Tarmac Driveway Rebuild in Marlow | Case Study

The brief

Thamesview Homes was asked to replace a cracked and uneven driveway at a detached house in Marlow. The existing surface was an old tarmac overlay on a concrete base that had been laid in the 1980s. Over the years the surface had become brittle, weeds had forced their way through the edges and water was pooling in front of the garage every time it rained. The clients, a retired couple, had grown tired of patching the cracks and wanted a permanent solution that would improve the appearance of the house, add value to the property and stop the flooding that had damaged the bottom of their garage door over the previous two winters.

The clients wanted a clean, dark tarmac finish with block-paved edgings, a slight fall towards the road and a new linear drain across the garage threshold. They also wanted to widen the turning area in front of the garage so two cars could park more easily. The front garden sloped towards the house, which meant the driveway had to be built up at the road end and cut into the bank at the garage end. The pavement outside was narrow and busy with pedestrians, school-run traffic and a bus route, so every aggregate drop had to be timed precisely and the carriageway had to be kept clear at all times.

The couple had considered resurfacing over the existing concrete but were advised that the only long-term fix was to remove the failed base and start again. They wanted a surface that would last at least twenty years and a drainage solution that would protect the garage. The house was part of a quiet residential road near Marlow Bottom, with cars parked along both sides during the day. A large wagon could not stop outside the house without blocking the carriageway. Thamesview priced the job with a surfacing contractor and then came to us for the sub-base, bedding sand, edgings and fixings. For the Marlow driveway we measured the site plan, calculated the compacted sub-base depth and confirmed next-day availability on the 20mm shingle and sharp sand.

• Client: Thamesview Homes
• Location: Marlow, Buckinghamshire (SL7)
• Project: Tarmac driveway rebuild
• Duration: 1 week
• Star Hawk material cost: £1,310

The challenge

Driveway rebuilds on sloping front gardens always have three pressure points: drainage, access and sequencing. On this Marlow job we addressed all three before the first lorry arrived.

Drainage. The front garden sloped towards the house, so the existing driveway was acting like a funnel every time it rained. The new design introduced a fall away from the garage and a linear drain across the threshold. We supplied the sub-base aggregate with a clean, free-draining 20mm shingle so that any water penetrating the surface would not sit against the garage walls or undermine the new tarmac.

Access. The house was on a narrow residential road near Marlow Bottom with cars parked along both sides. A large wagon could not stop outside the house. We used a 7.5-tonne tipper that could pull into a short gap and tip directly onto the stripped driveway. Deliveries were booked for 10am, after the morning school run, and the skip was swapped quickly to keep the road clear.

Sequencing. A Marlow driveway rebuild is a multi-stage job. The old surface had to be planed off, the levels adjusted, the sub-base compacted, the edgings set, the bedding screed laid and the tarmac rolled in two courses. We split our material supply into three matched drops so the site never had surplus aggregate blocking the pavement.

Neighbour impact. The house sat between two semis with small front gardens. The clients were concerned about dust and noise. We supplied dust-suppressed shingle and made sure the sand was delivered in sealed bags rather than loose, which kept the pavement cleaner and reduced the amount of material that had to be swept up at the end of each day.

Level variations. Because the driveway sloped towards the house, the sub-base thickness varied from around 150mm at the road end to over 250mm near the garage. We calculated the volumes carefully but held a reserve at the yard in case the excavation revealed softer ground that needed additional fill.

Compaction. The new driveway would carry two cars and occasional visitor parking, so the sub-base had to be properly compacted in layers. We supplied clean, angular 20mm shingle that locked together under the roller and provided a stable platform for the tarmac. The sand bedding layer was also specified at the correct moisture content so it could be screeded without slumping.

Same-day contact. Every order went through one named scheduler at Star Hawk. When the excavation revealed a section of old concrete that was thicker than expected, the site manager called at 8am and an extra 4 tonnes of shingle were on site by 1pm the same day.

Finish quality. The clients were particular about the appearance of the edgings and the smoothness of the tarmac. We made sure the sharp sand was clean and consistent so the bedding layer could be screeded accurately, and we supplied edgings with straight, unchipped arrises.

Materials we supplied

Thamesview sent us the dimensions and the tarmac contractor's specification and we priced the structural layers that sit underneath the finished surface. The items we supplied were:

• Sub-base: 19 tonnes of 20mm Shingle. This was used as the main permeable sub-base layer on the Marlow job, laid and compacted in two passes to give a firm, free-draining base for the tarmac.
• Bedding layer: 3 tonnes of Sharp Sand. This was screeded over the sub-base to provide a smooth, level bed for the block-paved edgings and to regulate minor undulations before the tarmac course went down.
• Edgings and kerbs: On the Marlow driveway we supplied concrete edgings and kerbs from stock, bedded on a mortar mix that used sand and cement sourced through the same account.
• Fixings: 5 boxes of Galvanized Nails and 4 boxes of High Performance Wood Screws for the timber formwork, temporary edging supports and any timber features around the perimeter.

The finished tarmac surface course, the block paving for the edgings and the linear drain were supplied by the surfacing contractor and drainage merchant respectively. We stayed in our lane on the Marlow driveway and made sure the layers we did supply were on site exactly when the digger and roller were ready. This coordination mattered because tarmac has to be laid and rolled while it is still hot; any delay in the sub-base or bedding layer would have forced the surfacing contractor to reschedule an expensive hot-load delivery.

Delivery and logistics

A one-week Marlow driveway job cannot afford to wait for materials. We structured the Marlow drops around a simple principle: the right aggregate, at the right time, in the right quantity.

