Driveways built from the sub-base up, with the drainage planned in
Block paving, gravel and natural stone drives for South Devon homes, including steep and awkward sites.
The short answer
A driveway fails from underneath. Ruts, sinking blocks and puddles almost always come from a thin base or nowhere for the water to go. We dig deep enough for the ground, build a compacted stone sub-base, and plan the drainage before a single block goes down.
Planning rules for front drives
In England, paving more than five square metres of a front garden normally needs planning permission unless the surface is permeable or the water runs onto a lawn or border on your own land. We design the drive to meet the rules, and we tell you if you need to speak to the council.
Steep drives
Plenty of South Devon houses sit above or below the road. Steep drives need a surface with grip, a drain across the bottom so water does not run into the garage or the road, and sometimes retaining walls either side.
Choosing a surface
Block paving is hard-wearing and easy to repair. Gravel is cheap and permeable but moves on slopes unless it is held in a grid. Natural stone looks best on smaller, gentler drives.
Sunken block paving
Blocks that have dropped, often around a manhole cover, are lifted, the bed underneath is rebuilt and screeded level, the cover is reset to the new level and the same blocks are relaid in their pattern.
How we do driveways
- 1
Survey and plan
Levels, drainage, access, kerbs and whether the drive needs to be permeable to avoid planning permission.
- 2
Dig out
The old surface and soil are removed to the full depth, usually 200 to 250mm, more on soft ground.
- 3
Edges and drains
Kerbs or edgings set in concrete; channel drains and soakaways fitted where needed.
- 4
Sub-base
MOT Type 1 laid in layers and compacted with a plate or roller until it no longer moves.
- 5
Surface
Block paving, stone or gravel laid, cut, jointed and compacted.
Driveways we’ve done
Driveways: your questions
How long does a new driveway take?
From a few days for a small gravel drive to around two weeks for a large block-paved one. Our guide to driveway timescales explains what affects it.
Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?
Not usually, if it is permeable or drains to your own garden, and you are not in a conservation area or a listed building. We will tell you at the visit.
Can you widen my existing drive or drop the kerb?
We can widen and rebuild drives. A dropped kerb on the public pavement needs approval from Devon County Council or Torbay Council first; we can advise on the process.
Will you deal with the drainage?
Yes. Drainage is planned in from the start: channel drains, soakaways or a permeable build-up depending on the site.
Often done with
Driveways near you
- Driveways in Newton Abbot
- Driveways in Torquay
- Driveways in Paignton
- Driveways in Brixham
- Driveways in Teignmouth
- Driveways in Dawlish
- Driveways in Shaldon
- Driveways in Totnes
- Driveways in Dartmouth
- Driveways in Dittisham
- Driveways in Stoke Gabriel
- Driveways in Kingsbridge
- Driveways in Salcombe
- Driveways in Hope Cove
- Driveways in Bigbury-on-Sea
- Driveways in Ivybridge
- Driveways in Ashburton
- Driveways in Noss Mayo
- Driveways in Newton Ferrers
Get a driveways quote
Send a couple of photos and a rough idea of what you want. We’ll come out, look at the ground and the levels, and give you a written quote.