Driveways and patios in Chelmsford
Block paving, resin, tarmac and patios across Chelmsford, from a family-run firm up the A12 in Colchester. Pick your job on the price card for a guide figure in 10 seconds.
What are you looking to have done?
Two quick questions and you'll see a guide price.
Which surface for your driveway?
Not sure? Pick the closest; Tom talks through the options on the survey.
Block paving: roughly what size?
A typical two-car drive is 40 to 50 m². A guess is fine; the free survey measures it properly.
Guide price
Pick a surface
Guide range. Larger areas come in lower per m²; the free survey fixes the price in writing.
Our typical rates per square metre
- Block paving: around £130
- Tumbled paving: around £150
- Resin bound: around £200
- Tarmac: around £130
- Imprinted concrete: around £130
- Gravel: priced on the phone
- Indian sandstone: around £180
- Porcelain: around £200
We lay driveways and patios across Chelmsford: block paving, resin bound, tarmac, imprinted concrete and gravel drives, Indian sandstone and porcelain patios, and garden landscaping, from Moulsham and Springfield to Writtle, Great Baddow and the villages.
We're based in Colchester, about 25 miles away, most of it on the A12, and Tom comes out to Chelmsford to measure up and quote in person. The price goes in writing before anything is dug up, and the guarantees are the same wherever we work: 10 years in writing on block paving, resin and patios, 5 years on tarmac and gravel.
Every drive goes down on a compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base with proper edges and drainage falls, which matters on Chelmsford's clay. See what's different about a drive in Chelmsford further down.
Driveways, patios and gardens across Chelmsford
Eight services, one team. Every job in Chelmsford starts with a free survey and a written quote, and every installation carries a written guarantee.
Block paving
10-year written guarantee
Herringbone, basketweave or stretcher bond on a compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base, with concrete-haunched edges and a soldier-course border. Standard or tumbled blocks.
Block paving
Resin driveways
10-year written guarantee
Resin bound only, never bonded. UV-stable resin and natural aggregate hand-trowelled to 18mm over a solid base. Walk on it after 24 hours, park on it after 48.
Resin driveways
Patios
10-year written guarantee
Indian sandstone, porcelain, tumbled block paving or granite setts on a compacted hardcore base and semi-dry mortar bed, with falls away from the house. Steps and raised beds too.
Patios
Tarmac driveways
5-year written guarantee
Hot-mix asphalt laid as a binder course then a wearing course over MOT Type 1, with drainage falls and a block paving border if you want one. Usually done in one to two days.
Tarmac driveways
Imprinted concrete
Written guarantee
Pattern-imprinted concrete driveways and paths, poured in one piece and stamped in your pattern and colour, then sealed. No joints for weeds to take hold in.
Imprinted concrete
Gravel driveways
5-year written guarantee
Gravel held in a cellular grid over a weed membrane, so it stays off the road and drains properly. Pea gravel, slate chips or Cotswold stone with timber, brick or granite edging.
Gravel driveways
Cleaning and resealing
Priced on the survey
Block paving and patios pressure cleaned, re-sanded and resealed. Tarmac drives recoloured and resealed. The cheap way to make an old drive look new again.
Cleaning and resealing
Landscaping
Project guarantee
Paths, walls, steps, drainage, turf, artificial grass, sleeper raised beds, planting, fencing and decking. One team from clearance to the finished garden.
Landscaping
What's different about a drive in Chelmsford
The homes, the ground and the rules change from one side of the city to the other. Here's what's worth knowing before you plan a drive.
From our yard to yours
From Colchester to Chelmsford on the A12: About 25 miles · around half an hour without traffic
Chelmsford grew up where the Wid, the Can and the Chelmer meet, and became a city in 2012. You can read its age in the houses: Victorian terraces off Moulsham Street and Baddow Road, 1920s and 30s semis off Broomfield Road, big post-war estates in Great Baddow, Galleywood and Springfield, Chelmer Village from 1978, and the new neighbourhoods at Beaulieu and Channels on the north side.
Rain is the local issue. Chelmsford's Surface Water Management Plan names Critical Drainage Areas including Great Baddow, Moulsham Lodge, central Broomfield, Chelmer Village and Springfield, where heavy rain has nowhere quick to go. A new drive should let water through, or lead it to a border or soakaway, rather than send it onto the road: resin bound is permeable, block paving comes in fully permeable options, and we fit channel drains and soakaways where a drive needs them.
