What is the Cost of a Brick Driveway?

Factors which influence the cost of a brick driveway

Brick driveways are really popular and it’s easy to see why. They can be simply personalised to create a design unique to your home and they are also highly versatile so work with a range of different types of property.

Factors which influence the cost of a brick driveway:

• The area of the driveway
• Whether the driveway is an unusual or odd shape
• The type and style of bricks
• The complexity of the pattern or design
• Whether you opt for a geotextile weed membrane to prevent unwanted plant growth
• How much excavation is required
• Removal of the old driveway
• Waste disposal costs
• Skip and machinery hire
• Ease of access to the site
• Postcode – where you live can have a big impact on labour costs with London and the Southeast being the most expensive and thus highest brick driveway costs.

Brick paver driveways

Made from clay, a brick paver is a much more ornamental brick than the standard brick you would use to build a wall or a house. Brick pavers come in all sorts of colours, shapes, patterns and textures and are designed for decorative use. These bricks are also much larger than ordinary bricks.

Interlocking brick driveways

The clue is in the name, this type of driveway features a particular pattern or design where the brick pavers are arranged in such a way that they lock together. There are different types of patterns and one of the most popular is herringbone. A design can completely transform the space in front of the house and create illusions of size and gradient depending on the pattern. The main brick driveway cost factor here is the time taken to install the design rather than the price of the materials.

Types of Bricks for Driveways

It is important to choose a strong brick which is robust enough for vehicular traffic and won’t be worn down by the weather.

• Classic clay bricks – this is the standard red brick
• Concrete pavers – these are similar in size and shape to clay bricks, but they are made from concrete. Concrete pavers are easy to install and come in many typical brick colours
• Bluestone pavers – these are made of sandstone and create a beautiful blend of blue and grey for a very elegant and striking finish. Bluestone pavers are very popular and are towards the top end of the price range for the cost of a brick driveway at the moment.
• Cobblestones – cobblestones can be made out of granite, sandstone and other stones (read, how much do cobblestone driveways cost). They are incredibly hard wearing and have a real vintage look and has the highest brick driveway cost.

The advantages of a brick driveway

• Bricks are durable and long lasting
• They won’t fade over time
• There is an endless choice of colours and patterns
• They can be personalised to give a unique driveway design for your home
• They suit lots of different types of property from older style, period homes right through to new builds and contemporary designs

The disadvantages of a brick driveway

• Bricks retain moisture so you can find algae and lichen appearing on the surface of your driveway
• Brick driveways have a decreased load-bearing capacity so can chip and flake if you have heavier vehicles or just lots of traffic
• Bricks mark easily and are not very forgiving of dirt and spillages
• Brick driveways are not easy to clean
• Bricks struggle with the freeze thaw process of winter which can damage the surface and make them harder to clean
• Porous or permeable bricks are susceptible to weather damage
• Time-consuming installation

Cleaning a brick driveway

Brick driveways should be swept regularly to remove dust, dirt and debris. If you have an oil or chemical spillage, then use sand or cat litter to mop up the excess and then clean the stain. Bricks hold a stain so it will probably be impossible to completely remove it.

Once the driveway is clean, seal it with a proprietary product which is recommended by the manufacturer or your driveway installer. This will help keep the surface clean, protect it and also inhibit the growth of weeds or grass.

Brick driveways can be prone to incursion by grass, moss and unwanted plants. Using a geotextile when the sub-base is laid will help keep this to a minimum. Try and keep the driveway clear of large trees or plants which keep areas in permanent shade, and which will encourage moss to grow. This will also cause the driveway surface to change colour more unevenly as some areas will get the sun and others won’t. Any weeds, grass or moss which does appear can be lifted by hand or sprayed with a spot herbicide sprayer.

How to fund the cost of a brick driveway

Brick driveways are one of the more expensive surfacing options for your home, but they do look amazing when they are installed and can increase the value of your property by between 5%-10% if not more if you live in an area with limited on-street parking.

Householders tend to use savings or finance or a mix of the two to meet the cost. If you have equity in your home, then you could apply to your lender for a home improvement loan. Equally, some people release funds on a re-mortgage either with their own mortgage company or if they move elsewhere for a better rate. Funding the driveway in this way can create affordable monthly payments as the sum is spread over the remaining mortgage term. The downside is that this can take a long time to pay off. Any release of funds from a property is subject to the lender’s affordability test.

Many driveway companies have an arrangement with a lending organisation and can offer finance when they discuss your quote. This isn’t their finance, and you will be subject to the usual status requirements and credit and affordability assessments. It is tempting to sign and seal the whole deal from the comfort of your living room but always check the market first as you could end up paying over the odds as there could be a better rate available elsewhere.