First drop — strip and sub-base. On the Marlow site, the old surface was planed off and we delivered 10 tonnes of 20mm shingle. The surfacing gang spread and compacted the first layer while the excavation was still open.

Second drop — top-up and sand. After the first compaction pass, the levels were checked and a further 9 tonnes of shingle were delivered, along with the 3 tonnes of sharp sand. This Marlow drop also included the concrete edgings and the fixings for the formwork.

Third drop — reserve. We kept a small reserve of shingle at the yard in case the levels needed adjustment. In the event, half of the reserve was used to fill a soft spot near the garage threshold.

Traffic management. Because the road was narrow and on a bus route, the driver was briefed to arrive at 10am after the morning peak and to reverse only when the road was clear in both directions. Warning cones were placed while the tipper was stationary and removed immediately after the vehicle left.

All drops on the Marlow driveway were kerbside tipped onto the stripped area. The driver swept the pavement after each tip and made sure no aggregate was left on the road. The Marlow site was on a bus route, so keeping the carriageway clear was a safety issue as well as a courtesy.

The build

The build ran for one intensive week, with a daily programme that kept the surfacing gang, the digger and the roller working in sequence.

Day 1 — Strip and excavation. The old tarmac and concrete were planed off and removed in a skip. The levels were adjusted, soft spots were dug out and replaced with compacted shingle, and a geotextile membrane was laid to separate the sub-grade from the new sub-base.

Day 2 — Sub-base layer one. The first 100mm of 20mm shingle was spread and compacted with a twin-drum roller. The fall away from the garage was checked with a straight edge and adjusted before the second layer went on.

Day 3 — Sub-base layer two and edgings. The second layer of shingle was added and compacted. Concrete edgings were set on a mortar bed along both sides of the driveway and at the garage threshold, checked for line and level with a spirit level and string line.

Day 4 — Bedding and drainage. The sharp sand was screeded to a fine, level bed. The linear drain was set across the garage threshold, connected to the surface-water system and tested with a hose to confirm flow before it was surrounded in concrete.

Day 5 — Tarmac laying. The binder course and surface course tarmac were laid in two passes and rolled while hot. The edgings were checked for line and level as the tarmac cooled and any roller marks were brushed out before the surface set.

Day 6 — Jointing and cleanup. The block-paved edging haunch was pointed, the drain cover was bedded level with the finished surface and the pavement and road were swept clean. The site manager inspected the work with the clients and confirmed they were happy with the colour and finish before the final invoice was raised.

Day 7 — Handover. The driveway was left to cure, the skip was removed and the clients parked on it the following weekend. Thamesview walked them through the new drainage layout and explained how to keep the linear drain clear of leaves.

The programme finished on the Friday as planned. The clients later told Thamesview that the driveway had transformed the front of the house and that the garage flooding issue had completely disappeared.

The result

The finished driveway is a clean, dark tarmac surface with neat block-paved edgings, a consistent fall and a new linear drain that takes the runoff away from the garage. It no longer holds water and gives the front of the house a smart, well-maintained appearance. The widened turning area makes it easier to park two cars and the block edgings give a crisp definition to the front garden.

Thamesview billed the clients £11,200 for the rebuild. The Star Hawk material pack was £1,310.

For a relatively small material spend on the Marlow driveway, the value was in the timing and the cleanliness. Because the shingle and sand arrived exactly when the Marlow digger and roller were ready, the job was completed in a single week rather than spreading over two. The clients also avoided the frustration of a half-finished driveway left open over a weekend, which can happen when aggregate deliveries are late or incorrect.

What we don't supply on a driveway

On a tarmac driveway rebuild like this one in Marlow, the following items sit outside our range:

• Tarmac surface course and binder course on the Marlow job — supplied by the surfacing contractor in hot-load deliveries.
• Block paving, setts or resin-bound finish if used for decorative edgings or feature areas on the Marlow driveway.
• Linear drains, gullies, underground drainage pipes and soakaway crates — supplied by the drainage contractor.
• Geotextile membranes, weed suppressants and driveway sealants if not in our standard range on the Marlow driveway.
• Specialist surfacing plant such as pavers, planers and large rollers — hired by the contractor on the Marlow site.
• Drop kerbs, pavement crossovers and any council highway works — arranged through the Marlow local authority.
• Landscaping, planting, fencing and final garden make-good on the Marlow driveway.

Everything else — the sub-base aggregate, bedding sand, edgings, cement, mortar and fixings — stays on the single Star Hawk account for this Marlow driveway.

Cost transparency

The materials Star Hawk supplied came to £1,310 and broke down as follows:

Category	Materials supplied	Cost
Sub-base aggregate	19 tonnes 20mm shingle	£950
Bedding sand	3 tonnes sharp sand	£180
Edgings & kerbs	Concrete edgings and bed material	£100
Fixings & hardware	5 boxes nails, 4 boxes screws	£80

The remaining £9,890 covered the tarmac supply and laying, block paving, linear drain, plant hire, skip hire, labour and profit for the surfacing contractor.

Why Marlow homeowners choose Star Hawk

We are 18 minutes from the SL7 postcode district and our round covers Marlow, including Bisham, Bourne End, Cookham and Hurley, for driveway rebuilds. From Marlow we also deliver to High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Beaconsfield and Henley-on-Thames on the same day for driveway jobs.

Most of our Marlow driveway customers are homeowners who want a tidy, reliable aggregate supply for a one-week surfacing job on a tight frontage. They value a supplier that can react on the same day when the excavation reveals extra concrete or a soft spot. If your Marlow driveway rebuild needs a measured sub-base pack, send your dimensions through the quote builder and we will come back the same business day.