car on it after 24 hours. Avoid turning the wheel on the spot or braking hard for the first few weeks while it fully hardens.
Beyond black
Coloured tarmac
Tarmac doesn’t have to be black. Red suits a traditional brick house, buff works with stone or sandstone, green blends into a garden setting and light grey suits a modern home. Coloured tarmac adds about £10–15 per m² over standard black.
If you are resurfacing, that is the ideal time to change colour, because the colour is in the new top layer.
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Red -
Buff -
Light grey -
Green -
Blue
Aftercare
Keeping tarmac looking new
Sweep regularly
Keep leaves and grit off, and deal with oil drips quickly.
Go gently with a jet wash
A high-pressure jet can lift surface stones. Start low.
Seal every 3–5 years
Wait six months after laying, then seal in dry weather above 10°C.
15–20 years
A typical lifespan for a well-laid tarmac drive, and a resurface can add more.
Hairline cracks are normal as tarmac ages. Fill them early, before water and frost open them up. Larger damaged areas can be cut out and patched with hot tarmac.
Drainage
Tarmac and the 5m² rule
Standard tarmac is solid, so rain runs off it rather than soaking through. If more than five square metres of front garden is surfaced and the water heads for the road, planning permission is needed. We lay tarmac to fall towards a lawn, border, channel drain or soakaway instead, so most drives don’t need it.
Old tarmac looking tired? Tell us about it and we’ll tell you honestly whether it needs resurfacing or replacing.
Questions
Tarmac driveway questions
How much does a tarmac driveway cost in Coventry?
Our guide rates are £180 per m² for a new tarmac drive and £120 per m² to resurface. A 50m² drive comes to about £9,000 new or £6,000 resurfaced. Coloured tarmac adds about £10–15 per m², and a block paving border about £40 per linear metre.
Can my existing tarmac drive be resurfaced?
If the base is sound and only the top layer is worn, yes. If the drive is cracking right through, sinking or holding water, resurfacing won’t last and it needs replacing. We check before recommending either.
How soon can I park on new tarmac?
You can walk on it within a few hours and drive a car on it after 24 hours. Give heavier vehicles two to three days, and avoid sharp turns and hard braking for the first few weeks.
Is tarmac the same as asphalt?
The names are used interchangeably. Traditional tarmac used tar as the binder, while modern driveway surfaces use bitumen. Either way you get the same hard-wearing black, or coloured, finish.
How long does a tarmac driveway last?
Typically 15 to 20 years if it is laid on a proper base and looked after, and a resurface can extend that.
Can tarmac go over a concrete driveway?
Sometimes. A sound concrete drive can make a good base, but existing cracks and joints can show through the new surface over time. We assess it at the survey.
Areas we cover
Tarmac driveways across Coventry and nearby towns
- Coventry
- Binley Woods
- Kenilworth
- Balsall Common
- Rugby
- Cawston
- Long Lawford
- Nuneaton
- Bedworth
- Bulkington
- Hinckley
Compare other surfaces
Get a tarmac driveway quote
Ring 0247 542 6111 to book a survey. We’ll check the base and the drainage and price both resurfacing and a new drive where both are options.
