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What should a tarmac repair quote cover?
A tarmac repair quote should say whether it is filling a hole, cutting out a failed patch, or relaying a larger area, because those are different jobs. If the work becomes a new or replacement driveway in a front garden, the planning rules for that surface apply, and a small filled hole is not that description.
Last reviewed:What does a repair look like, compared with a new drive?
A drive in Crewe, a shared access in Nantwich or a short frontage in Sandbach can show the same faults: a hole, a crack at the edge, or a patch that has sunk. Cheshire drives are in scope, and anyone in the UK can post the job. This page is about putting those faults into a quote. It is not a price for a new driveway, and it does not print one.
Tarmac driveway quotes covers a whole surface, including the difference between porous asphalt and a sealed layer. The live guide to driveway costs is the wider driveway page. Use those when the contractor says the patch is not worth doing and the area should be relayed. Use this page when you still think a local repair is the job.
What should you photograph before anyone visits?
Stand on the ground. You do not need a measurement to the centimetre. You do need the contractor to see the same thing you see.
- The hole or the crack, with something familiar in the frame so the size is obvious, such as a shoe or a trowel. Say that it is not a measured survey.
- The edge where the black surface meets a wall, a border or the pavement.
- Where rain sits. A photo after rain is more useful than a photo on a dry day if the problem is water.
- The kerb. Say whether cars cross a dropped section or the full height of the kerb.
- Anything you have already filled with a bag of cold repair compound. A second repair on top of a first one is a different job.
The Planning Portal says a dropped kerb is a lowered sloping access in the pavement, required if you wish to drive over a pavement onto your property, and that it is illegal to drive over the pavement without one [S1]. You apply to the local authority if you wish to drop a kerb [S1]. A tarmac firm is not that application unless the quote says they will make it.
When is a patch the wrong job?
Ask the contractor to say which of these they are pricing.
| What you can see | What a repair quote should answer | When to stop and re-price |
|---|---|---|
| One hole | How they will cut it out, what they will fill, and whether the base is sound | The base is soft, or the hole keeps returning |
| Cracked edge | Whether they are sealing a crack or rebuilding the edge | The edge has crumbled back into the garden |
| A puddle | Where the water will go after the repair | The fall of the drive sends water at the house |
| Many patches already | Whether another patch is honest | Most of the area is a patchwork |
| A front garden to be relayed | Porous or impermeable, and where rain goes [S1] | The quote still says "patch" but the area is the whole front |
The Planning Portal's permission test is for a new or replacement driveway. You will not need planning permission if that driveway, of any size, uses a permeable or porous surface, and the examples named are gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if rain is directed to a lawn or border [S1]. If the area to be covered is more than five square metres and the surface is a traditional impermeable driveway with nowhere for the water to run, planning permission will be needed [S1]. The page says these rules only cover the front garden, that they apply to houses and not to flats and maisonettes, and that a planning condition or an Article 4 direction can limit the rights [S1]. A back garden and a side path are not that front-garden rule. The same page points to different rules for patios and driveways that are not part of a front garden [S1].
A filled pothole is not described there. If your quote changes from a hole to a new front surface, ask the council before the work starts if you are unsure which case you are in. This page cannot tell you.
What should the writing include?
Citizens Advice says a quote is a promise from the trader to do the work at an agreed price, so get it in writing rather than rely on a verbal quote, and that an estimate is only a rough guess [S2]. Some traders charge for quotes, so ask about this first [S2]. If the work will take a long time and a deposit cannot be avoided, push it down, do not agree to more than 25%, and get a receipt [S2].
For a tarmac repair, the writing should also say:
- the area, even if it is "the hole by the gate" rather than a surveyed square
- cut out and refill, or pour over the top
- whether the price includes sealing the join to the old surface
- who moves cars
- whether waste, including old broken pieces, leaves the site
Our driveways and paving page is the trade. A landscaper is a different trade if the job is really a border and a lawn, not the black surface. Landscapers cover that wider garden work.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "One hole in the front drive, just inside the gate. Please quote to cut it out and fill it. Do not quote to relay the whole drive unless you think the patch will not last, and say why."
- "Edge of the tarmac against the path is breaking up. Please repair the edge only, and say what you will do with the loose pieces."
- "Several old patches and a puddle by the house. Please look and say whether this is still a repair or a new surface. If it is a new front surface, say whether it is porous."
Posting the repair
A daytime photo and a photo after rain are the useful pair. Up to five matched local businesses can send a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
What else are people asking?
Is filling a hole the same as a new driveway?
No. A hole, a sunken patch or a broken edge can be a local repair. Relaying the front garden is a new or replacement surface. The Planning Portal's rules quoted on this page are about a new or replacement driveway in a front garden. They do not describe a filled hole. If the quote grows from a patch into a new surface, read those rules before you accept it.
When does the front-garden planning rule matter?
The Planning Portal says you will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses a permeable or porous surface, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally. If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres, planning permission will be needed for traditional impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area. These rules cover the front garden of a house, not flats, and not every other part of the garden.
Do I need a dropped kerb for a repair?
A repair to a surface you already drive on does not, by itself, create a new crossing. The Planning Portal says a dropped kerb is required if you wish to drive over a pavement onto your property, and that it is illegal to do so without one. If cars already cross at a proper dropped kerb, say so. If they bump over the full kerb, the repair is not permission to keep doing that.
The patch failed again. What should I ask?
Ask what is under the black surface, and whether water sits in the hole. A patch on a soft base or in a puddle often fails again. That is a reason to ask for the base in writing, not a reason this page can give you a lifespan. A whole tarmac driveway is the larger job, with its own questions about porous asphalt.
Does QuoteZila check driveway firms?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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- Block Paving Patterns: How to Choose One. Herringbone, basketweave, stretcher bond and mixed-size block paving patterns explained, with what each means for cutting, edging, drainage and your quote.
- Black and Red Wire: What It Means in UK Homes. What a black and red wire usually means, from old house wiring to batteries and low-voltage kit, why colour alone is not proof, and when to call an electrician.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Planning permission: paving your front garden, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/paving-your-front-garden/planning-permission
- S2: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/