07398 794085info@ns-landscaping.co.uk
Open 6am–8pm, 7 days a weekInverness & the Highlands
NS & Sons Landscape Gardening
07398 794085Get a Free Quote
Service

Driveway Installation
in Inverness &
the Highlands.

Block-paved driveways engineered to carry actual vehicle weight, full excavation, deep Type 1 sub-base, drainage falls and edge restraints designed in. Not a re-surface, not a temporary fix. A driveway that still looks right in fifteen years.

Verified on MyBuilder 15+ years' combined experience Free written quotes

15+ Years

Combined experience

MyBuilder

Verified profile

Homes & Commercial

Restaurants, hotels, gyms

6am – 8pm

7 days a week

Highlands-wide

Inverness & surrounding

Overview

The service,
in plain terms.

What it is

Complete driveway installation from marking out and excavating, through engineered sub-base and drainage, to laying block paving with correct edge restraints, jointing and final compaction. Includes disposal of the old driveway.

Who it's for

Homeowners replacing a cracked concrete drive, worn tarmac, or sunken block paving; new-build owners with a bare gravel or unfinished front; and commercial premises needing hardstanding for staff parking or vehicle access.

When you need it

When the existing drive is cracked, sunken, or heaving with weeds; when a new car (or second car) needs space; when you're changing the front of the house with an extension or new front door; or when you simply want the property to present properly from the street.

Why professional matters

A driveway carries dramatically more load than a patio, a family car parked overnight is a static load of well over a tonne, moving in and out repeatedly. A driveway built on patio-grade foundations rides for two winters and then starts rutting, sinking and cracking where the wheels rest.

What happens if you leave it

The cost of
putting it off.

Cracked or sunken driveways get worse fast

Once water can sit on a driveway and freeze into cracks, freeze-thaw prises those cracks wider every winter. What was a hairline turns into missing chunks by spring.

Weeds and moss ruin the look

Old concrete or tarmac drives get colonised by moss; block-paved drives that were dry-jointed and left grow visible weed lines within two summers. Both drag the whole property presentation down.

Poor drainage undermines the sub-base

A driveway without correct falls sends water back toward the house, or holds standing water on the surface. Both cause slow, invisible damage, first to the driveway, potentially to the building.

Why it's worth it

What you actually
get for the money.

Actually takes vehicle load

Sub-base and laying depth spec'd for cars, not deckchairs. Blocks don't rock, don't dish, don't rut under repeated wheel loads.

Compacted in layers

Every layer of sub-base plate-compacted before the next goes on. That's the difference between a drive that stays flat and one that ripples in year two.

Water gets away

Correct falls plus drainage channels or gullies keep the drive dry and stop water pooling by the house, protecting both the drive and the property.

Edge-restrained perimeter

Concrete haunched edging around the whole drive stops blocks migrating outward under load. That's why the surface still looks tight in year ten.

Visible upgrade to the property

A well-built block-paved driveway lifts the whole front elevation of the house, visibly better kerb appeal, real value at resale.

Repairable, not disposable

Individual blocks can be lifted and re-laid if utility work or damage occurs, without ripping the whole drive up. Try that with concrete or tarmac.

Our process

How the job
gets done.

  1. 01

    Full site measure & quote

    We measure the drive, check ground conditions and existing drainage, discuss block choice and layout, and quote a fixed total including old-driveway removal.

  2. 02

    Excavation & spoil removal

    Existing drive lifted, excavated to full depth (typically 200–250mm below finished level), spoil removed from site.

  3. 03

    Engineered sub-base

    Type 1 MOT aggregate laid in compacted layers, deeper than patio spec because a driveway takes vehicle load. Every layer compacted with a plate whacker before the next.

  4. 04

    Drainage, falls & edge restraints

    Falls set for surface water run-off, drainage channels or gullies installed as needed, and concrete edge restraints haunched in around the perimeter.

  5. 05

    Block paving, cut & joint

    Blocks laid on a sharp-sand laying course in the chosen pattern (herringbone for load, stretcher for looks), cut cleanly at edges on the wet saw, then jointed with kiln-dried sand and vibrated in.

