A new driveway is a hard-wearing surface for parking, such as block paving, resin bound gravel, tarmac or gravel, laid on an excavated and compacted sub-base with edging and drainage designed to carry vehicle loads and handle rainwater.
Whatever type of house you own in Caernarfon, we start by looking at how a new driveway would fit it rather than offering a standard package. We cover LL55 and neighbouring places such as Bangor, Gwynedd, Holyhead and Llandudno. One named person looks after you from survey to handover, and nothing is booked until you hold our figure in writing, fixed for the work described.
- Guide price
- £3,700–£8,300 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 3–7 days on site
- Postcodes
- LL55
- Planning rules
- Wales
- Local area
- Gwynedd
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a new driveway in Caernarfon?
Below is a breakdown of typical costs for a new driveway in Caernarfon. Because rates in Wales are about 8% below the national guide, the overall guide comes to £3,700–£8,300, including VAT. Size, materials and access move the figure, and a free-of-charge survey settles it.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Caernarfon |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel or tarmac | A typical 40–50m² drive in gravel on a grid, or tarmac with block edging. | £1,850–£4,600 |
| Block paving or resin bound | A typical 40–50m² drive with sub-base, edging and drainage. | £3,700–£8,300 |
| Large or premium driveway | Larger drives, natural stone, walls, steps or a new dropped kerb. | £7,400–£14,500 |
Expect these to shape the final quote:
- Driveway area and the depth of excavation needed
- Drainage, soakaways and changes in level
- Edging, steps, walls and manhole adjustments
- Access for machinery and removal of spoil
What does the job include in Caernarfon?
- Survey of levels, drainage, manholes and access
- Weed membrane and compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- Edging kerbs or restraints to hold the surface in place
- Manhole covers raised or replaced to new levels
- New surface laid, compacted and finished
- Site cleared and waste removed
What are homes like around Caernarfon?
Slate defines much of Gwynedd, from quarrying villages such as Bethesda and Blaenau Ffestiniog with their stone terraces to slate roofs across the county. Bangor and Caernarfon have Victorian and Georgian streets, Anglesey has stone cottages and bungalows, and resorts such as Pwllheli and Barmouth have Victorian terraces and newer bungalows.
Eryri (Snowdonia) is among the wettest areas in the UK, and exposed coasts take strong wind and salt, so render and roof details need to be robust.
These patterns matter for a new driveway: older walls, roofs and floors in Caernarfon can need different materials or extra preparation compared with newer homes.
Do you need permission in Caernarfon?
Each UK nation sets its own consent rules, and Caernarfon is in Wales. What follows is a plain summary; we check the specifics for your property with the council before pricing anything.
In Wales, hard surfaces in front gardens need to be permeable or drain within the property to avoid planning permission. Larger schemes can also need approval from the council’s SuDS Approving Body (SAB), and a dropped kerb needs highways consent.
Building Regulations do not usually apply, but drainage design matters.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
A visit to your home
Book a visit and we'll come to you. The survey covers measurements, the state of what's there now and any obvious constraints, so the price that follows is based on your actual home, not an average.
Written quote
After the survey we send a quote for a new driveway that fixes the price for the scope we've agreed. If you want to change materials or scope, we revise it in writing before anything is booked.
Booking the work
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
Finish and handover
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
Why homeowners choose us
Frequently asked questions
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
What is a sub-base and why does it matter?
The sub-base is the layer of crushed, compacted stone beneath the driveway surface that spreads the weight of vehicles into the ground. Most driveway failures, such as sinking, rutting and loose blocks, come from a sub-base that is too thin or poorly compacted. We excavate to the right depth for your soil and compact the sub-base in layers before laying the surface.
Can I use my car during the work?
You will not be able to park on the driveway while it is being dug out and laid, so plan to park on the street or nearby for the duration. We keep a safe pedestrian route to your front door where possible. After completion, block paving and tarmac can usually be driven on straight away, while resin and concrete need a short curing period first.
Can you combine a new driveway with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan a new driveway alongside other work on your Caernarfon home, such as new windows with rendering, or a kitchen refit with an extension. Combining jobs can reduce repeat set-up such as scaffolding, skips and access, and every element is listed and priced in the same written quote.
Do I need planning permission for a driveway?
Whether a driveway needs planning permission depends on its size, surface and drainage, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you are in. In England, a new or replacement front driveway over 5m² needs permission unless it uses a permeable surface or drains to a lawn or border. We check the rules and design to suit.
Also covering areas around Caernarfon
We survey and quote throughout Caernarfon's LL55 postcodes and in surrounding places such as Bangor, Gwynedd, Holyhead and Llandudno. The process and pricing approach are identical in each of them.