Tarmac driveways in Market Harborough
Tarmac driveways and long rural entrances in and around Market Harborough, with sett and block borders.
A tarmac driveway in Market Harborough typically costs £90–£130 per m² all in. Most Market Harborough drives we price are around 30–55m², which works out at roughly £2,750–£7,250. 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 Leicestershire County Council: £300 to apply, then either the county council builds it at a quoted price or an accredited contractor builds it under a £240 permit, and we can build it for you.
- Typical cost here
- £2,750–£7,250 for 30–55m²
- Planning
- Not needed if it drains to your own ground
- Dropped kerb
- Leicestershire County Council: £300 to apply (plus £240 if a contractor builds it)
- Ground
- Lias mudstone and clay; slow to drain
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 Market Harborough 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.
Market Harborough has a historic core around the Square and the Old Grammar School, Victorian and Edwardian streets out to Little Bowden and Great Bowden, later estates around the edge, and the large Airfield Farm development near Lubenham.
We cover Market Harborough (LE16) and the villages around it, including Great Bowden, Little Bowden, Lubenham, Foxton, East Farndon, Kibworth, Husbands Bosworth and Medbourne.
Ground, drainage and conservation in Market Harborough
Market Harborough is on Jurassic mudstones and clays, which drain slowly, and the town sits where the River Welland meets the River Jordan. Water management decides most designs here, so we test the ground before choosing a soakaway or a permeable build-up.
The Market Harborough conservation area covers the historic town core and was designated in 1969, with separate conservation areas at Great Bowden and Lubenham. An Article 4 direction served in 2020 on land at Queen's Street, Little Bowden, covers gates, fences and walls.
The town centre flooded from surface water in September 2024, when a high River Welland stopped the drains discharging, and more than 50 properties flooded in July 2013. Permeable surfaces and attenuation are worth taking seriously here. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Market Harborough flood report, Sept 2024 · Market Harborough conservation area.
Permissions and fees in Market Harborough
- 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 Market Harborough conservation area, use the surfaces and boundary treatments it suits. Harborough: Market Harborough conservation area
- Dropped kerbA new or wider entrance needs a dropped kerb from Leicestershire County Council: £300 to apply, then either the county council builds it at a quoted price or an accredited contractor builds it under a £240 permit, and we can build it for you. The full Market Harborough 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 Market Harborough: questions
How much does a tarmac driveway cost in Market Harborough?
Do I need planning permission for a tarmac driveway in Market Harborough?
How do I get a dropped kerb in Market Harborough?
Will a new driveway drain properly in Market Harborough?
Tarmac driveways nearby
Request a site visit in Market Harborough
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.