Tarmac DrivewaysHard-Wearing, Cost-EffectiveAcross Bucks & Surrey
Machine-laid tarmac driveways, farm tracks and access roads finished with crisp edges, proper falls and a 12-month workmanship guarantee, priced honestly and quoted the same day.
About Our Tarmac Driveways Service
What it is
Tarmac (bitmac / asphalt) is a hot-laid mix of graded stone bound with bitumen, rolled while hot to form a dense, waterproof, load-bearing surface. It's the most cost-effective way to cover large areas of driveway, private lane or commercial access.
Who it's for
Homeowners with longer drives, farms with tracks and yards, businesses with car parks and delivery areas, and management companies with shared access roads across Bucks, Berks and Surrey.
When you need it
You need tarmac when an existing surface is potholed, patched to death, or when you're covering a large area on a budget that block paving or resin can't match. Also the right call for private lanes, farm tracks and vehicle-heavy zones.
Why professional installation matters
Tarmac lives or dies on temperature and rolling. Laid too cold, it never bonds. Rolled too little, it stays porous and water gets in. We work with the same regional plants used by council contractors, so the mix arrives hot, and we roll to the correct number of passes, not just once for show.
What Happens If You Leave It
Small problems don't stay small. Here's what we see when homeowners delay, and the corner-cutting mistakes that make it worse.
Potholes and edge crumble
Under-rolled or thin tarmac breaks up at the edges first. Once water gets in and freezes, potholes appear over one winter.
Standing water and moss
No falls, no drainage design, puddles form, tarmac stays wet, moss colonises and the surface degrades twice as fast.
Patch quilting
Repair after repair leaves a driveway that looks like a quilt. It's cheaper long-term to plane and re-lay properly than to keep patching failing tarmac.
Our Tarmac Driveways Process
A clear, in-person system from first visit to final handover, no surprises, no scope creep.
- 1
In-person site survey
We measure, take levels, check drainage and inspect the existing base, no quoting from Google Maps.
- 2
Fixed written quote, same day
Itemised for excavation, sub-base, base course, wearing course, edging and any drainage.
- 3
Excavation & sub-base
Existing surface planed off or dug out, sub-base compacted in layers of MOT Type 1, drainage installed if needed.
- 4
Base course laid & rolled
50–60mm binder course laid hot, screeded to falls and rolled with a heavy roller in multiple passes.
- 5
Wearing course & handover
25–40mm smooth wearing course laid hot, rolled to a tight finish. Edges sealed. 12-month workmanship guarantee, ready for cars once cool.
Why Homeowners Choose Hi Design
Best value per square metre
For large driveways, farm tracks and shared access roads, nothing else comes close on price per m².
Fast install, minimal disruption
A typical drive can be done in 2–3 days start to finish once the base is ready.
Smooth and quiet
Joint-free, level and quiet under tyres, ideal for long private drives and rural access roads.
Recent Tarmac Driveways Projects
A selection of finished tarmac driveways work across Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
Tarmac Driveways: The Detail
Tarmac mix specifications
We use AC 20 dense binder course (20mm stone) for the base layer and AC 6 dense surf 100/150 (6mm stone) for the wearing course on driveways. Farm tracks and heavier loads go up to AC 32 base and AC 10 wearing course. All mixes are BS EN 13108 compliant and delivered hot from a nearby batching plant so we lay above 130°C.
Depth, falls and sub-base
Domestic drives: 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base, 50mm binder, 25mm wearing course. Farm tracks and shared access: 200–250mm sub-base, 60mm binder, 30–40mm wearing course. Every surface is laid to a minimum 1:80 crossfall so water sheds to the correct drainage point, never towards buildings.
Edging and finish options
Bare tarmac edges crumble. We finish with concrete kerbs, block-paving borders, granite setts or timber edging depending on aesthetic and budget. Tarmac itself can be finished in standard black, or dressed with red or buff decorative chippings hot-rolled into the wearing course for a colour lift.
Overlay vs full excavation
If your existing tarmac is structurally sound with only surface wear, we can plane 40mm off and overlay with a new wearing course, half the cost and downtime. If cracks reach the sub-base or the surface is failing structurally, a full dig-out and rebuild is the honest answer. We'll tell you which one you need at the survey.
Residential vs commercial
Residential drives use lighter binder and wearing course grades. Commercial car parks, HGV yards and industrial access use heavy-duty AC 32 binder with a thicker sub-base and often steel reinforcement in high-turn zones. We install both and can phase commercial works around opening hours.
Tarmac Driveways, Common Questions
Related services & areas
Ready For A Smart, Hard-Wearing Tarmac Drive?
Free in-person survey. Fixed written quote the same day. 12-month workmanship guarantee.
Free site visit · Fixed written quote same day · 0% deposit · £10m insured