Block paving vs alternatives

Block paving, durable, repairable, visually the most flexible (colour, pattern, borders). Slightly more expensive than tarmac, cheaper than resin over 15+ years because damaged sections can be lifted rather than resurfaced. Tarmac, cheaper up front, fast to lay, but harder to repair invisibly and less premium in appearance. Concrete, cheapest, but cracks are permanent, doesn't age well, and drags down the look of the house. Resin-bound, attractive, permeable, but requires a sound existing base and is unforgiving of any movement underneath. For most Highland homes we recommend block paving as the sweet spot on cost, durability and looks.

Why driveway spec is different from patio spec

A patio holds furniture and people; a driveway holds vehicles moving on and off, static-loaded overnight, in all weathers. That means: deeper excavation (200–250mm vs 150mm for a patio), deeper sub-base compacted in more layers, herringbone laying pattern for load (blocks lock into each other so wheel load spreads rather than concentrating on one edge), edge restraints haunched heavier, and drainage designed for higher rainfall run-off. Building a driveway to patio spec is one of the most common ways a cheap installer disappoints a customer three years later.

Drainage: a legal point as well as a practical one

Since 2008, new or replacement driveways over 5m² in the UK have needed to either use permeable materials or drain surface water onto private land (not onto the highway), planning permission is required otherwise. Block paving with kiln-dried sand joints usually qualifies as permeable in practice, and we build drainage falls to keep run-off on your property. We'll flag any planning consideration for your specific driveway at quote stage.

Edge details and finishing

The edge of the drive is where most cheap installations fail first, blocks aren't restrained, they migrate under load, and the whole surface follows. We haunch a concrete edge in around the full perimeter, using either matching-colour edging blocks or a run of soldier-course blocks depending on the look. Where the drive meets the pavement or highway we finish it correctly with the appropriate kerb detail.

Commercial hardstanding and staff parking

For commercial customers we install hardstanding for staff and customer parking, vehicle access aprons for delivery yards, and screening/bin store bases. Commercial jobs use heavier-duty specs and are usually scheduled around trading hours to minimise disruption.

FAQ

Common
questions.

Straight answers on cost, timing, materials and what happens after the job's done. Anything else, call 07398 794085.

How much does a new driveway cost?+
Very site-dependent, size, existing driveway removal, ground conditions, block choice and drainage all affect the total. We give a fixed quote after visiting and measuring. Small single-car drives are naturally much cheaper than double drives with turning space.
How long does a driveway take to install?+
A typical single or small double driveway takes roughly 5–10 working days from excavation to final compaction, weather permitting. Larger drives, complex layouts, or those needing significant drainage work run longer.
Can you take the old driveway away?+
Yes. Removal and disposal of the existing driveway (concrete, tarmac or old block paving) is included in the quote unless you'd rather handle it separately.
Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?+
In most cases no, provided the driveway drains onto private land or uses permeable construction. If your drive was previously grass or garden, or if you're widening onto shared land, there can be planning considerations. We'll flag anything relevant at quote stage.
What blocks do you use?+
We work with the mainstream UK block-paving ranges, Marshalls, Bradstone and similar, in a range of colours, formats and textures. You can pick from samples at quote stage or we'll recommend a combination that suits the house.
Can the driveway include drainage channels?+
Yes, ACO channel drains, gullies or soakaway connections are all part of the driveway spec where the site needs them. We design drainage in from the start, not bolted on afterwards.
Do you install turning bays or bin store bases as part of the driveway?+
Yes, turning bays, bin store bases and matching front paths are all part of what we do, and it's usually cheaper to include them as part of the main driveway job than to add them later.
Which areas do you cover for driveways?+
Inverness, Nairn, Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Aviemore, the Black Isle, Muir of Ord and Beauly.
Ready when you are

Get a driveway that
outlasts the car on it.

Fixed price, honest advice, built on engineered foundations. Tell us the size and we'll come out and quote it.

Get a Free Quote Call 07398 794085

Free quotes · No obligation · Cash or bank transfer · 6am–8pm, 7 days

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