Tarmac Paths and Patios: Build, Width and How They Compare

Yes, tarmac makes a good path. It is firm underfoot, does not shift or grow weeds between joints, copes with wheelie bins and barrows, and is quick to lay alongside a drive. It is less suited to a patio you will sit on, because it is plain to look at, gets hot in summer and marks under furniture legs. For paths that need to match a drive, tarmac is usually the simplest and most cost-effective choice.

Where does a tarmac path work best?

Tarmac is at its best where a path does a job: from the drive to the front door, down the side of the house to the back garden, to a shed, a bin store or a garage. These routes see daily use, bins and bikes, and benefit from a continuous, hard-wearing surface. A path laid at the same time as one of our tarmac driveways uses the same crew and the same delivery, which keeps the cost per metre down.

On one of our jobs in Wombourne, a tarmac driveway and path were edged with bracken-coloured blocks and finished with security posts, so the two read as one design.

How is a tarmac path built?

The layers are the same as a drive: an excavated, firm formation, a compacted crushed stone sub-base, edging on a concrete bed, then tarmac on top, compacted while hot. A path that only takes foot traffic can use a lighter build-up than a drive. If there is any chance a car, van or skip lorry will cross it, build that section to driveway spec.

Two details matter more on a path than on a drive. First, the edges: Pavingexpert says free edges of bitmac must have edgings or kerbs, and a narrow path has a lot of edge for its area. Second, compaction: tight corners and narrow runs are where a roller cannot reach, so they need careful work with a plate or hand roller.

How wide should a garden path be?

For a new home, building regulations guidance (Approved Document M) sets a minimum approach route width of 900mm to the main entrance, with a maximum cross fall of 1 in 40. That is not a legal requirement for a garden path at an existing house, but it is a sensible benchmark: 900mm lets one person walk comfortably with a bin or a bag of shopping. For two people side by side, or a route used with a pushchair or wheelchair, go wider.

Falls and drainage on a tarmac path

A path needs a fall so water runs off rather than sitting on it, usually across the path towards a border or lawn. Tarmac is impermeable, so in a front garden the same planning rule applies as for a drive: in England, a new or replacement hard surface over 5m² that is not permeable needs to drain onto your own land or needs planning permission. Draining a path onto the border alongside it usually solves that neatly.

Tarmac patio: good idea or not?

It can work, but it is rarely the best choice. A tarmac patio is hard-wearing and cheap per square metre, but:

• It gets hot. Black surfaces absorb sun, and bitumen softens in high temperatures.

• It marks. Chair and table legs, plant pot feet and barbecue stands press into fresh tarmac, especially in its first months while it is still curing; our post on how long tarmac takes to dry explains why.

• It looks utilitarian. Most people want a patio to feel like part of the garden, not the drive.

For a sitting area, decorative concrete, resin bound or a patio surface tends to be a better fit, and the tarmac can stop where the path meets it.

Tarmac path vs resin and concrete

• Tarmac. Cheapest of the three on most paths, hard-wearing, easy to patch, matches a tarmac drive, and walkable within hours (curing time is one of the big differences in tarmac vs concrete driveways). Plain black finish; impermeable.

• Resin bound. Smooth, decorative stone finish in many colours, and permeable on a permeable base. Costs more per m² than tarmac.

• Pattern imprinted concrete. Decorative patterns and colours, a sealed surface, and an easy match for pattern imprinted concrete driveways.

Tarmac path questions, answered

Can you lay a tarmac path over an old concrete path?

Sometimes, if the old path is sound, level and at a height that leaves room for the new layer below damp-proof courses and door thresholds. Cracked or rocking slabs need lifting first.

Can you lay a tarmac path yourself?

Small cold lay repairs, yes. A new hot-laid path, no: it needs hot material delivered, spread and rolled before it cools, which is a crew's job.

How long does a tarmac path last?

Built on a proper base with restrained edges, a tarmac path should last as long as a well laid drive, typically 15 to 20 years before it needs resurfacing.

Planning a path with your drive?

It is cheaper and neater to plan paths at the same time as the drive. Pete and the team cover Wolverhampton, the Black Country and south Staffordshire, and can price both together. Ask us for a free quote.