The short answer
A concrete driveway in the UK typically costs £70–£130 per square metre for a plain finish, or £100–£160 per square metre for pattern-imprinted concrete, supplied and laid. The rate covers excavation, a compacted sub-base, the reinforced concrete and the surface finish. Plain brushed or tamped concrete is the lowest-cost; pattern-imprinted (stamped) concrete costs more for the moulding, colouring and sealing. The figure rises with poor ground, drainage works and reinforcement. Because a solid concrete surface is impermeable, a driveway over five square metres draining to the road needs planning permission unless it directs water to a soakaway or permeable area under the SUDS rules.
Concrete is a durable, lower-maintenance driveway surface priced per square metre, but the rate spans a wide band depending on finish, reinforcement and ground. The sections below break down the rate, compare finishes, and cover the drainage rules that apply to any solid surface.
At a glance
- Plain finish~£70–£130/m²
- Pattern-imprinted~£100–£160/m²
- IncludesBase, concrete, finish
- Planning triggerOver 5m² draining to road
- StrengthDurable, low maintenance
Concrete driveway costs by finish
The per-square-metre rate for a concrete driveway depends mainly on the finish and the reinforcement. A plain brushed or tamped surface is the baseline; pattern-imprinted concrete, where the wet surface is stamped with a texture and coloured, costs more for the extra materials and skilled labour. Exposed-aggregate and other decorative finishes sit in between or above. The table shows indicative supplied-and-laid rates including the base.
| Finish | Indicative cost per m² | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain brushed / tamped | £70–£110 | Practical, lowest-cost |
| Reinforced plain | £90–£130 | Mesh, heavier loads |
| Exposed aggregate | £100–£140 | Decorative stone surface |
| Pattern-imprinted (stamped) | £100–£160 | Coloured, sealed, textured |
| With new drainage | +£500–£1,500 | Channel drain + soakaway |
Indicative figures for guidance only. Surface finish and reinforcement drive the rate.
What the rate includes
A concrete driveway rate is a full supply-and-lay build-up. It covers excavation to the required depth and removal of the spoil, a compacted sub-base of crushed stone (usually MOT Type 1), edge formwork to contain the pour, often steel mesh reinforcement to control cracking, and the concrete itself laid, levelled and finished. For pattern-imprinted, it also includes the colour hardener, the stamping, and a sealer coat. Movement joints are cut or formed into the slab to control cracking as the concrete expands and contracts.
What is sometimes priced separately is drainage — a channel drain and soakaway where the impermeable surface needs to shed water somewhere legal — and any kerb dropping where the driveway crosses a pavement to a new access point, which needs local authority approval and an approved contractor. Reinforcement may or may not be in the headline rate, so it is worth confirming. As with any surfacing job, a low per-metre figure can turn out to be a thinner slab, no reinforcement or no drainage, so checking the build-up the rate covers is what makes two quotes genuinely comparable.
Joints, reinforcement and avoiding cracks
The most common complaint about concrete driveways is cracking, and almost all of it comes down to two things done at the laying stage: movement joints and reinforcement. Concrete expands and contracts with temperature and as it cures, and without somewhere to move it cracks randomly. The solution is to build in controlled joints — either formed during the pour or saw-cut shortly after — that divide the slab into bays so any movement happens neatly along a joint rather than as an ugly crack across the surface. Spacing and placing these joints correctly is a skill, and a driveway laid without them is far more likely to crack.
Reinforcement — usually a steel mesh set within the slab — controls cracking further by holding the concrete together and spreading load, which matters most where vehicles are heavy or the ground is less than ideal. The thickness of the slab is part of the same picture: too thin and it flexes and cracks under load. Getting these right is why a slightly higher per-square-metre rate for a properly reinforced, correctly jointed slab is money well spent, while a cheap quote that skimps on mesh, thickness or joints tends to crack within a few years. The concrete mix also matters — a driveway needs a stronger grade than a garden path, and air entrainment helps it resist frost. Because all of this is invisible once the surface is finished, it is exactly where a low quote can cut corners, so it is worth confirming the thickness, reinforcement and jointing rather than comparing headline rates alone. A concrete driveway laid properly lasts decades; one laid without the right joints and reinforcement is the kind that cracks and disappoints.
Drainage rules and what drives the cost
The rule that catches people out is about surface water. A concrete driveway is impermeable — water cannot soak through it — so a new or replacement concrete driveway over five square metres that drains onto the public road needs planning permission. To stay within permitted development, the design must direct rainwater to a soakaway or a permeable area within the property rather than letting it run onto the highway. In practice this means a concrete driveway usually needs a channel drain and a soakaway sized for the area, which adds to the cost but keeps it lawful and avoids flooding the pavement.
On price, the main drivers beyond finish are ground conditions (soft or clay ground needs a thicker sub-base and sometimes a membrane), reinforcement and thickness (a driveway carrying heavy vehicles needs more), area (larger pours are slightly cheaper per metre as fixed costs spread), access (concrete pumped or poured direct from the truck is far cheaper than barrowed), and drainage complexity. Spoil disposal from the excavation is charged by the load. Concrete's appeal is its durability and low maintenance — a properly laid, reinforced concrete driveway with the right joints and drainage lasts decades with little attention, which is why the higher up-front cost over gravel can pay off over time. Getting the drainage and joints right at the laying stage is what separates a driveway that stays sound from one that cracks and pools, so it is the part most worth specifying carefully rather than cutting to save a few pounds per metre.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a concrete driveway?
If it is over five square metres and drains onto the public road, yes — because concrete is impermeable. To avoid an application, the design must direct water to a soakaway or permeable area within your property, usually via a channel drain, under the SUDS rules.
Is concrete cheaper than block paving for a driveway?
Plain concrete is often lower-cost per square metre than block paving and needs less maintenance, but it offers fewer design options and can crack if joints and reinforcement are poor. Pattern-imprinted concrete narrows the price gap while adding decorative appeal.
How long does a concrete driveway last?
A properly laid, reinforced concrete driveway with correct movement joints and drainage can last several decades with little maintenance. Pattern-imprinted finishes need the colour and sealer re-coating every few years to keep their appearance.
Sources & further reading
- Planning Portal — paving your front garden
- Checkatrade — concrete driveway cost guide
- gov.uk — permeable surfacing guidance (SUDS)
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific site. They are guidance, not a quotation.