Driveways and patios in Southend
Block paving, resin, tarmac and patios across Southend, from Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliff to Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness. 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 Southend-on-Sea: block paving, resin bound, tarmac, imprinted concrete and gravel drives, Indian sandstone and porcelain patios, and garden landscaping, from Leigh-on-Sea, Westcliff and Prittlewell to Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, Shoeburyness and Eastwood.
We're based in Colchester, about 42 miles away by the A12 and the A127, and we come out to Southend 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. See what's different about a drive in Southend further down, including who builds the dropped kerb and the streets where a new drive needs planning permission.
Driveways, patios and gardens across Southend
Eight services, one team. Every job in Southend 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 Southend
The council builds the kerb, the conservation areas have their own rules, and the clay changes to gravel as you go east. Here's what's worth knowing before you plan a drive.
From our yard to yours
From Colchester to Southend on the A127: About 42 miles · about 55 minutes without traffic, by the A12, the A130 and the A127
Southend is a long strip of town along the estuary. Leigh was a fishing village until the railway came in 1856 and the houses spread east along the hilltop; Westcliff and Clifftown filled with Victorian and Edwardian terraces; Thorpe Bay was laid out on wide plots for detached Edwardian and inter-war houses; Eastwood is mostly post-war. Parking is the old pinch: the council notes that many of the Victorian and Edwardian homes in Westcliff, Leigh and Southchurch have no off-street parking at all.
The ground changes as you go east. The British Geological Survey records London Clay under Leigh, Westcliff and Eastwood, which the council's drainage plan rates "moderate to very low" for permeability, and gravel and loam under Southchurch, Thorpe Bay and Shoebury, which drain better but can hold groundwater high. The council's own planning papers say paved front gardens in Leigh and Westborough have reduced "the ability of the land to absorb surface water run-off", so we'd normally lay resin bound or permeable block paving, which let the rain through across the whole drive.
Good to know in Southend
- Dropped kerbs: the council builds them
- Southend runs its own roads, so Essex Highways isn't involved. Only the council's approved contractor may build a crossover: £300 to apply, then £255 per m² to build (2026/27 rates). The space must be at least 4.8 m deep and 2.44 m wide, and the council won't approve one in a controlled parking zone.
- Conservation areas: permission first
- In any of Southend's 16 conservation areas a new crossover needs planning permission. On listed streets in Leigh, Leigh Cliff, Chapmanslord, Milton and Clifftown, Article 4 directions also take away the right to lay a hardstanding for a car.
- Clay in the west, gravel in the east
- London Clay under Leigh, Westcliff and Eastwood drains slowly, so a soakaway may struggle. The gravels under Southchurch, Thorpe Bay and Shoebury drain better, but the council's drainage plan records high groundwater at Shoeburyness.
- Over 5 m², porous or drained
- Southend's crossover policy says a hardstanding over 5 m² must be porous or drain to a porous area. On 24 August 2013 the city had 255 flooding incidents, 151 of them inside homes; Eastwood, the Prittle Brook and Chalkwell are among its six critical drainage areas.
Places we cover in and around Southend
Not listed? Call 01702 861098 and ask.
City centre and ClifftownSS1 1
The Victorian streets above the seafront round Royal Terrace, Clifftown Parade and Prittlewell Square.
- Clifftown, the city's first conservation area, was designated in 1968.
- An Article 4 direction means a hardstanding for a car needs planning permission on streets including Royal Terrace, Clifftown Parade, Cambridge Road and Devereux Road.
Leigh-on-SeaSS9 2
A fishing village that spread east along the hilltop after the railway came in 1856; south of the London Road it's mostly Edwardian and inter-war.
- Four conservation areas: Leigh, Leigh Old Town, Leigh Cliff and Chapmanslord.
- Article 4 directions in three of them mean a hardstanding for a car needs planning permission; in Chapmanslord, a 1920s garden-city estate, that's every house.
- The council notes many homes here have no off-street parking.
Westcliff-on-SeaSS0 7
Built up between the railway and the seafront after the station opened in 1895; the most densely built neighbourhood in the city.
- The Milton conservation area, mostly built between 1870 and 1900, has an Article 4 direction on hardstandings.
- Many houses are now flats, and a flat needs planning permission for a new crossover.
- Chalkwell Avenue and Chalkwell Esplanade are in one of the council's critical drainage areas.
PrittlewellSS2 6
Low and medium-density inter-war housing round the old village, St Mary's Church and the Priory.
- The village core is a conservation area, designated in 1995.
- The Prittle Brook floods the roads beside it, such as Victoria Avenue and Fairfax Drive.
