Tarmac driveways in Kettering
Tarmac driveways and long rural entrances in and around Kettering, with sett and block borders.
A tarmac driveway in Kettering typically costs £90–£130 per m² all in. Most Kettering drives we price are around 30–50m², which works out at roughly £2,750–£6,500. A permeable drive, or one that drains to your own lawn or border, needs no planning permission; more than 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road does. A new or wider entrance needs a dropped kerb from North Northamptonshire Council: £333 for the licence and inspection, with the crossing built by an approved contractor, and we can build it for you.
- Typical cost here
- £2,750–£6,500 for 30–50m²
- Planning
- Not needed if it drains to your own ground
- Dropped kerb
- North Northamptonshire Council: £333 for the licence and inspection
- Ground
- Ironstone and clay; compacted new-build plots
Our 2026 guide prices, all in. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit. Council fees checked October 2026.
What tarmac driveways in Kettering usually involve
A tarmac (asphalt) driveway is machine or hand laid hot over a compacted sub-base, usually as a binder course with a finer surface course on top. It is the hardest-wearing option for long drives, farm entrances and heavy vehicles.
Kettering has Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas close to the centre and along the Headlands, interwar and post-war estates, Barton Seagrave to the south east, and Hanwood Park on the east side, planned for up to 5,500 homes.
We cover Kettering (NN15 and NN16) and the villages around it, including Barton Seagrave, Burton Latimer, Geddington, Broughton, Cransley, Pytchley, Rothwell, Desborough and Mawsley.
Ground, drainage and conservation in Kettering
Ground around Kettering ranges from ironstone to clay, and new-build plots are often compacted subsoil under a thin layer of topsoil. We check what is under each garden before choosing the base and the drainage.
Kettering has 26 conservation areas, including the town centre, Barton Seagrave, Burton Latimer, Geddington and Rothwell. Its Article 4 directions are site-specific, mostly older ones covering individual streets or buildings, so we check your address before designing anything that faces the road.
The River Ise runs along the east of the town, with river level stations at Barford Bridge and Slade Brook. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: North Northamptonshire Article 4 directions · Hanwood Park.
Permissions and fees in Kettering
- Check the surface ruleA permeable drive, or one that drains to your own lawn or border, needs no planning permission; more than 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road does. Planning Portal guidance
- Conservation areaIf you are in the Kettering conservation area, use the surfaces and boundary treatments it suits. North Northamptonshire: conservation areas
- Dropped kerbA new or wider entrance needs a dropped kerb from North Northamptonshire Council: £333 for the licence and inspection, with the crossing built by an approved contractor, and we can build it for you. The full Kettering dropped kerb process
- Design and priceWe design the drive to meet all of this, give you one fixed written price and build it.
Council fees and rules checked October 2026. Planning fees are the national fees from 1 April 2026.
What you get
- Stone mastic asphalt surface course as our standard build
- Proper sub-base under it, so it does not rut or crack
- Granite sett or block borders that lift the whole frontage
- Long drives and farm entrances machine laid
The specification
- Old surface out and the ground checked
- 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- Binder course laid hot and rolled
- SMA (stone mastic asphalt) surface course
- Sett, block or kerb edging restrained in concrete
- Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
“Really pleased with my new driveway. Beautifully finished, friendly professional workmen, would definitely recommend and will be using them again for the garden once other renovations complete.”
Driveway — Google review
“Absolutely great guys, job was done in good time and looks brilliant. No complaints, the driveway is immaculate. More work in the near future, thanks again!”
Driveway — Google review
Everything else we do here
Tarmac driveways in Kettering: questions
How much does a tarmac driveway cost in Kettering?
Do I need planning permission for a tarmac driveway in Kettering?
How do I get a dropped kerb in Kettering?
Will a new driveway drain properly in Kettering?
Tarmac driveways nearby
Request a site visit in Kettering
We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.