How to lay a concrete driveway

Inspired by a UK landscaping walkthrough. This guide draws on the Landscaping UK driveway installation video, which covers excavation depths, sub-base compaction, and getting the levels right before a drop of concrete is mixed. Solid foundation work — well worth the watch before you hire a skip.

1. Check permitted development rules first

In England, a driveway over 5 m² laid in an impermeable material — plain concrete included — requires either planning permission or a permeable alternative. The rule was introduced to reduce surface water run-off.

The simplest fix is to channel the run-off into a border or lawn rather than the public drain. That usually satisfies the requirement without planning. Check with your local authority if you are unsure — it is a five-minute phone call and worth making before you hire machinery.

2. Mark out and excavate

Mark the driveway area with pegs and string lines, then dig out to 200–225 mm below the finished surface level. That allows for 100 mm of compacted sub-base and 100 mm of concrete — the minimum for a car driveway.

Keep the edges neat. Ragged edges make formwork harder and weaken the slab perimeter. If the ground is soft or waterlogged, dig deeper and allow extra sub-base. That said, most Kentish garden soil is reasonably stable.

3. Lay and compact the sub-base

Spread MOT Type 1 crushed stone to approximately 150 mm loose depth — it compacts down to around 100 mm. Work in two layers if you can, compacting each with a wacker plate.

Check the level constantly. The sub-base dictates the finished height of the slab, and any low spots will fill with water later. Fall the surface away from the house at around 1:60 — about 17 mm per metre — to drain water away naturally.

4. Fix the formwork

Timber formwork — typically 100 mm × 25 mm boards — keeps the wet concrete in place and gives you a straight edge to screed against. Drive pegs behind the boards every 600–900 mm and screw the boards to them.

Check everything is level and aligned before mixing anything. It is far easier to adjust the shuttering now than to chase the concrete later. Leave one end open for the barrow runs.

5. Mix or order ready-mix concrete

For a driveway, use a C25 (ST3) mix — a 1:2:3 ratio of cement, sand, and 20 mm aggregate works well by hand. Ready-mix concrete is usually worth the cost for areas over about 4 m²; mixing by hand for anything larger is genuinely exhausting.

If you order ready-mix, have a crew and all your tools ready before the lorry arrives. You normally have 90 minutes to place and level it once the drum stops turning. That goes faster than you think.

6. Pour, screed, and level

Pour the concrete into the formwork and spread it with a rake to roughly 10–20 mm above the top of the shuttering. Work the concrete into corners with a spade to avoid air pockets at the edges.

Screed across the top of the boards using a straight 2 × 4, moving in a sawing motion. Work from the far end back towards where you are standing so you are not walking on screeded concrete. Fill any low spots and screed again.

7. Finish the surface

A steel float gives a smooth, dense finish — good for a clean look but slippery when wet. A slightly rougher, brush finish is safer for a drive and is achieved by dragging a stiff broom lightly across the surface while it is still workable.

A broom finish also hides minor imperfections and looks more in keeping with traditional driveways. Mind you, do not over-work the surface — excess trowelling draws water to the top and weakens it.

8. Cure properly

Cover the slab with polythene sheeting or a curing compound as soon as the surface is firm enough not to be marked. Leave it covered for at least three days — longer in cold weather or direct sun.

Do not drive on it for seven days minimum. Full strength takes 28 days. Walking on it after 48 hours is fine, but parking a car on fresh concrete before the week is up risks cracking it — not a mistake you want to make twice.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the area is large, access is tight for machinery, or you want the groundworks sorted but need someone to take the project on properly. Laying a driveway solo is achievable for smaller areas — anything over about 15 m² benefits from an extra pair of hands, especially if you are using ready-mix.