Good to know in Chelmsford
- Clay under most of the city
- The council's landscape study describes chalky boulder clay to the north and west and less well-drained London Clay to the south and east, with river gravels where the Chelmer and the Can meet. On clay, the dig-out and the sub-base matter more than the surface on top.
- Planning: Chelmsford City Council
- Paving more than 5 m² of a front garden needs permission only if the rain runs off onto the road. Writtle, Broomfield, Great Baddow, Danbury and parts of the city centre are conservation areas, so check with the council before changing a front there.
- Dropped kerbs: Essex Highways
- The kerb is part of the road, so you apply to Essex County Council through Essex Highways. The parking space must be at least 5 m deep and 2.5 m wide, and on an A, B or Class III road you need planning permission first. We lay the drive to meet the new kerb.
Places we cover in and around Chelmsford
Not listed? Call 07427 694766 and ask.
MoulshamCM2 0
Victorian terraces east of Moulsham Street; Moulsham Lodge was built in the 1950s and 60s.
- Moulsham Street is one of the city's conservation areas.
- Moulsham Lodge is one of the Critical Drainage Areas in the city's Surface Water Management Plan.
Springfield and BeaulieuCM1 6
Late-Victorian houses on Springfield Road, then mostly 1960s to 2000s estates.
- Beaulieu, on the north-east edge, is 3,600 homes in all: the first neighbourhood was finished in 2005 and new phases have sold since 2015.
- Springfield Green is a conservation area.
- Springfield is one of the city's Critical Drainage Areas.
Chelmer VillageCM2 6
Begun by Countryside in 1978: mostly 1970s and 80s homes, with later additions.
- A flood embankment built in 2013 protects 125 homes here.
- Chelmer Village is one of the city's Critical Drainage Areas.
BroomfieldCM1 7
Old houses round Church and Angel Greens, large post-war estates and 2000s infill.
- Broomfield is a conservation area.
- Central Broomfield is one of the city's Critical Drainage Areas.
- Nearer the city, off Broomfield Road, are terraces and semis from 1924 to 1938.
WrittleCM1 3
Timber-framed houses from the 16th to 18th centuries round the green, then fast growth in the 1960s.
- Writtle is a conservation area.
- The 1960s growth came along roads such as Rollerstones, Lodge Road and Ongar Road.
Great BaddowCM2 8
Victorian terraces and semis along Baddow Road, then large-scale growth from the 1950s.
- Great Baddow is a conservation area, and so is the Baddow Road and River Can area nearer town.
- Great Baddow is one of the city's Critical Drainage Areas.
GalleywoodCM2 8
Council houses from the 1930s, then big building programmes in the early 1960s and the 1970s.
- Galleywood has no conservation area on the council's list.
DanburyCM3 4
Estates built between 1945 and 2000, such as Mildmays, Hopping Jacks and Runsell Green, most with open-plan front gardens.
- Part of Danbury is a conservation area.
- The council's landscape study notes gravel over London Clay here.
South Woodham FerrersCM3 5
A 1960s and 70s village core, then Essex County Council's new town, built 1975 to 2000 to the Essex Design Guide.
- Plenty of cul-de-sacs, from the new-town layout.
- On the River Crouch, with no conservation area on the council's list.
1. Moulsham2. Springfield and Beaulieu3. Chelmer Village4. Broomfield5. Writtle6. Great Baddow7. Galleywood8. Danbury9. South Woodham FerrersRecent work across Essex
Eight jobs from our own photos. Every one was laid by our team.
Block paving
Charcoal herringbone, buff chevron border
Resin driveways
Silver resin bound drive, charcoal edging
Patios
Grey block patio with steps
Block paving
Charcoal herringbone, curved border
Resin driveways
Golden resin, red brick border
Landscaping
Resin patio and artificial grass
Block paving
Interlocking diamond pattern in charcoal pavers
Block paving
Herringbone with drainage channel
Block paving, resin, tarmac, patios and landscaping, before and after.
What customers say
Verbatim from Google. Names as they appear on the review.
4.9 from 30 Google reviews5.0 from 90 on Yell5.0 from 16 on Facebook
Richard Parker
December 2023 · Driveway
This was a big task on a long wide driveway. The team were careful in the extensive preparatory work, not rushing any part of the process, and working steadily each day. The team leader was responsive to questions and clarified what they were doing at each stage and why. They obviously were concerned to do the work to a high standard. We are delighted with the result.
