How to Hire a Trusted Driveway Installer in 2026 (UK)
The driveway industry has no mandatory licence, which means anyone with a van and a mini-digger can quote you for a job. Get the choice wrong and the typical outcome is cracking, ponding water, a failed sub-base inside 18 months, and — if your new drive is over 5m² of non-permeable material — a planning enforcement notice from the council. This 7-step vetting process is what BestBuilders uses to screen every contractor on our register. Apply it and you cut your risk of cowboy work by an order of magnitude.
The 7-step driveway installer vetting checklist
1. Verify a trade-body accreditation
Look for installers on the Marshalls Register, BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries), Interpave, or for resin specifically the UK Resin Association. Any one of these requires audited work samples and a clean trading record. No accreditation? Walk away unless you have a strong direct reference.
2. Insurance check (£2m+ public liability)
Ask for a copy of the current Employers' Liability and Public Liability certificates. £2m PL is the minimum; £5m is standard for groundworks. Phone the insurer to confirm the policy is in date — photocopied certificates are routinely forged.
3. SUDS compliance confirmed in writing
Since 2008 any front-garden driveway over 5m² of impermeable surface needs SUDS-compliant drainage OR a permeable material (resin-bound, gravel, permeable block paving). Get the installer to specify in writing how the design complies. "It'll be fine" is not an answer.
4. Written quote with materials and sub-base spec
A proper quote names the manufacturer (Marshalls Drivesys, Tobermore Tegula, etc.), the sub-base depth (150mm Type 1 MOT minimum for cars; 200mm for vans), the edging, and the drainage method. Quotes without spec are open invitations for substitution.
5. Reference visit — a real one
Ask for two addresses of completed work within 5 miles, both over 12 months old. Drive past and look for settlement, weed growth in joints, edge failure. Year-old work tells the truth that brand-new photos cannot.
6. Insurance-backed guarantee (not a paper warranty)
A real IBG (e.g. through QANW, IWA or Buy With Confidence) means a third party honours the work if the installer ceases trading. A paper warranty from a one-man-band is worth nothing the day they wind up the company.
7. Sensible payment schedule
Maximum 25% deposit, balance on completion. Any installer asking for 50%+ upfront on a residential driveway is a major red flag — it usually means they need your money to buy materials for someone else's job.
3 red flags that almost always flag a rogue trader
- "We can do it next week if you sign today" — reputable installers have 4–12 week lead times. Same-week start = empty book = recent bad reviews.
- Cash-only or no VAT receipt — indicates the company is unregistered for VAT (turnover under £85k) or, worse, off the books entirely. No paper trail = no recourse.
- Pressure tactics ("price only valid this week") — Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you 14 days to cancel any contract signed at home. Pressure to sign before that period expires is illegal under PPRs 2008.
FAQs
Related guides
- Compare driveway types: tarmac vs resin vs block
- How much does a new driveway cost in 2026 UK?
- Do I need planning permission for a driveway?
- Is block paving worth it in 2026 UK?
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