Driveways
A driveway that drains, stays put, and still looks right in five winters.
40 years in the trade. Domestic and commercial, across the North East.
Why us
Why Tyne and Wear homeowners choose our driveways
The base is the job
Excavated to depth and compacted in layers, not skimmed over what is already there. It is the expensive half of the quote and the reason the surface lasts.
Drainage designed in
Permeable build-up, and channel drains where the fall runs towards the house. North East rainfall does not forgive a drive laid flat.
Laid by the people who quoted it
Resin is unforgiving of a rushed trowel and a wet day. It gets laid by our own crew, in the right weather.
What it is
Driveways, built to last
Resin bound, block paving and tarmac driveways across the North East. Most driveway failures we get called out to are not surfacing failures at all — they are base failures, laid over an old surface that was never fit to take it. We price the base honestly, which sometimes makes us dearer than the quote next to us.
- Excavation and disposal of the existing surface
- New MOT sub-base, compacted in layers
- Permeable binder course where the ground allows
- UV-stable resin, hand-trowelled
- Edgings, channel drains and threshold detailing
- Reinstatement of the surrounding ground
40 years in the trade. Domestic and commercial, across the North East.
Choices
The driveway options we offer
The three surfaces we lay most. Which one suits you depends on the ground, the fall and how the drive gets used — we go through it on the free visit.
Resin bound
Natural aggregate mixed with clear resin and trowelled to a seamless, permeable surface. No loose stone underfoot, water passes straight through it, and it stays inside permitted development. The most popular choice on domestic drives.
Block paving
Individual blocks laid on a compacted base with a full edge restraint. Tough enough for heavy vehicles, and a damaged block lifts out and gets replaced rather than patched. Wants re-sanding every few years to keep the joints tight.
Tarmac
The most economical surface per square metre and the quickest to lay, which makes it the sensible answer on a long drive or a shared access. Laid hot over a proper base and edged in block or kerb so it cannot spread.
Ready for your free driveway quote?
A free site visit and a written quote, with no obligation and no chasing afterwards.
Resin, block paving or tarmac?
Resin bound is smooth, permeable and seamless — the best-looking of the three and the easiest to live with, but it needs a sound base and it is the dearest. Block paving is the most durable under weight and the easiest to repair, but the joints need re-sanding and weeds will find them if they are neglected. Tarmac is the cheapest and fastest, and on a long or shared drive it is often simply the right answer.
The choice matters less than what is underneath all three. A drive laid on a base that was never dug out will fail whichever surface is on top, which is why we core or lift a section before quoting rather than pricing off a photograph.
Why it suits driveways round here
The North East gets its rain in long wet spells rather than short storms, and a lot of the region's drives fall gently back towards the house. A permeable surface on a properly drained base deals with that. Frost is the other factor — water sitting in a failing base is what lifts a drive over winter, which is why we dig rather than overlay.
Looking after your driveway
Resin: brush it, and jet wash once a year on a wide fan from a sensible distance. Block paving: re-sand the joints every few years and treat weeds early. Tarmac: keep it clear of standing water and diesel. All three: keep de-icing salt off them.
The GGH Build Standard
Our driveway process at a glance
How your driveway job actually runs, start to finish.
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Free site visit
You show us round and tell us what you want. We measure up and talk through what it involves.
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Written quote
An estimated cost with the scope in plain English. Groundwork the job needs is priced in here, not later.
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The work
Base built up to suit the ground, edgings and drainage set, then the surface laid — resin trowelled by hand, blocks laid to pattern, or tarmac laid hot and rolled.
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Handover
We walk it with you and write the snagging list together. Not signed off until that list is empty.
In their own words
Trusted by homeowners across the North East
Real customers, real names, real jobs.
Driveways
Common driveway questions
It depends on the ground, the fall and how you use the drive. Resin looks the best and drains through itself; block paving takes the most weight and is the easiest to repair; tarmac is the most economical over a large area. We go through all three on the free visit rather than steering you at one.
Sometimes, if the existing surface is sound, well drained and not moving. Often it is none of those things, and overlaying it just buries the problem for two years. We core or lift a section to check before quoting, and tell you either way.
Not if the surface is permeable, or if surface water drains to a border or soakaway inside your own boundary. An impermeable surface over five square metres draining onto the road does need permission. Resin bound on the right base is permeable, which is one reason we specify it so often.
Most domestic drives are a few days on site once the base is out, though resin needs dry weather to lay and cure. We give you a realistic window at the site visit rather than a date picked to win the job.
Where we work
Areas we cover
Across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Teesside. Find your town below — no call-out charge anywhere we go.
Get a Free Quote
Free, no-obligation quote. No pressure, no chasing. We respond during working hours, Monday to Saturday.
40 years in the trade. Domestic and commercial, across the North East.