1. Setting out and protection
Before anything is dug we mark the finished levels, confirm where water will run to, and check the height against your damp course and any doorways. Getting levels wrong at this point is expensive to correct later.
We also protect what stays — gates, walls, planting and neighbouring boundaries — and agree where the skip or grab lorry sits so the street stays passable.
2. Excavation and spoil removal
The existing surface and enough sub-grade come out to reach the required depth for the chosen build-up. Depth depends on ground conditions and whether the driveway carries vehicles; soft or clay-heavy ground needs more.
Spoil is removed rather than spread around the garden. If the sub-grade is soft, we may install a geotextile membrane before importing stone to stop the new sub-base migrating into the soil below.
3. Sub-base and compaction
Crushed stone is imported and compacted in layers, not tipped in one go. Compacting in layers is what produces a base that will not settle later — a single deep layer simply cannot be compacted through.
This is the stage that decides whether your driveway is still flat in ten years, and it is invisible in the finished job. It is also the stage cheap quotes shorten.
4. Edge restraints and drainage
Edge courses, kerbs or haunched edging go in next. Every surface — block, tarmac or resin — needs something firm at the perimeter to push against, or it will spread and fail at the edges first.
Any channel drains, gullies or soakaways are installed and connected at this stage, set to the finished levels so water is intercepted before it reaches the house or the pavement.
5. Surfacing and finishing
The chosen surface then goes down: binder and wearing course for tarmac; laying course, blocks, cutting and vibration with joint sand for block paving; a rigid base and trowelled resin bound topping for resin.
We finish with a clean-up, a walk-round with you, and clear guidance on when you can walk and drive on it. Then the guarantee paperwork.
- Levels checked against damp course before digging
- Membrane where the sub-grade is soft
- Sub-base compacted in layers
- Edge restraints on every perimeter
- Drainage set before surfacing
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be home?+
Not for the whole job, but it helps to be available at setting-out and at handover so levels and finish details are agreed face to face.
Will I lose access to my car?+
Usually for part of the job. We agree the parking plan before we start so it is never a surprise.
What happens if the weather turns?+
Excavation and base work continue in most weather. Surfacing — particularly resin — needs suitable conditions, so we may pause a day rather than lay it badly.
Do you need a deposit before starting?+
No. We do not take deposits, and the work is covered by a 10-year guarantee.
Want the process for your driveway?
We will walk your site, explain the build-up we would use and put it in writing.