SouthchurchSS1 2
Tight Victorian and Edwardian terraces on a grid round Southchurch Road, inter-war homes to the north, post-war houses and bungalows by Southchurch Boulevard.
- No conservation area covers Southchurch.
- Victoria Road and the streets round it flooded in 2013, 2014 and 2021.
Thorpe BaySS1 3
Large Edwardian and inter-war detached houses on wide plots, then post-war bungalows; the lowest-density part of the city.
- No conservation area covers Thorpe Bay.
- It sits on the gravels and loams the British Geological Survey calls the best-drained soils between Rochford and Shoeburyness.
ShoeburynessSS3 9
Victorian and Edwardian terraces round West Road and the High Street, the converted Garrison, and open-plan modern estates in North Shoebury.
- Shoebury Garrison is a conservation area, designated in 1981.
- The council's drainage plan records high groundwater here, and flooding on Ness Road, Campfield Road and Shoebury Common Road.
EastwoodSS9 5
Mostly post-war homes in cul-de-sacs, with chalet-style and larger houses round Nobles Green; more cars per home than anywhere else in the city.
- No conservation area covers Eastwood.
- On 24 August 2013 the Eastwood Brook area had 63 flood reports, 50 of them inside homes, round Glenwood Avenue, Grovewood Avenue, Belgrave Road and Rayleigh Road.
1. City centre and Clifftown2. Leigh-on-Sea3. Westcliff-on-Sea4. Prittlewell5. Southchurch6. Thorpe Bay7. Shoeburyness8. EastwoodRecent work from our own team
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 our Google listings. Names as they appear on the review.
4.9 from 30 Google reviews5.0 from 90 on Yell5.0 from 16 on Facebook
Wayne Parker
December 2025 · Driveway and patio
Great job on my new driveway A great bunch of guys wouldn't hesitate to recommend Installed a new driveway and patio will have them around next time to do my pathway couldn't recommend them enough
Jon Curson
August 2019 · Block paving
Would highly recommend. Thomas and his team removed our old concrete driveway then replaced and extended with block paving, all within 3 days. The end result looks great.
Stone
October 2022 · Driveway
Very professional company and people. Did an excellent job on our huge driveway. We live on a main busy road but the guys got the job done. Very happy with the work, will definatley reccommend First 4 Driveways 😁.
Why Southend homeowners choose First4Driveways
What customers mention in their reviews, and what we put in writing.
Quoted in person
We come out to measure up and talk it through, and the price goes in writing before anything is dug up.
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 left spotless and work done when promised.
Southend questions
Straight answers for homeowners in Southend-on-Sea.
Do you cover all of Southend?
Yes: the whole city, from Leigh-on-Sea, Eastwood and Westcliff to Prittlewell, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness, and over the boundary in Hadleigh, Rochford and Rayleigh. Not listed? Call and ask.
Who builds the dropped kerb for a new drive in Southend?
Southend City Council, with its own approved contractor; the council says using anyone else is illegal. You apply online (£300, non-refundable, at 2026/27 rates), the council inspects and quotes, and it builds the crossing once the drive and the opening are in place, at £255 per m². We lay the drive to the council's rules before they come. Don't park on the new drive until the crossing is built. Over the boundary in Hadleigh, Rochford and Rayleigh it's Essex Highways instead.
Do I need planning permission for a new drive in Southend?
Not usually for the drive itself, as long as anything over 5 m² is porous or drains to a lawn or border. But a new crossover needs planning permission if your home is in one of Southend's 16 conservation areas, on a classified road, or is a flat. On listed streets in Leigh, Leigh Cliff, Chapmanslord, Milton and Clifftown, Article 4 directions mean even the hardstanding needs permission.
Can I get a dropped kerb in a Southend residents' parking zone?
Usually not. Southend's crossover policy refuses a new crossing where the property is in, or is due to become part of, a controlled parking zone. It also refuses spaces smaller than 4.8 m deep by 2.44 m wide, with no exceptions, so it's worth measuring before you plan the drive.
How much does a new driveway cost in Southend?
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 council charges separately for the crossing. The price card gives you a guide in seconds.
Which driveway suits Southend best?
For most homes, resin bound or permeable block paving: both let the rain soak through, which meets Southend's porous rule without a drain. On the London Clay in Leigh, Westcliff and Eastwood, where water soaks away slowly, we check the base and where the water goes on the survey. Tarmac and imprinted concrete need falls to a border or a drain.
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
Chelmsford
Block paving, resin driveways and patios across Chelmsford. Free survey and written quote.
Driveways in Chelmsford
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
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.