You are compared against work that fails in three years
A rival quotes half your price by skipping the excavation depth and the edge restraints. Without a line-by-line breakdown you have no way of showing what they left out.
For driveway contractors
Driveway quotes that show the sub-base you are paying for
The cheapest driveway quote in the street is always someone laying blocks on four inches of scalpings. Your price is higher because the dig, the membrane and the drainage are real. An itemised estimate is the only way a homeowner ever sees that.
Why estimating is the worst part of the week
Nobody expects the muck away bill
Sixty square metres dug to 250mm is a lot of lorries. It is the single biggest surprise on any driveway estimate and it is the one customers query first.
Drainage rules are your problem to explain
Surface water cannot just run to the road, and the customer has never heard of SUDS. Explaining it after you have quoted sounds like an upsell; explaining it in the estimate sounds like expertise.
A real example
Block paved driveway, 62m², with linear drainage
On the left is what you would actually write down. On the right is what your customer receives.
Your notes
drive 62sqm. dig out 250, its clay underneath so geotextile then 200 of type 1 in layers. existing drive falls TOWARDS the house which is why the garage floods, so re-fall to the road with an aco channel across the garage front, connect to the existing gully by the fence. marshalls drivesett tegula pennant grey 3 size mix, charcoal double soldier border. dropped kerb is a council application, they do it not us, say so on the quote. muck away 6 grab loads, theres old tarmac to come up first. edge restraint haunched both sides. kiln dried sand and plate at the end. 5 days 3 lads, weather permitting. skip the sealing chat until year two
The estimate
| Item | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Break out existing tarmac and excavate driveway to 250mm | 62 m² | £1,488.00 |
| Grab-away of spoil and broken tarmac | 6 each | £1,560.00 |
| Geotextile membrane over clay subgrade | 62 m² | £248.00 |
| Type 1 sub-base, 200mm laid and compacted in layers | 62 m² | £1,984.00 |
| Concrete edge restraint, haunched both sides | 32 linear m | £832.00 |
| Aco channel drain and connection to existing gully | 6 linear m | £468.00 |
| Marshalls Drivesett Tegula block paving, supplied and laid | 62 m² | £3,844.00 |
| Charcoal double soldier course border | 32 linear m | £768.00 |
| Kiln-dried sand, plate compaction and finishing | 1 job | £260.00 |
| Site clean, wash down and removal of surplus | 1 job | £180.00 |
| Total before VAT | £11,632.00 | |
An illustration using typical UK rates, not a price list. TradeScribe prices from the rates in your own notes and your saved day rate.
What we know about driveways and paving estimates
These are the lines that come up again and again on a driveway contractor's estimate. Mention any of them in your notes, however briefly, and they come out properly worded.
- Excavate driveway to depth, per square metre
- Grab-away of spoil, per load
- Type 1 sub-base laid and compacted, per square metre
- Block paving, supplied and laid, per square metre
- Tarmac surfacing, per square metre
- Resin bound surfacing, per square metre
- Soldier course or contrasting border, per linear metre
- Concrete edge restraint, haunched, per linear metre
- Aco channel or linear drainage, per linear metre
- Sealing and jointing, per square metre
Driveways and paving estimating questions
Do I need to mention SUDS or planning permission on a driveway estimate?
Yes, because it is the customer's responsibility and they will not know about it. In England, a front garden over five square metres surfaced in impermeable materials needs either permeable construction or drainage to a soakaway within the property, otherwise planning permission is required. State on the estimate which you have priced, so nobody discovers it after the blocks are down.
How do I price a driveway when I do not know what is under the old one?
Price the excavation to a stated depth and add a rate per extra load for anything unexpected. Old concrete rafts, buried oil tanks and made-up ground are common on 1930s and post-war properties. Note the assumed subgrade on the estimate, because 'clay, requiring geotextile and 200mm sub-base' is both an explanation of your price and your protection if it turns out to be worse.
Should the dropped kerb be on my estimate?
List it as excluded and tell them why. A vehicle crossover is applied for through the local highway authority and is normally carried out by their approved contractor at their rate. Customers routinely assume it is part of the driveway, so an explicit exclusion saves you a difficult conversation on the last day.
How do I explain why the quote down the road is £3,000 cheaper?
Show the depths. Put the excavation depth, the sub-base thickness and the edge detail on the estimate as measurable numbers. A homeowner cannot judge workmanship, but they can compare 250mm against 100mm, and once they can see the difference the conversation stops being about price.
Should I offer to seal the driveway as part of the job?
Not straight away. New block paving needs a period of weathering before sealing, and efflorescence should be allowed to wash out first. Offer it as a priced option for a later date on the same estimate. It is honest, it looks knowledgeable, and it puts a follow-up job in the diary.
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