Block paving
The usual choice on the estates and at Hanwood Park, and easy to repair in sections if services under the drive ever need digging up.
More on block paving
Kettering, Northamptonshire · NN14 to NN16
Driveways in Kettering.
Driveways in Kettering cover everything from Victorian terraces near the town centre to the new streets at Hanwood Park, and each end of that range brings its own problems.
- Surveyed before it is priced
- Itemised written quotes
- Local installers
- No obligation
Kettering
Driveways
Local detail.
- Postcodes
- NN14–NN16
- Council
- North Northamptonshire Council (dropped kerbs)
- Typical subsoil
- Varies: ironstone and sandy ground in places, clay in others
- Areas covered
- Kettering town, Barton Seagrave, Hanwood Park, Burton Latimer, Rothwell, Desborough, Broughton
- Written, itemised quotesExcavation, sub-base, edging and drainage priced separately
- Site survey before pricingNobody prices a driveway properly from a satellite photo
- Compliant surface water drainageBuilt to meet the 2008 permeable-surface rules, not around them
- Local installers onlyCrews working their own patch, not a national call centre
Kettering driveways
What these jobs look like in Kettering.
Kettering grew around its old boot and shoe trade, and the streets nearest the centre are tight Victorian and Edwardian terraces where a driveway usually means converting a small front garden. On those plots the questions are about space, the dropped kerb and drainage, not about which surface looks best.
Further out, the 1960s and 70s estates and the Barton Seagrave side of town have wider frontages and older drives that are due for replacement. And at Hanwood Park, the large new development on the eastern edge of Kettering, the drives are recent developer-spec work where early settlement is the thing to watch.
Ironstone, clay and what that means for a Kettering drive
Ground in and around Kettering varies more than people expect. The higher parts of the area include ironstone and sandy soils that drain reasonably well, while the lower ground and valleys tend towards clay that holds water and moves with the seasons. The same drive specification is not right for both, which is why we look at the plot, and sometimes dig a test hole, before settling on the sub-base depth and the drainage.
Surfaces
Which surface makes sense in Kettering.
Four options, and the case for each on this ground. The right answer is usually decided by what is already on the plot, not by a brochure.
Resin bound
Worth considering where there is already a sound tarmac or concrete base, and on terraced frontages where a clean, joint-free finish makes a small space look tidier.
More on resin boundTarmac
Good value on longer drives on the villages around Kettering, where the cost per square metre matters more than the finish.
More on tarmacGravel
Cheap and permeable, and fine on rural properties, as long as it is held in a grid so it stays where it is put.
More on gravelTerraced frontages near the town centre
Turning a small terraced front garden into parking is possible on many Kettering streets, but it has to pass the council first. North Northamptonshire Council assesses dropped kerb applications on the depth of the space, sight lines and what sits in the footway, such as trees, lamp posts and service covers. Getting that approval before committing to the work saves a lot of trouble.
On a small frontage the drainage rules also bite: the whole area usually needs to be permeable or drain into a bed within the property, because there is rarely room for a soakaway.
New drives at Hanwood Park
Hanwood Park is one of the biggest housing developments in the county, and the drives there are recent. If a drive is dipping where cars turn or lifting at the garage, and the house is still under the developer warranty, raise it with the developer first. Where the warranty has ended, this is usually a lift-and-relay job using the existing blocks, not a full replacement.
How it works
How a Kettering driveway job runs.
Four stages. The timings below are what these jobs really take, not the best case with everything going right.
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01
Send us the basics
Postcode, rough size, and what is there now. A photo of the existing drive from the pavement tells us more than a paragraph does.
Same day, usually within a few hours.
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02
Site survey
Someone comes out, measures up, checks levels and finds out where the water currently goes. This is also when access gets checked, a machine that cannot reach the back of the plot changes the price.
Typically within a week of your enquiry.
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03
Itemised written quote
Dig depth, sub-base type and thickness, edging, drainage solution, surface material and make-good. Separate lines, so you can hold it against another quote and see where they differ.
2–3 working days after the survey.
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04
Installation
A typical two-car driveway is three to five working days on site: dig out and cart away, lay and compact the sub-base, edge it, then surface it. Resin and concrete both need a dry weather window, so dates move in a wet week.
Lead time depends on the season, spring and early autumn are the busiest.
FAQ
Kettering driveway questions.
Who approves a dropped kerb in Kettering?
North Northamptonshire Council, which handles vehicle crossing applications for Kettering. Apply and get approval before the driveway work starts.
Can I turn my terraced front garden into a driveway?
Often, but not always. It depends on whether the space is deep enough to park without overhanging the pavement, and on what is in the footway outside. The council decides, so it is worth checking early.
Do you cover the towns around Kettering?
Yes, including Barton Seagrave, Burton Latimer, Rothwell, Desborough and Broughton.
Do you charge for a quote or a survey?
No. The survey and the written quote are free and carry no obligation. We would rather look at the job properly than price it off a photograph and revise it later.
How long is a quote valid for?
Long enough to compare it against others without being rushed. If material prices move we will tell you before the work is booked rather than after it has started.
Do you take a deposit?
A deposit covers materials once a date is agreed, with the balance on completion. It is set out on the quote before you commit to anything.
Related guides
Areas covered
Where we work.
Towns with a local driveway page
- Northampton
- Milton Keynes
- Bedford
- Aylesbury
- Leighton Buzzard
- Luton
- Towcester
- Dunstable
- Wellingborough
- Buckingham
- Brackley
- Kettering
Covering Kettering and the surrounding area, including Barton Seagrave, Hanwood Park, Burton Latimer, Rothwell, Desborough and Broughton.
Also covered Bletchley, Wolverton, Stony Stratford, Newport Pagnell, Olney, Woburn Sands and Winslow, plus the villages between them. These do not have a page of their own, there is no point writing one nobody searches for, but they are all inside the working area.
Written and reviewed by the PaveLocal team. We build and specify driveways across Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. Pricing and specification guidance on this page reflects what these jobs cost and involve in this region, not a national average.
Free quote
Get a quote for your Kettering driveway.
Send the postcode and a rough size and we will arrange a survey. A photo of the drive from the pavement tells us more than a paragraph does.
- Itemised, in writingExcavation, sub-base depth, edging, drainage and surface priced as separate lines, so you can compare quotes properly.
- Surveyed before it is pricedGround conditions decide the cost of a driveway. Anyone quoting a firm price off a photo is guessing.
- No obligationA quote is a quote. If you use someone else, that is fine, we will not chase you about it.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 07423 123796, message us on WhatsApp or email info@pavelocal.co.uk.