The headline figure: what resin bound costs per square metre
For a typical domestic driveway in the UK, resin bound surfacing installed over an existing sound base usually lands between £45 and £75 per square metre. If the job needs a new base, which is more common than people expect, you should budget £90 to £150 per square metre for the full works including excavation, sub-base, tarmac or concrete binder course, edging and the resin itself.
Those ranges are wide because the base work is where most of the money goes. The resin and aggregate layer, typically 15 to 18mm deep for a driveway, is only part of the bill. A supplier who quotes £40 per square metre is almost certainly pricing the resin overlay alone, and assuming your existing surface is suitable, which it often is not.
As a rough worked example, a two car driveway of around 50 square metres in Shrewsbury needing a new base and edging would typically come in somewhere between £5,000 and £7,500. The same area as an overlay on a good tarmac base might be £2,500 to £3,750.
What actually changes the price
The single biggest variable is what is underneath. Resin bound needs a permeable or well drained base that is solid, crack free and correctly falls away from the house. Old block paving, loose gravel or crumbling concrete usually has to come out. Existing tarmac in good condition can often be overlaid, which is why two neighbours can get quotes that differ by thousands.
Size matters, but not in a straight line. Fixed costs like the mixer, forced action mixing, skip hire and travel are spread over the area, so smaller jobs cost more per square metre. Under 30 square metres you may see per metre rates creep above the top of the range, while larger jobs of 80 square metres and up usually bring the rate down.
- Base condition: overlay versus full dig out is the biggest swing
- Area: small patios and paths cost more per m2 than large drives
- Aggregate choice: standard blends versus premium or imported stone adds £5 to £15 per m2
- Edging: new concrete, steel or block edge restraints add to the total
- Depth: driveways need 15 to 18mm; a 12mm path spec is cheaper but not suitable for cars
- Access: tight town centre streets in Shrewsbury or long rural drives in Shropshire affect labour and delivery
- Drainage and levels: adding ACO channels or correcting falls adds cost but avoids problems later
Resin bound versus the alternatives on price
Resin bound sits in the middle of the driveway market. Plain tarmac is cheaper, usually £40 to £70 per square metre laid, but it can soften in hot weather and shows tyre marks. Block paving is broadly similar in price to resin bound at £70 to £120 per square metre installed, but is more prone to weed growth and settlement in the joints. Natural stone or porcelain paving is generally dearer.
Resin bonded, sometimes confused with resin bound, is a different product. It is a thin scattered layer of stone on adhesive, costs less at around £30 to £50 per square metre, but is not permeable and wears faster. If a quote seems too good for resin bound, check which one you are actually being offered.
Because resin bound is SUDS compliant when laid on a permeable base, you normally do not need planning permission for a front driveway, which can save the cost and delay that a non permeable surface over 5 square metres would trigger.
How to read and compare quotes
Ask every installer to break the quote down by base preparation, edging, resin surfacing and any drainage. A single lump sum makes it impossible to see whether one company has skipped the base work or specified a thinner depth. Insist that the aggregate blend, depth and whether it is UV stable resin are written on the quote, as non UV stable resin will yellow within a couple of years.
Be wary of anyone who quotes without visiting. In Shropshire, ground conditions vary a lot between the clay soils around Shrewsbury and the stonier ground towards the hills, and that affects excavation and sub-base depth. A proper site survey is the only way to give an accurate price.
- Written breakdown of base, edging, surfacing and drainage
- Stated depth in mm and UV stable resin confirmed
- Aggregate name and a physical sample, not just a photo
- Who is responsible for skip hire and waste removal
- Guarantee length and what it actually covers
- Lead time and how long the drive will be out of use, usually 24 to 48 hours after laying
