Bishop's Stortford

Tarmac Driveways in Bishop's Stortford

Tarmac laid hot in two courses and rolled, over a base built for what it carries. Free survey, a fixed written price, and you only pay when you're happy with the work.

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Tarmac Driveways in Bishop's Stortford, explained

Tarmac is usually the sensible answer when the area is large, the budget is real, and you want one continuous surface with nothing to maintain between the joints. What it is not is the cheap option that happens to look like the expensive one. A tarmac drive laid badly shows you inside a winter, and it shows you at the edges and in the low spots.

Which is why most of our quote is levels and drainage rather than the black stuff on top. Tarmac sheds water instead of absorbing it, so a tarmac drive is only ever as good as the fall somebody set before the first load turned up. We work that out at the survey and write it into the price, rather than finding it on the day and coming back to you for more money.

We are based in Hatfield and cover this area as part of our normal work. The survey and the written quotation are free, there is no deposit, and you pay when the drive is finished and you are happy with it.

We cover the CM23 postcode in Bishop's Stortford, and the rest of Hertfordshire.

What your quote covers

A free survey, with the falls and the drainage worked out before anything is priced
One fixed price in writing, no deposit, nothing payable up front
Excavation, clearance of the old surface and removal of the arisings
A compacted sub-base, and edgings or kerbs haunched in concrete to roll up against
A base course and a finer wearing course, laid hot and rolled while hot
Joints cut and sealed against thresholds and manholes, and the site cleaned down

Choosing tarmac driveways in Bishop's Stortford

A tarmac drive is not one layer of black. On most domestic jobs it is two: a base course that provides the strength, and a finer wearing course on top that gives the finish you actually see. Each is laid hot and rolled while still hot, because the rolling is what compacts the material and gives it density.

A single thin skim rolled once looks identical on the day it goes down. It behaves differently a couple of winters later, when water has found its way into a surface that was never properly compacted. It is worth asking anyone quoting in Bishop's Stortford how many layers they are laying.

Beyond construction, the choices are about appearance and water. Black is standard, red is available where it suits the house, and a decorative chipping finish gives a softer look. Because tarmac is not permeable, the falls must carry rain to a channel, gully or soakaway, and that is set during the groundwork.

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From first visit to finished job

Step 1
Free Site Survey
We check levels, drainage and the existing base and agree the finish with you.
Step 2
Written Quotation
A clear fixed price in writing, agreed before we begin.
Step 3
Groundwork
We excavate to the right depth and lay a compacted sub-base.
Step 4
Surfacing
The tarmac is laid hot in layers, raked to falls and rolled to a smooth finish.
Step 5
Sign-Off
We tidy the edges and site, and you pay once the job is complete and you are happy.

What happens on site in Bishop's Stortford

We excavate the area, clear the arisings and build a compacted sub-base sized to the traffic the drive will take. Edgings or kerbs are set first and haunched in concrete, as tarmac has to be rolled up against something solid or its edges will break away.

The falls go in at this stage, so the finished surface sends water to the drainage point we have agreed rather than to whichever corner happens to be lowest.

Then the two layers. The base course is laid hot and rolled, and the wearing course follows, also laid hot and rolled hot. Joints against thresholds, manholes and any existing surfaces are cut and sealed so water cannot track underneath the new work.

What affects the price in Bishop's Stortford

We do not publish a rate per square metre, because the number would be wrong for most properties. The survey is free and the price you get afterwards is fixed and in writing. These are the things that move it:

The area, which is where tarmac earns its keep against the other surfaces
How much excavation it needs and how far the arisings have to travel
Whether the drive takes one course or the full base and wearing course build-up
The drainage the levels call for: a channel, a gully connection or a soakaway
Edgings or kerbs, and whether you want a block-paved border
Plain black, red, or a decorative chipping finish on top

Looking after tarmac driveways

Treat it gently for the first few weeks, and more so when it is hot. Turning the steering wheel while stationary will scuff the surface, and narrow point loads, a jockey wheel, a motorbike stand, a skip leg, will press into it. A board underneath spreads the weight.

Keep the drainage clear and the edges free of soil and growth. Standing water and unsupported edges are where tarmac drives fail, far more often than anywhere in the middle.

Sealing after a couple of years restores the colour and slows the surface drying out. If a crack or pothole appears it can be cut out and patched rather than the whole drive being relaid, and a properly built one should give 15 years or more.

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Around Bishop's Stortford

As well as Bishop's Stortford itself, we take on tarmac driveways work in Birchanger, Farnham Green, Ugley Green, Elsenham, Takeley and Henham, and across the rest of Hertfordshire. If you are just outside the towns listed here it is still worth a call, because we cover more ground than any list of names can sensibly show.

Tarmac Driveways in Bishop's Stortford: Common Questions

Do you cover Bishop's Stortford?

Yes, CM23 is in our area. We are based in Hatfield and the survey and written quotation are free.

How many layers of tarmac do you lay?

Two on most domestic drives: a base course for strength and a finer wearing course for the finish, each laid hot and rolled hot. A single thin layer looks the same at first and does not last.