Most homeowners don’t give much thought to the height of their driveway, but that soon changes when a bodged driveway resurfacing job leaves the surface uneven or excessively high.
This problem can result when the new surface layer of your driveway idea – whether that’s asphalt, concrete, paving or another material – is laid on top of an old surface that has structural issues or has not been removed properly.
“It’s quite common with cover-up jobs, and we’ve taken out driveways where people have made this error,” says Lee Bestall, garden designer at Sheffield-based, Bestall & Co. “You’ll often see it where property developers have paid for a quick job to make a property look more glamorous, and there are just layers upon layers of driveway surfaces.”
As we’ll see, this is not the only reason why some driveways turn out excessively high.
Multi-award-winning garden designer Lee Bestall provides daily tips on garden design and maintenance as @thenortherndesigner on Instagram and YouTube. In 2026, Bestall will embark on a tour of Britain, helping people around the country to redesign their gardens.
What causes excess height in a driveway surface?
An effective resurfacing job will produce a level surface with an appropriate height. This requires a stable, properly prepared ‘sub-base’, which is the underlying layer of load-bearing, compacted driveway material.
Problems with the sub-base can cause issues with the height or evenness of the surface. For example, if you don’t remove enough of the existing surface and sub-base material to accommodate the new surface layer’s thickness, then the resurfaced driveway might end up higher than intended. This is especially likely when the new surface material is of a definite depth, as is the case with block paving.
Meanwhile, imperfections in the sub-base can translate into surface irregularities. “The top surface is only going to be as good as the sub-base,” says Bestall. “If there are cracks in the sub-base these can ultimately show through, especially with a surface material like resin, which lots of people use for resurfacing.”
Jake Boak, founder of Peak View Landscaping in Chesterfield, adds that improper compaction of the sub-base can cause sinkage, leading to an uneven surface. “If you are constantly driving over one area where the sub-base has not been properly compacted, this can give the illusion that some areas have risen, but the reality is that other areas have actually sunk,” he says.
Incorrect application of the surface material is another driveway mistake and the cause of excess driveway height. Too much material is sometimes applied due to poor planning or human error during resurfacing.
Meanwhile, improper grading can result in an uneven driveway surface. Grading is the process of forming and levelling the sub-base so that there is a smooth slope of suitable steepness for vehicles to drive over, with allowance for driveway drainage. If grading creates an incorrect slope, or if it is not accounted for in the planning or application of the surface material, then this might lead to an uneven driveway surface with high points.
Boak points out another potential cause of a high or uneven driveway: underlying tree roots.
“Movements from trees can cause block paving to rise, which is a problem you need to sort out,” he says. “For the sake of the tree’s health, you wouldn’t want to be chopping off a lot of roots close to the trunk, but you can limit the driveway issue by removing them to a certain point.”
Jake Boak is the founder of Peak View Landscaping, a Chesterfield-based landscaping company serving large areas of South Yorkshire and the East Midlands. The firm's services include landscaping, paving, walling, decking, garden design and resin driveways.
The consequences: why a driveway being too high is a problem
The most serious possible consequence of a driveway being too high is impaired drainage, which can result from high points caused by incorrect grading. Water may pool above the high points before eventually running off in an uncontrolled manner. This can undermine the driveway’s integrity, while potentially causing pooling or flooding issues on adjacent land.
Another risk is that a high driveway may be difficult to negotiate for vehicles accessing the driveway from the road, and also for pedestrians walking onto the driveway, for whom it may pose a trip hazard. Of course, the driveway’s interface with the public pavement also affects the property’s appearance and kerb appeal.
Bestall notes that excessive driveway height can also lead to damp problems, when the driveway is abutting an exterior wall of the property. “You want the driveway surface to be 150mm below the damp-proof course, because there can be damp issues if the driveway bridges it,” he says.
“Aesthetically, the driveway shouldn’t touch the house at all. A border of planting looks great as a barrier, and you could also put a cobble edge around the perimeter.”
Products to help ensure a correct driveway height
A partially permeable membrane such as this geotextile type can sit between the sub-base and the surface of the driveway, allowing water through while preventing transfer of material and unevenness at the surface.
If your driveway is high, you can minimise the aesthetic impact by adding edging along the sides and building up adjacent garden beds. EverEdge is a premium supplier.
Planting alongside a high driveway is another quick aesthetic fix. Bestall recommends using floppy plants such as lavender.
How to ensure the perfect driveway height
The key is proper preparation of the sub-base. According to Bestall, there are two schools of thought on how to achieve this crucial foundation.
“If your priority is sustainability, it’s good to reuse the existing sub-base,” he says. “For example, if you’re resurfacing with gravel over an existing gravel driveway that’s in good condition, it’s okay not to remove much of the surface material.”
Meanwhile, removing more of the existing sub-base is advisable when the material is in poor condition. “The best way long-term is to remove it down to a point where you’re confident that it is firm and stable,” says Bestall. “You can then put down a geo-textile membrane to act as a stabiliser, preventing the new surface material from bleeding into the old.”
Of course, the sub-base must be removed to an appropriate depth to accommodate the chosen surface material, and it needs to be graded correctly to prevent high points and unevenness while allowing a fall for drainage.
As the homeowner, you’re highly unlikely to do your own sub-base preparation and driveway resurfacing. So, choose your contractor carefully, and ask for a detailed explanation of the site preparation process, including how base compaction and grading will be handled, before you commission the work.
FAQs
How can you fix a driveway that’s too high?
In some cases, there’s no alternative but to partially dig up the driveway and resurface it correctly. However, Bestall suggests some affordable, lower-effort solutions that will be viable in many cases.
“You can stop a driveway from being too high at the entry point by removing a section of where it meets the road and adding a cobble detail on a slope, to take out the height difference between the driveway and the road,” he says. “As well as accounting for the change in level, it can look great too.”
Meanwhile, landscaping and planting techniques can improve the appearance of a high driveway. “If it looks ugly, put a cobble detail around the edge, and you can raise the soil in the borders to make it look level,” says Bestall. “You could put metal edging around the perimeter and build the soil higher to make the driveway appear lower, and plant something floppy like lavender to visually soften the edges.”
How high should a driveway be?
It’s generally advised that a driveway should meet the adjoining pavement flush, but Boak advises that it should sit slightly higher than adjacent flower beds. “You do probably want flower beds slightly lower than the driveway, because if the surface material is not porous this will allow for the surface water to escape,” he says. “Beds or lawns can be raised close to the height of the driveway with extra soil and edges.”
Meanwhile, the ideal depth of the driveway surface material will vary depending on factors including the chosen surface material and the driveway’s intended use. “Every material is slightly different, and it depends whether the driveway will be used by normal cars, receive occasional deliveries by vans, or be used routinely by heavier vehicles,” says Bestall.
“Typically, for use with normal cars you’d want to achieve a 200mm of sub-base before your chosen surface. For delivery trucks and heavier vehicles, you’d have to refer to a structural groundworks specialist, because it’s case by case and depends on the soil.
“It’s also important that you ensure it meets any SuDS regulations,” he adds.
If you’re left with little choice but to resurface your driveway due to its excessive height, take a moment to consider other works that could be completed at the same time. This is a rare opportunity to consider options such as heated driveways or even rotating driveways with a car turntable.
