North Yorkshire · England
Excavation and sub-base in York
If you are planning a driveway dig-out and sub-base in York, start with a free survey. We measure, check levels and drainage, and set out each part of the price in writing.
- Guide price
- Priced after survey
- Postcodes
- YO1, YO31, YO10
- Survey
- Free, no obligation

What excavation and sub-base involves
Excavation and sub-base work is the groundwork under a resin surface: digging out the old drive and soft ground, removing the spoil, and building up compacted layers of crushed stone and a binder course that will carry cars without moving.
Before quoting groundworks in York we check levels against door thresholds, look for shallow services and plan where spoil and materials will go. Plot sizes and existing surfaces vary a lot across York, so the survey comes before any fixed figure.
In York we can price work such as digging out an old drive and building a permeable sub-base, preparing a drive to meet a new dropped kerb and fitting setts or steel edging around a new drive. More about excavation and sub-base.
Prices for excavation and sub-base in York
Prices in Yorkshire and the Humber are a little below the UK average. These are guide ranges including VAT; your quote follows a free survey.
| Service | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Excavation and sub-base | Priced after survey |
| Resin over tarmac and concrete | £40–£65 per m² |
| Resin bonded driveways | £35–£95 per m² |
Based on Yorkshire and the Humber rates. See the full price guide or price your own project.
Planning in York
Groundworks for a domestic drive do not usually need planning permission in themselves, but the finished surface follows the front-garden drainage rules, and shallow services such as water pipes and cables are located before digging.
General information for England, not legal advice.
Weather and working days
Rainfall varies widely across Yorkshire, from the drier Vale of York to wetter Pennine towns, and cold snaps shorten the laying season at either end. Spring to autumn offers the most laying days in North Yorkshire, but dry, mild winter days can work too.
How it works
You start with a guide price, we visit to measure and check the site, you get a written quote, and we book the work for suitable weather.
Excavation and sub-base in York: questions
Do I need planning permission in York?
In England, a new or replaced hard surface of more than 5 m² in a front garden is permitted development only if it is porous, or if rainwater drains to a lawn, border or soakaway within the property. A fully permeable resin bound build, with a porous base under it, meets that test.
Who approves dropped kerbs in York?
Dropped kerb consent comes from your council as local highway authority. We help with the application and get your drive ready to meet the new crossing.
What postcodes do you cover around York?
We cover YO1, YO31 and YO10 and the surrounding districts, including Selby and Harrogate.
Excavation and sub-base near York
Other services in York
- Resin bound driveways
- Resin bonded driveways
- Resin over tarmac and concrete
- New resin driveways (full dig-out)
- Permeable SuDS driveways
- Driveway extensions and widening
- Resin patios
- Resin garden paths
- Resin steps
- Accessible resin ramps
- Driveway drainage and soakaways
- Driveway edging and borders
- Dropped kerb applications
- Resin driveway repairs
- Resin driveway cleaning
- Resin driveway restoration
- Commercial resin surfacing
Free survey · itemised quote
Book a free survey in York
We cover YO1, YO31 and YO10 and nearby. Tell us about your project and we will be in touch to arrange a visit.
- Base, edging and drainage priced line by line
- Real blend samples shown in daylight
- Price fixed in writing once the spec is agreed
Prefer to talk? 0800 088 6341 or