Resin Driveway Cost: UK Prices per m² for Resin Bound

Resin driveway cost per m²

An average medium resin bound driveway costs £6,000, or around £120 per m², Checkatrade’s resin bound driveway cost guide says, and prices run from £2,800 to £10,000 depending on the size of the drive.

Checkatrade’s driveway cost guide gives resin bound the same £70 per m² for the material and £50 for installation, and at £120 in all it costs more per m² than block paving, which that guide puts at £100 per m².

Resin driveway cost by size

Checkatrade’s resin bound driveway cost guide prices a resin bound drive at three sizes, and the labour per m² falls as the drive gets bigger.

Resin bound driveway	Material per m²	Labour per m²	Total
Small, single car, 20m²	£70	£70	£2,800
Medium, two cars, 50m²	£70	£50	£6,000
Large, multiple cars, 100m²	£70	£30	£10,000

Labour costs around £30 an hour, depending on location and the installer’s experience, the same guide says, and buying materials in bulk can bring the material cost per m² down on a bigger drive.

For a 2-car driveway of around 50m², Checkatrade’s driveway cost guide gives prices from £3,000 in gravel to around £6,000 in resin bound.

What changes the price of a resin driveway

What you pay for a resin bound driveway depends on the size and shape of the drive, the size and quality of the aggregate, the groundwork, any decorative edging and the labour, Checkatrade’s resin guide says. Resin bound paving also has to be laid up to a stable edge, such as a wall or brick edging, and where a drive has none, creating one costs extra.

UV-stable resin costs almost twice as much as non-UV-stable resin, the same guide says. It holds its colour in sunlight and is more flexible, so it resists cracking.

Resin driveway pros and cons

Checkatrade’s driveway cost guide lists these points for and against resin bound.

In its favour	Against it
A modern look	One of the dearer options
Permeable	Needs occasional moss control
Low maintenance	Best results depend on the preparation

Resin bound, resin bonded and planning permission

Resin bound mixes the resin and aggregate together for a smooth finish, while resin bonded scatters aggregate over a layer of resin for a rougher one, Checkatrade’s resin guide says. Checkatrade describes resin bound as permeable, draining through tiny voids, and resin bonded as not permeable.

A new or replacement driveway of any size needs no planning permission if it uses permeable or porous surfacing that lets water drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border, according to the Planning Portal. A traditional impermeable driveway covering more than five square metres does need permission when it gives the water no way to run to a permeable area, its guidance on paving a front garden says.

How a resin driveway is laid

Installing a resin bound driveway averages around £50 per m², Checkatrade’s resin guide says, and a good sub-base is key. The work runs in three stages.

1. Preparation and groundwork, which means clearing and levelling the area and possibly laying a new sub-base
2. Mixing the resin and the aggregate
3. Laying the mix and leaving it to cure

The resin must not get wet until it has set, because rain can leave the surface cloudy or foamy, so summer is the best time to lay a resin drive. You can walk on it after around 24 hours and drive smaller vehicles on it after 72 hours, Checkatrade says.

Getting a resin driveway quote

Before you accept a quote, get the choices that change the price and the finish of a resin drive written into it.

The job description on the quote should name the resin, the edge and the sub-base, not just the surface.

Checkatrade’s new driveway checklist advises choosing an installer with plenty of experience of the material you want, and resin is the example it gives. For resin experience among the Nottingham driveway companies we rank, ED Paving in Long Eaton says it has installed over 500 resin driveways in the area in the last 5 years, and it gives a 10-year guarantee on its labour and a 5-year guarantee on materials.

Duffield Construction in West Bridgford specialises in resin bound, block paving and tarmac driveways, and Domestic Resin Paving in Kimberley installs resin bound driveways, patios, pathways and driveway edging. Advanced Patios & Paving in Sneinton lays resin bound gravel driveways using UV-stable polyurethane resin.