Tarmac driveway laid by South East Groundworks

Tarmac Surfacing

Commercial Tarmac Surfacing in Kent

Machine and hand-laid tarmac for yards, access roads, forecourts and footpaths that carry real traffic.

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  • 20+ Years’ Experience
  • Trusted & Friendly Team
  • Full Project Management
  • Competitive Pricing

Commercial Surfacing & Repairs

Machine-Laid or Hand-Laid

Large, open areas such as yards and access roads are best laid by machine, which spreads the material at an even depth and gives a consistent finish with fewer joints. Tight corners, footpaths and areas around ironwork are hand-laid and raked to level before rolling.

Many jobs use both: the paver covers the open ground and the hand crew finishes the edges, so the whole area compacts evenly and the joints between them stay tight.

Tarmac driveway laid by South East GroundworksOur Work

About Us

Our Experience with Tarmac Surfacing

We are a family run groundworks business based in Staplehurst, and we bring over 20 years of experience to every tarmac surfacing job across Kent, East and West Sussex and south-east London.

The same small, friendly team surveys the job, prepares the ground and finishes the surface, so you deal with the people doing the work from the first visit to the final sweep.

We have worked on behalf of Kent County Council and utility companies, our team is registered with the Street Works Qualifications Register, and we are approved under the Trading Standards Buy With Confidence scheme.

Tarmac driveway laid by South East GroundworksOur Work

Our Projects

Tarmac Surfacing: Recent Work

Real jobs, photographed by us. Tap a photo to see it full size.

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Tarmac Surfacing

Built from the Base Up

Tarmac is only as strong as what sits under it. We dig out to the depth the traffic needs, lay and compact a granular sub-base, then lay a binder course and a surface course, each rolled while hot. Edges are held with kerbs or edgings so the surface does not spread and crumble at the sides.

Falls are set so rainwater runs to gullies, channels or a soakaway rather than ponding. If surface water has to be managed on site, we can talk through permeable options and SuDS requirements at the survey.

Tarmac driveway with block paving borderOur Work

Tarmac Surfacing

Where Commercial Tarmac Is Used

Tarmac suits areas that take vehicles every day, because it is laid in one continuous sheet and can be opened to traffic once it has cooled.

  • Commercial and industrial yards
  • Access roads and service roads
  • Forecourts and loading areas
  • Footpaths, walkways and cycle paths
Tarmac driveway with block paving borderOur Work

The Detail

What’s Included

  • Free site survey and written quote
  • Excavation and removal of spoil
  • Compacted granular sub-base
  • Binder course and surface course, machine or hand-laid
  • Kerbs or edgings to hold the edges
  • Falls to gullies, channels or soakaways

Your Quote

What Affects the Price

Every quote is written after a visit, so you know what the price covers before any work is booked.

  1. 01The area to be surfaced and whether a paver can get in
  2. 02The depth of dig and sub-base the traffic needs
  3. 03The thickness and type of tarmac specified
  4. 04Kerbs, edgings and drainage required

Ready to Talk About Your Project?

Free site visits and written quotes across Kent and the South East.

How the Job Runs

Your Tarmac Surfacing Step by Step

  1. Survey & Specification

    We find out what will use the surface, from cars to HGVs, and set the depth of sub-base and tarmac to suit.

  2. Excavate & Build the Base

    The area is dug out, edges and drainage go in, and the sub-base is laid and compacted in layers.

  3. Lay the Tarmac

    The binder course and surface course are laid by paver or by hand and rolled while still hot.

  4. Finish & Clear

    Joints and edges are sealed, ironwork is checked for level and the site is cleared ready for use.

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Why Choose Us

Why Customers Choose Us

Domestic driveways or council-standard reinstatement, the same team and the same standards on every job.

  • Patio laid by South East Groundworks

    20+

    Years’ Experience

    Over two decades of getting the sub-base, levels and drainage right first time.

  • Family Run

    You deal with the people doing the work, from the first visit to the final sweep.

  • Free Written Quotes

    A site visit and a written price, so you know what is included before you commit.

  • Competitive Pricing

    Fair prices set out clearly in your written quote, with the cost factors explained up front.

  • Quick Response

    Enquiries are answered promptly, and urgent potholes and failed drains come first.

  • Block paved driveway laid by South East Groundworks

    Accredited Staff

    SWQR registered for highway work and approved under Trading Standards Buy With Confidence.

  • Ready for a Site Visit?

    Book a free visit and a written quote, with no obligation.

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Free, No-Obligation Quote

Get a FREE Quote

Tell us what you have in mind and where the job is. We’ll come back to you to talk it through and arrange a visit to measure up.

  • A site visit to measure up and check levels
  • A written price before anything is booked
  • Street works registered, Trading Standards approved

Prefer to Talk?

01580 234285

Tell Us About Your Project

We reply to every enquiry, usually the same working day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tarmac Surfacing: Your Questions Answered

What is the difference between tarmac and asphalt?

The two words are used for the same black surfacing. Strictly, tarmac was bound with tar and modern surfaces are bound with bitumen, which is asphalt. We specify the mix to suit the traffic the area will carry.

Can you lay tarmac over an existing surface?

Sometimes. If the existing base is sound, a new surface course can go over it once levels at doors, kerbs and drains have been checked. If the base has failed, it needs digging out first or the new surface will crack in the same places.

Will tarmac take heavy vehicles?

Yes, when the sub-base and layer thicknesses are designed for the load. We ask what will use the area before setting the specification, so a lorry yard is built differently from a staff footpath.

Where can tarmac surfacing be used?

Driveways, car parks, private roads, footpaths, school playgrounds and yards. The depth and specification are matched to the traffic each surface has to carry.

How is a tarmac surface laid?

The ground is dug out and a compacted stone sub-base built up, then a binder course and a surface course are laid hot and rolled. Edges are restrained with kerbs so the surface holds its shape.

Can’t Find Your Answer?

Get in touch and we’ll talk it through, with no obligation.