1. The visit and survey
We start with a visit. We measure the area, look at how the plot slopes, find manholes, gullies and service covers, and note anything that will need care, such as a tree close to the drive, a low damp-proof course or a boundary wall. We also ask how the drive will be used: how many cars, whether a van or caravan will park there, and whether anyone needs level access to the door.
If the house is in one of York's conservation areas, or close to a listed building, we raise it at this stage so you can check with City of York Council before any walls or railings come down.
2. The test hole
York's ground changes from street to street. Lake clays and glacial till drain slowly; the sands and gravels around places like Nether Poppleton and Strensall drain quickly. We dig a test hole to see what's there, how firm it is and how fast water soaks away. That decides how deep the base needs to be and whether a soakaway will work.
3. The kerb
If the pavement kerb isn't already dropped across the full width you need, the crossing has to be approved by City of York Council and built to its standards. Approval can take some weeks, and the council's decision can affect where the drive meets the road, so we suggest applying before the rest of the work is booked. Our dropped kerbs page explains the process.
4. Fixed quote
After the visit and test hole we send a fixed quote. It sets out the area, what's being removed, the depth of base, the drainage, the edging and the surface, so you can compare it properly with any other quote.
5. Breaking out and digging down
On the first day we protect paths, walls and the house, then break out the old surface and dig out soil to the agreed depth. Most drives need a dig of 150 to 250 millimetres, more on soft clay or where vans will park. Spoil goes off site in a licensed skip or grab lorry. We keep air bricks and the damp-proof course clear, because the finished drive must sit at least 150 millimetres below the damp-proof course.
6. The sub-base
The sub-base is the layer that carries the load. We lay crushed stone in layers and compact each one with a plate or roller. For a permeable drive we use open-graded stone with no fines, so water can pass through and be held while it soaks away. For standard block paving or tarmac we use a dense, well-graded stone that locks together. On weak ground we may add a geotextile membrane to stop the stone sinking into the clay.
7. Drainage
Every front drive needs somewhere for the rain to go. Depending on the surface and the ground, that can be:
- straight through a permeable surface into the sub-base and the ground below,
- a fall to a lawn or border on your own land,
- a channel drain across the drive, connected to a soakaway,
- a soakaway filled with stone or crates, where the ground drains well enough.
Running water onto the road isn't allowed for new impermeable front drives over five square metres without planning permission, so we design the drainage to keep it on your plot.
8. Edging
Edges stop the surface spreading and keep the base in place. For block paving we set edge courses in concrete; for resin and tarmac we use kerbs, blocks or steel edging; for gravel a firm edge and a paved threshold at the pavement stop stones escaping. This is also when we build any steps or ramps.
9. The surface
- Block paving: a bedding layer of sharp sand or grit, the blocks laid to pattern, cut to the edges, compacted and jointed.
- Resin-bound: a porous base, then the resin and aggregate mixed on site and trowelled smooth. It needs dry weather and time to cure.
- Tarmac: a base course and a surface course, laid hot and rolled.
- Gravel: a stabilising grid on the sub-base, filled and topped with decorative stone.
Our pages on block paving, resin-bound, gravel and tarmac go into each in more detail.
10. Handover
We clear the site, check the falls with water where we can, and talk you through looking after the new surface. Resin-bound needs time before cars use it, and new tarmac is best treated gently in its first hot spell. We'll tell you when the drive is ready to use.
How long it takes
A typical single or double drive takes several days on site, longer for large drives, difficult access, extra drainage or bad weather. Resin needs dry conditions, so it's the surface most likely to move with the forecast. The kerb, if it needs council approval, often sets the overall timetable.