Resin bound driveway cost: what the job involves and who is registered to do it

How resin bound driveway cost works

1. Get the existing surface assessed. Sound, well drained tarmac or concrete can often be overlaid. A cracked, moving or ponding surface cannot, because resin bound follows whatever is under it and telegraphs its faults through to the finish.
2. Fix the depth and the aggregate. Vehicle areas are laid deeper and with a larger aggregate than footpaths. Both should be written down: laying thin is the easiest way to shave a quote and the hardest thing to see afterwards.
3. Confirm it is bound, not bonded. Resin bonded is a different product with loose stone scattered on resin, and it is impermeable. Confusing the two changes both the price and the planning answer, so the quote should name which it is.
4. Check the edges and the transitions. Resin needs a restrained edge and a clean detail at thresholds, drains and manholes. These are the places a job looks amateur, and they are priced as linear and item lines rather than by area.
5. Ask about ultraviolet stability and the guarantee. Clear resins differ in how they hold colour outdoors. Ask which system is being used, what the manufacturer's guarantee covers, and whether the installer is approved to fit it, because many guarantees depend on that.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

Is resin bound permeable enough to avoid planning permission?

Laid properly over a permeable base it is, which is the usual reason it is chosen for front drives. Laid over an impermeable slab it is not permeable in practice, and the drainage question comes back.

Does resin bound crack?

The resin surface itself is flexible, but it cannot bridge movement in what is underneath. Cracks in a resin drive are usually the base telling you something, which is why the survey at the start is the important part.

Can resin bound be repaired?

Localised areas can be cut out and relaid, and a good installer will keep a record of the aggregate blend. Matching an old blend years later is harder, so ask what the plan is if a service trench is ever needed.

Registered contractors by region

• Registered roofers in the East Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the East of England postcode area
• Registered roofers in the London postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Scotland postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Wales postcode area
• Registered roofers in the West Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Yorkshire and The Humber postcode area