Abas Kociaj
January 2025 · Drive and patio
I was looking for a company to replace my drive and patio my friend recommended Tom and his company who had done he's around 10 years ago and still looks brilliant so I decided to go with them and they fulfilled my best expectations highly recommend great service 10/10
Wendy Youngman
May 2025 · Resin driveway
We have just had our old driveway re-resined and are extremely pleased with the result. The men who laid the resin were super efficient and polite. They cleared everything away when finished and done an outstanding job
Why Chelmsford homeowners choose First4Driveways
What customers mention in their reviews, and what we put in writing.
Tom quotes in person
He comes out to Chelmsford to measure up and talk it through. Nine Google reviewers mention him by name.
Guarantees in writing
10 years on block paving, resin and patios, 5 on tarmac and gravel, handed over with the job.
Built on a proper base
Compacted MOT Type 1, proper edges and drainage falls under every drive.
Insured, tidy, on time
Public liability cover on every job. Reviewers mention sites cleared away and work done when promised.
Chelmsford questions
Straight answers for homeowners in Chelmsford.
Do you cover all of Chelmsford?
Yes: the city and the villages around it, from Moulsham, Springfield and Chelmer Village to Broomfield, Writtle, Great Baddow and Galleywood, and out to Danbury and South Woodham Ferrers. Not listed? Call and ask.
How far is Chelmsford from your base?
We're based in Colchester, about 25 miles away, most of it on the A12: around half an hour without traffic. The survey and the written quote are free in Chelmsford, as they are everywhere we work.
Is Chelmsford's clay a problem for a new driveway?
Not if the base is right. Most of the city sits on clay, which drains slowly, so the dig-out, a compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base and the drainage falls matter more than the surface on top. On a wet plot, a permeable surface or a soakaway helps, and Tom talks it through on the survey.
How much does a new driveway cost in Chelmsford?
The same as anywhere we work: around £130 per m² for block paving or tarmac, around £200 for resin bound, and larger areas come in lower per m². The price card gives you a guide in seconds.
Do I need planning permission for a new drive in Chelmsford?
Not usually. Paving more than 5 m² of a front garden needs permission only if the rainwater runs onto the road, and permeable block paving, resin bound and gravel let it drain. In a conservation area, such as Writtle, Broomfield, Great Baddow or Danbury, check with Chelmsford City Council first.
Can I get a dropped kerb for my Chelmsford driveway?
A dropped kerb is part of the road, so you apply to Essex County Council through Essex Highways. The parking space has to be at least 5 m deep and 2.5 m wide, and an A, B or Class III road needs planning permission first. We lay the drive to meet the new kerb.
Other areas we cover
Based in Colchester, working across Essex and Hertfordshire. These towns have their own pages.
Colchester
Our base. Every service, across the town and the villages around it.
Our base
Braintree
About 16 miles from our Colchester base. Driveways, patios and landscaping with the same written guarantee.
Driveways in Braintree
Harlow
Block paving, resin driveways and patios across Harlow and Old Harlow. Free survey and written quote.
Driveways in Harlow
Hertford
Driveways, patios and landscaping across Hertford, Ware and the Hertfordshire villages around them.
Driveways in Hertford
St Albans
Block paving, resin driveways and patios across St Albans, Harpenden and the villages. Free survey and written quote.
Driveways in St Albans
Bishop's Stortford
About 36 miles from our Colchester base along the A120. Driveways, patios and landscaping with the same written guarantee.
Driveways in Bishop's Stortford
Southend
Block paving, resin driveways and patios from Leigh-on-Sea to Shoeburyness. Free survey and written quote.
Driveways in Southend
Brentwood
About 37 miles down the A12. Driveways and patios across Brentwood, Shenfield, Hutton and Ingatestone.
Driveways in Brentwood
Stevenage
Block paving, resin driveways and patios from the Old Town to Great Ashby. Free survey and written quote.
Driveways in Stevenage
Cambridge
Driveways, patios and landscaping across Cambridge and its villages, with the same written guarantee.
Driveways in Cambridge
Also covering: Witham, Clacton-on-Sea, Maldon, Halstead, Basildon, Billericay, Wickford, Rayleigh, Saffron Walden, Burnham-on-Crouch and the villages between. Not listed? Call and ask.
Get a free quote
Let's talk about your drive or patio
First4Driveways is a family-run business based in Colchester. Tom comes out to quote every job in person, talks through the options and materials, and puts the price in writing before anything is dug up. Block paving, resin and patios carry a written 10-year workmanship guarantee; tarmac and gravel carry five years.
- Free survey and a written quote
- Written guarantee on every job
- Fully insured, public liability cover
- Family-run, based in Colchester
Need to talk now?
Call Tom directly
Start your free quote
Tell us about the drive or garden and we'll arrange a free survey.