Kerb appeal
Block paving offers pattern, colour and borders. On a Victorian terrace or a 1930s semi it can pick up tones from the brickwork and make a modest frontage look considered. Tarmac is deliberately neutral — it recedes rather than featuring.
If you are improving a house you intend to sell, block paving typically does more for first impressions. If the driveway is functional and you would rather spend the money elsewhere, tarmac is the sensible call.
Installation time and disruption
Tarmac goes down fast. Once the base is prepared, a driveway can be surfaced in a single visit and is usually usable within hours for foot traffic and a day for vehicles.
Block paving is a laying job — thousands of individual units, cut around every edge and obstacle. Expect longer on site for the same area.
Living with them
Block paving needs joints kept topped up and weeds kept down, and it can be lifted and relaid where anything goes wrong. Tarmac needs almost nothing day to day, but when it cracks or pots, repairs are visible patches rather than invisible reinstatement.
Oil drips are worth thinking about. On tarmac, oil softens the binder over time. On block paving, a stained block can simply be swapped out.
- Tarmac: fastest to lay, lowest maintenance, visible patch repairs
- Block paving: slower to lay, some joint upkeep, invisible repairs
- Both need edge restraints and a compacted sub-base
Cost over time
Tarmac usually wins on day one. Over twenty years the gap narrows, because block paving can be lifted, relaid and refreshed rather than resurfaced.
The one thing that ruins the economics of either is a thin base. That is the line on the quote worth protecting.
Frequently asked questions
Which handles heavy vehicles better?+
Both cope when correctly built. Tarmac spreads load well over large areas; block paving on a properly designed sub-base handles vehicle loading through interlock.
Can I mix them?+
Yes — a tarmac main surface with a block paving border and apron is a popular, cost-effective combination.
Which is better for drainage?+
Neither is permeable as standard, though permeable block systems exist. Either way we design the runoff route into the quote.
Which adds more value?+
Block paving generally makes more visual impact, which matters most when selling.
Get both options priced
One site visit, two comparable written quotes — no deposit and a 10-year guarantee either way.