ConcreteDrivewaysinBournemouth&Poole
A poured slab laid on a properly compacted sub-base, with the falls set so water runs off it, not into your garage.
- Laid on a compacted sub-base, not the old surface
- Falls set so water drains away from the house
- Covered by a 2-year workmanship warranty
- 2 yearsWarranty on work
- Owner-ledOne team throughout
- In-houseBy our own team
- CSCS · SSSTS · NVQ 2Qualified team
What Is a Concrete Driveway?
A concrete driveway is a solid, poured slab rather than individual units, laid over a compacted sub-base with the falls set so rainwater runs away from the house. It suits a straightforward, hard-wearing driveway on a family home or a rental where upkeep needs to stay low. Because it's poured in one go, there are no joints for weeds or moss to work into over time.
How We Build a Concrete Driveway
The same team from quote to finish, on a fixed price.
01Book a Site Visit
We look at access, the existing surface and where the water needs to go, then give you a fixed price before anything starts.
02We Build It
Dig-out, sub-base, falls and the pour itself, done by the same team that quoted it.
03Walk-Round & Aftercare
A walk-round when it's finished, and a check-in once the concrete has properly cured and settled.
1 week
Typical concrete driveway, start to finish
15+
Years in groundworks and landscaping
35 miles
Service radius from Bournemouth
4
Driveway surfaces we lay
Concrete vs Block Paving vs Gravel
Three driveway surfaces we lay, and how they actually compare once you've lived with them for a few years.
| Concrete | Block Paving | Gravel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Generally the lower material cost of the three | Higher material cost, more design options | The lowest material cost, but needs topping up |
| Maintenance | Very low. An occasional wash is usually enough | Occasional re-sanding of the joints and weed control | Needs raking and topping up as stones migrate |
| Repairs | A damaged section is cut out and re-poured | Individual blocks lift out and reset without disturbing the rest | Easy to patch. Just add more stone |
| Look | A clean, uniform surface, brushed or laid to a simple pattern | The widest range of colours, patterns and edging | A looser, informal look that suits a period or rural property |
Swipe to see every column
What Every Concrete Driveway Includes
The groundwork underneath, done by us rather than subbed out.
Dig-Out & Muck Away
The existing surface and enough ground removed to make room for a proper sub-base. All spoil taken away, nothing left in a skip on the drive.
Compacted Sub-Base
Built up and compacted in layers to the depth the ground needs, not a fixed number regardless of what's underneath.
Falls Set for Drainage
The slope is set deliberately so water runs off the drive rather than towards the house or a neighbouring boundary.
Edge Restraint
A proper edge reinstated or built new, so the slab has something to key into rather than just sitting on soil.
Pricing
What a Concrete Driveway Costs
Priced after we have seen the drive
A concrete drive is priced on the dig-out, the sub-base and the pour. Depth, what comes out, whether the slab needs reinforcing, and how the falls have to run so water leaves the slab instead of sitting on it. We measure up and quote in writing before anything is broken out.
- What moves it: area, dig-out depth, reinforcement and access for the pour
- Breaking out and taking away the old surface is priced in
- Written and itemised, and it holds once agreed
How a Concrete Driveway Gets Built
Three steps, the same team all the way through.
Consultation & Site Visit
We visit, look at access and the current surface, and talk through layout and finish before anything is priced.
Fixed-Price Quote
An itemised quote, agreed before work starts. No extras added once we're on site.
Build & Finish
Dig-out, sub-base, falls and the pour, then a walk-round when it's done and a check-in once it's cured.
Concrete Driveways We've Laid
A look at finished concrete driveways around Bournemouth and Poole. More goes up as new jobs are photographed.
What Our Concrete Driveway Customers Say
Feedback from a customer who had a reinforced concrete slab driveway laid by our team.
Asa Parker
I'm very happy with the work Jacc and this team have done. They removed the old driveway and previous concrete pads, before levelling and laying a new larger reinforced concrete slab and block paving driveway. Jacc was very helpful throughout.