How to lower brick driveway costs

• Remove all the extras like fancy edging stones, kerb lighting and gates – these could all be added later on
• Reduce the area or reduce the area that is going to have the brick weave and use a cheaper alternative in more hidden parts of the driveway or around the edge
• Remove your existing driveway yourself. This can save a lot in labour costs, but you will need to factor in the cost of skip hire or a grab lorry for the waste and possibly pneumatic tool hire if the surface is stubborn to lift
• Install the driveway in stages. Householders worry about being able to match the brick because of weathering but you can factor this into the design so rather than do it in strips or segments, you can develop the driveway from the centre outwards, that way any changes in tone or shade will come across as intentional
• Use a stamped or pattern imprinted concrete which can be coloured and then printed into the wet cement to mimic the appearance of brick or slate. This is a quicker, much more cost-effective alternative
• Remove all the extras like fancy edging stones, kerb lighting and gates – these could all be added later on
• Reduce the area or reduce the area that is going to have the brick weave and use a cheaper alternative in more hidden parts of the driveway or around the edge
• Remove your existing driveway yourself. This can save a lot in labour costs, but you will need to factor in the cost of skip hire or a grab lorry for the waste and possibly pneumatic tool hire if the surface is stubborn to lift
• Install the driveway in stages. Householders worry about being able to match the brick because of weathering but you can factor this into the design so rather than do it in strips or segments, you can develop the driveway from the centre outwards, that way any changes in tone or shade will come across as intentional
• Use a stamped or pattern imprinted concrete which can be coloured and then printed into the wet cement to mimic the appearance of brick or slate. This is a quicker, much more cost-effective alternative

How to find the right installer for a brick driveway

Some people look online for a contractor and posting on social media groups and forums is one way to bring up names and numbers but do bear in mind that these recommendations are from people you probably won’t know in most cases. They could be promoting someone who hasn’t actually laid a driveway for them.

Ask friends and family for a recommendation or you might even see a new brick driveway installed in front of a house in your local area. Contractors will often leave their sign there so people can easily see who did the installation.

Trader platforms are an increasingly popular way to find contractors in a quick and time-efficient manner. Just key in your location, driveway size – this doesn’t have to be accurate – the surface you want and just wait for the quotes to land in your inbox. This saves you the time and trouble of trawling the internet and making endless phone calls and sending emails.

Questions to ask your driveway installer

Having a list of questions handy means that you can find out the same information from several contractors and compare companies more easily. Always obtain at least three quotes and don’t accept a quote which has not been backed up by a visit to your home. This won’t be accurate, and no reputable professional will ever agree to a driveway installation without a site inspection first. Here are some questions to ask.

• Is brick a suitable driveway material for my home?
• Which bricks do you recommend?
• How long will it take to install?
• Do you need to remove the old driveway first?
• How long does removal and excavation take?
• Do you foresee any access problems with the site or any other issues?
• Is your quotation fully inclusive or are there other costs like third party hire charges for a skip and mini digger?
• How long will it be before I can walk and drive on the surface?
• Are there any guarantees and warranties offered for workmanship and materials?
• How long have you been in business for?
• Are you correctly licensed and insured?
• Are there any previous customers who have installed a brick drive who will give you a reference?

Planning permission for a brick paver driveway

If your drive is less than five metres square, then you should not need planning permission for brick paving. If the driveway is larger than this, then whether or not you need planning permission will depend upon the drainage system. If you don’t install any drainage or use permeable pavers which are porous and allow water to drain through, then you may need to apply for planning permission. This is because excess water is likely to run off your driveway and into the public drain and the rules about this changed in 2007 making this prohibited.

If you want to drop the kerb to the road or you already have a dropped kerb which you need to widen as your new driveway is going to be bigger or broader then you will need to apply for planning permission. This is regardless of whether you need consent for the actual driveway or not; permission for dropped kerbs are a separate requirement.

If your house is listed or in a conservation area, then your new driveway will need to abide by the listing’s regulations. Some householders are unaware that listing control applies to the land outside the house as well as the property itself. There can be conditions imposed upon the type of brick you use, the sub-base and the overall colour and design of the driveway.

Brick driveways – final thoughts

Brick driveways are one of the most popular choices for a new look driveway whether you have a contemporary, older style or period property. They do look great once installed but they can be expensive and have significant drawbacks, so they don’t work for everyone. If you are really on a tight budget, then you may find the time and labour charges just too high. If you have heavier vehicles or you tend to work on cars on the driveway, then brick weave may not be robust enough for your needs. A compromise is to use a harder wearing, stain resistant surface in busy areas or underneath heavy vans or motorhomes and keep the brick for lighter use areas where it can be seen so the cars are not actually parked on it very regularly.

A professionally laid brick weave driveway will add serious value to your home particularly if it is well lit and finished with attractive kerb stones. A driveway must be carefully thought out and include issues like security, access, potential increase in vehicle numbers or type and other features like an EV charge point. It must work well in its practical form and not just look good.

Checkout this video explaining how brick drives are laid:

If the cost of a brick driveway is out of your budget, why not learn more about surfaces like pressed concrete as a cost effective alternative, Stamped asphalt for durability and appearance, and tar and chip for a low maintenance driveway.

Frequently Asked Questions