Driveway edging is rarely the first thing a homeowner thinks about when planning a new drive. It tends to be treated as a finishing detail — a visual border to tidy up the transition between the driveway and the lawn or path. In reality, for most surface types, the edging is a structural element without which the surface will spread, sink at the edges, and begin to fail from the outside in.
Why Edging Is Structural, Not Decorative
Tarmac and resin bound surfaces have no inherent lateral strength. Without a physical restraint at the edges, repeated vehicle loading pushes the material outward. With block paving, the edge courses depend on a fixed restraint to prevent them from spreading — once edge blocks move, the whole jointing pattern opens up and settlement follows. Gravel requires containment to prevent migration onto adjacent areas. Only concrete has sufficient rigidity to resist lateral forces on its own, though even concrete benefits from edge haunching.
"Edge restraints are often specified as an afterthought in budget driveway quotes, or omitted entirely. This is a false economy. The cost of fitting a concrete haunching or a block edging course at installation time is modest; the cost of reinstating a spread or failed edge two or three years later is substantially higher."— Interpave — Block Paving Edge Restraints
Edging Options by Surface Type
Block paving
The standard edge treatment is a soldier course (blocks laid on edge) set in concrete haunching on both sides. Proprietary kerb units in concrete or natural stone are also used, particularly where the driveway meets a public footway.
Tarmac
Concrete haunching is the most common approach — a concrete border poured against the macadam edge after laying. Block paving edge courses are also used and provide a more decorative finish while providing effective containment.
Resin bound
Aluminium or stainless steel edging channels are typically used to provide a clean visual edge and contain the resin layer. The channel is fixed to the sub-base before the resin is laid.
Gravel
Steel, aluminium, or concrete gravel boards contain the aggregate. Plastic peg edging is the cheapest option but the least effective under vehicle loading.
Edging at the Threshold — the House Connection
Where the driveway meets the house wall, the surface should finish at least 150mm below the damp-proof course (DPC). Raising the driveway level above the DPC allows moisture to bridge it and can lead to damp in the wall. This is a Building Regulations issue as well as a practical one. If your existing driveway has been built up against the house wall, it is worth having a surveyor check whether the DPC has been compromised before any resurfacing work.
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