Tarmac Driveway Cost per m2 Guide
Although it remains one of the most cost effective driveway options, a number of factors influence the final Tarmac driveway cost. This article summarizes all you need to know.
What Is Tarmac?
The correct term for what is often referred to as tarmac is tarmacadam. Tarmac is actually a registered name. Initially, tarmac drives were made by closely packing together broken stones and then covering them with finer stones to give a smooth surface finish. However, it was later modified to a combination of stones, tar and cement to create a substance called tar-mac which was then compacted by steam rollers to form a smooth seamless surface finish better than the initial idea.
Recent modifications mean that tar is no longer used in tarmac mixtures today.
Cost Of Installing A Tarmac Driveway
To know the cost of a tarmac drive, we calculate the tarmac driveway cost per m2. There is the traditional black tarmac which costs between £70-£110 per m2 while the red tarmac cost ranges from £100-£130 per m2. This is inclusive of labour fees and material costs.
Usually, labour fees take a large chunk of installation costs and so driveways that are labour intensive will cost more. The cost of a tarmac driveway depends on the size of the driveway and increases with size of the driveway. For instance, labour costs and time taken to finish the job increases cost but the cost per m2 reduces for larger driveways.
Factors That Affect The Cost Of Installing A Tarmac Driveway
There are different factors that affect how much you pay for a tarmac driveway. These include, size of the driveway, labour costs, type of material used, your location (some areas such as Capital and the South East are more expensive). Accessibility to the driveway location can also affect the tarmac driveway cost. Additionally, the weather during installation can be a challenge. It is not ideal to install a tarmac driveway during heavy rainfall.
The table below shows how much for a tarmac driveway in m2
| SIZE OF DRIVEWAY | DRIVEWAY COST |
|---|---|
| 10m² | £700-£1,200 |
| 15m² | £1,050-£1,800 |
| 20m² | £1,400-£2,400 |
| 30m² | £2,100-£3,600 |
| 50m² | £3,500-£6,000 |
The table given above gives a typical range of values for installing a tarmac driveway. The factors mentioned earlier and some others will play a role in determining the tarmac driveway cost. For instance, if you are laying a new tarmac on an existing tarmac drive, the cost will be lower. Additionally, if the driveway has an irregular shape or there is need for material excavation, this will increase installation cost.
Factors that play a role in the final tarmac driveway cost include;
Raw Materials
The raw material used for installing the driveway determines how much your final driveway will cost. Your choice of material also depends on what you want. For instance, you can choose between large-diameter stones and small-diameter gravels for your driveway. While larger stones produce a permeable surface, stones of small diameter are not permeable.
Some raw materials and their cost;
- Absorbent weed border membrane- £60 per m2
- Crushed stones -£70-£110 per tonne.
- Cold lay tarmac material (suitable for repairs and DIY projects)- -£8-£15 per 25kg bag.
- Hot-mix tarmac -£40-£70 per tonne. This will cover an area of 8 m² with around 40 mm of depth
Hot-mix are therefore cheaper which is why cold lay tarmac is mostly used for repair work only. The only challenge with hot mix is that it is only delivered in tonnes and you need to have a good place to store the materials prior to starting work. You will most likely need about 3-4 tonnes of hot lay tarmac to install a 30m² tarmac drive costing £285-£440 with the delivery cost between £150-£200.
Condition Of The Existing Tarmac Driveway
There are conditions on an existing tarmac driveway which impact on the cost of the driveway to be installed. For instance, there could be areas that could need a bit of technicality or present as a complex task. There could be presence of drain lids, the site may need excavation, how does the driveway slope, depth of foundation, etc. The complexity of the task determines the labour costs and the quantity of material needed.
Size of the Driveway
Size of the tarmac driveway to be installed greatly impacts on the overall cost. Labour costs increase with larger driveways as a result of the time needed to do work. However, the cost per m2 will decrease as the cost of materials decrease.
Usually, professional driveway installers can charge you between £150-£200 per day. While a small driveway of 10m² can be completed by one person, driveway specialists like to work in pairs which means that the labour cost will double. A 10-20m² driveway can take between 1-2 days to be completed while larger driveways can take a much longer time.
Installing A Dropped Kerb Or Making Modifications
If you need to construct a dropped kerb to demarcate your driveway from the public road or make adjustments, then you need to obtain a UK planning permission before you start. Installing the needed kerbstones also incurs extra cost.
Coloured Tarmac
Adding a dye to the tarmac mix to change the colour incurs more cost. For instance, a red coloured tarmac costs about £10-£20 per m² more than the traditional tarmac. However, the price difference per m2 tends to be higher for a smaller area than for larger driveways.
Installing A New Draining System
If you need to install a new draining channel or soakaway, you could spend between £500-£1,500 to construct a new one. The slope has to be gotten right so as to direct the water away from the tarmac driveway but must not cross a public place. This is why you need planning permission. Allowing water to remain on the driveway will cause wearing away of the tarmac surface.
Cost of Repairing A Tarmac Driveway
Tarmac driveways are durable and able to resist harsh weather conditions but sometimes repairs could be needed. Making repairs to a resin driveway is not so expensive and can be completed with the cold lay tarmac. It comes at an average cost of £8-£15 per 25kg bag for 0.2 m² coverage.
To get rid of oil and grease which has the potential to crack the surface by gradually wearing the driveway surface away, you need a simple cleaner. This comes at a cost of £10 per 1 litre of driveway cleaner bottler.
Tarmac Driveway Resurfacing Cost
Resurfacing a tarmac driveway costs about £50- £55 per m². This will also depend on the driveway size and how much work needs to be done.
We recommend that you shouldn’t resurface a driveway more than two times. This is because with every resurfacing, your driveway increases by 30mm and when you continue to resurface the driveway, it can cause rising damp when it rises up to within the damp proof course of your home.
Tarmac Driveways Near Me
Our specialist tarmac driveway installers are able to ensure that no stone is left unturned to bring to your home quality, durable and elegant driveway. We have some of the best tarmac driveway ideas thanks to our creative team of driveway professionals.
Contact us for your next driveway project- be it installation of concrete driveways or even resin driveway. We are here to serve you.
You can either give us a call 0808 273 7505 or fill out our online free claims assessment form to get in touch with us.