Concrete Driveway Projects
A closer look at some of the driveways we have built.
Before Work Starts
The things people usually want settled before they book a concrete driveway.
Will it crack or sink?
Cracking and sinking almost always trace back to the sub-base underneath, not the concrete itself. Ours is compacted in layers to the depth the ground needs, and the whole job is covered by a 2-year workmanship warranty.
How messy will it be?
A dig-out and pour is disruptive for a few days. Spoil is taken away as it comes out, and the site is left tidy at the end of each day, not just on the last one.
How long before we can use it?
Concrete needs time to cure before it takes weight. We'll tell you the exact timing for your drive at the quote stage, so you know before booking.
Concrete Driveways: What Affects the Cost and What to Check
A new concrete driveway over 5 square metres at the front of a house normally needs planning permission unless the surface drains water to a permeable area, a soakaway, or the existing drainage rather than straight to the road. Some properties, particularly in a conservation area, have tighter rules than the general position, so it is worth checking before work starts.
Concrete driveway cost is driven mostly by what happens before the concrete goes down. The size of the area, how much of the old surface has to come out, access for machinery and where the excavated spoil has to go all move the price more than the concrete itself. That is why every concrete driveway we quote is priced after a visit rather than off a rate card, and the quote sets out exactly what it covers.
When comparing concrete driveway installers, ask who actually does the groundwork. Many landscaping firms sub out the digging, the sub-base and the drainage to someone else, which is the part of the job that decides whether a drive stays level. We do that part in-house, which is why the same standard carries over from a driveway to a foundation.
Concrete Driveway FAQs
Answers to the questions we get asked most before booking.
How long does a concrete driveway take to lay?
Most standard driveways are finished inside a week, sub-base, falls and the pour included. We'll confirm the exact timescale for your drive once we've seen it.
How much does a concrete driveway cost?
It depends on the size, access, and how much of the old surface needs to come out, so every job is priced after a visit rather than from a fixed rate.
Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?
Not usually, provided the surface drains to a permeable area or a soakaway rather than straight onto the road. We can talk you through it at the quote stage if you're not sure.
Will a concrete driveway crack?
Cracking is almost always a sign the sub-base underneath was not built to the right depth or properly compacted. Ours is, and the workmanship is covered for two years regardless.
Do you offer a warranty on concrete driveways?
Yes. Every concrete driveway we lay carries a 2-year workmanship warranty. If anything settles or shifts in that time, we come back and put it right.
Are you on Checkatrade and Google?
Yes. We are an approved Checkatrade member and hold Google Guaranteed status. Behind that are over 15 years in groundworks and landscaping and the trade cards to go with it: CSCS, Street Works, SSSTS and NVQ Level 2.
Looking for a Different Driveway Surface?
Concrete isn't right for every property. Here's what else we lay.
01Block Paving
The widest range of colours and patterns, and individual blocks can be lifted and reset if one area needs attention later.
Learn more
02Tarmac Driveways
A quick, hard-wearing surface that suits a longer or larger drive without a large upfront material cost.
Learn more
03Gravel Driveways
The lowest-cost surface to lay, and the easiest to patch, though it needs topping up over time.
Learn more
Concrete Driveways Around Bournemouth & Poole
Towns we cover regularly. Give us a ring if yours isn't listed, we may well still reach it.
Poole
Close enough that access and muck-away runs are straightforward on most streets.
Poole coverageChristchurch
A regular area for us, from period homes near the town centre to newer estates further out.
Christchurch coverageFerndown
Larger plots here often mean more excavation and a bigger sub-base before the surface goes down.
Ferndown coverageWimborne Minster
Older properties in the town sometimes have tighter access, which we plan for at the quote stage.
Wimborne Minster coverageGet a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk? Call Four Groundworks & Landscaping on 07886 075828
Concrete drives we have poured recently
A concrete drive is judged on its falls and its joints, and both are visible here. We post each one to our Instagram the week it is poured.
See more on Instagram