How much does a resin driveway cost in the UK?
Updated 19 October 2026 · Reviewed by Steve Wolfe
A resin-bound driveway in the UK typically costs £70 to £130 per square metre including VAT when it can go over a sound existing base, and £120 to £220 per square metre when the old surface has to be dug out and a new base laid. That's about £3,500 to £11,000 for a 50 m² two-car drive.
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Typical costs
Typical UK prices including VAT, for a two-car drive of about 50 m².
| Type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Resin-bound over the existing base £3,500–£6,500 Laid over sound concrete or tarmac after repairs and priming. About £70 to £130 per m². On site: usually a day to lay | £3,500–£6,500 |
| Resin-bound with a new base £6,000–£11,000 The old surface broken out and taken away, a new sub-base and porous base laid, then the resin. About £120 to £220 per m². | £6,000–£11,000 |
| Resin-bonded £4,000–£6,000 Loose stones scattered onto a resin coat. Cheaper, but rougher and not permeable. About £80 to £120 per m² over a sound base. | £4,000–£6,000 |
Our reading of the published guides listed under Sources, rounded and including VAT. Whether the existing base can be reused makes the biggest difference, so ask each installer.
What changes the price
- The base underneath. The biggest difference. If the existing concrete or tarmac is sound, resin can often go straight on top after repairs. If it's cracked, sunken or loose, it has to be dug out and a new sub-base laid, which can nearly double the price per square metre.
- Size. Bigger drives cost less per square metre. Checkatrade puts a 20 m² drive at about £2,800 (£140 per m²) and a 100 m² drive at about £10,000 (£100 per m²), before groundwork.
- Edging. Resin has to be laid up to a firm edge. If there isn't a wall, kerb or border already, one has to be built.
- The stone and resin. Special colours and blends cost more, and UV-stable resin, which doesn't yellow in sunlight, costs more than non-UV resin.
- Drainage and slopes. A drive that falls towards the house, or a steep slope, may need drainage channels.
Resin against other driveways
Checkatrade's average prices per square metre, before groundwork, put resin-bound at about £120, against £100 for block paving, £95 for concrete, £90 for tarmac and £60 for gravel. Resin costs a little more, but it's permeable, has no loose stones and doesn't need weeding between blocks.
Before you get quotes
- Measure the area, or count how many cars it needs to fit.
- Ask each installer whether they'd lay over your existing base or dig it out, and why.
- Check what depth they'll lay, whether the resin is UV-stable and what guarantee they give.
- Check whether edging, drainage and taking away the old surface are included.
- Get two or three quotes for the same specification.
An example Ballpark
What Ballpark gave for this job on 16 October 2026. It’s an example we worked out, not a customer’s price.
Resin-bound driveway for two cars in Birmingham, about 50 square metres, replacing old cracked concrete.
-
Resin over existing base £3,500–£5,250
Resin-bound surface laid over repaired existing concrete where sound, with basic edging.
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Full replacement resinClosest to the job £5,500–£8,000
Break out and remove old concrete, new sub-base, porous base layer and resin-bound surface in standard colours.
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Premium resin with extras £8,000–£11,500
Full replacement with upgraded stone blend, new kerbs or edging, drainage and a border or pattern.
Based on
- About 50 square metres, level access
- Old concrete broken out and removed in the full options
- Standard colour stone blend
- Dropped kerb already in place
What a trade will ask you
Have answers ready and your quotes (and your ballpark) will be closer to the real price.
- Roughly how big is the area, in metres or car spaces?
- What's there now, and is it cracked, sunken or sound?
- Is it level, or on a slope?
- Are there edges already, like walls, kerbs or a border?
- Any colour or stone blend in mind?
- Do you already have a dropped kerb?
Common questions
How much is a resin driveway per square metre?
About £70 to £130 per m² including VAT over a sound existing base, and £120 to £220 per m² with a new base. Checkatrade's average is £120 per m², made up of about £70 for materials and £50 for labour, before any groundwork.
What's the difference between resin-bound and resin-bonded?
Resin-bound mixes the stones into the resin and trowels it smooth, so it's permeable and has no loose stones. Resin-bonded spreads stones over a layer of resin on top of a solid base. It's cheaper, but it isn't permeable and can shed stones over time.
Do I need planning permission for a resin driveway?
In England, not if it's permeable. Since 2008, paving more than 5 m² of a front garden is permitted development only if water can drain through it or run off into a lawn or border. A resin-bound drive on a porous base usually qualifies; a resin-bonded drive on solid concrete may not, so check with your council.
Do I need permission for a dropped kerb?
Yes. A dropped kerb so you can drive across the pavement needs permission from your local council, and is usually priced separately from the driveway.
What are the disadvantages of a resin driveway?
It's only as good as the base underneath, so a cheap job over a poor base can crack. Cheaper non-UV-stable resin can discolour in sunlight, it needs dry weather to lay, and patches are hard to match later.
Are your prices including VAT?
Yes. Every price on this page includes VAT.
What would yours cost?
Describe your resin driveway and get a ballpark for your house in a couple of minutes. Free, and you don’t have to get quotes.
Get my ballparkSources
- Checkatrade, resin bound driveway cost (Jun 2026). Cost per m² by size, materials and labour, and other driveway surfaces compared
- HomeBuilding & Renovating, resin driveway cost (Jun 2025). Bonded and bound prices, with and without a new base
- Maybury Landscaping, resin driveway cost in Scotland (Oct 2026). Prices over an existing base and with a new sub-base
- GOV.UK, permeable surfacing of front gardens (May 2009). When paving a front garden needs planning permission in England
- GOV.UK, apply for a dropped kerb.