Driveways
How wide should a driveway be for one or two cars?
A drive that looks big enough on paper can be a squeeze once there's a car on it and you're trying to open the doors. It's worth measuring up properly before anything gets dug out.
These are rough figures to help you plan. Every front garden is different, and we'll measure yours on the survey.
Start with the car
Most family cars are around 1.8 metres wide without the mirrors and somewhere around 4 to 5 metres long. Bigger SUVs and vans are wider and longer. Measure your own car, and think about what you might have in a few years.
One car
A common guide for a parking space is about 2.4 metres wide by 4.8 metres long. That's the minimum really. If you want to get out of the car without squeezing past a wall or hedge, aim wider. Around 3 metres gives you room to open the doors properly and get past with shopping.
Two cars side by side
For two cars side by side, think about 5 to 6 metres wide, so both sets of doors can open between them. If the garden is long and narrow, parking one behind the other can work, but someone always ends up shuffling cars.
Don't forget the rest
- A path to the door so you're not walking round the car
- Somewhere for the bins that doesn't block a car
- Charging points if you've got or plan to get an electric car
- Gates and which way they swing
- Turning room if you'd rather drive out forwards onto a busy road
Dropped kerbs
A wider drive is no use if the dropped kerb is only wide enough for one car. A new or wider dropped kerb needs approval from your council's highways team, which is separate from the drive itself. It's worth starting that early.
Front garden rules
Bigger drives mean more hard surface. Use a permeable surface like resin-bound or permeable block paving, or drain the water to a lawn or border, and you normally won't need planning permission. Our planning guide explains the 5 square metre rule. Leaving a strip of planting also stops it looking like a car park.
Get it measured
We'll measure up, mark out where cars, paths and bins go, and talk through resin, block paving or tarmac for the space. Call 0161 825 8053 or WhatsApp 07519 945 497 for a free quote.
