Resin-bound driveways across Essex, Kent & London

A resin-bound surface is specified by the size of the aggregate and the depth it's laid at, and the two are linked: the laid depth should be at least three times the largest stone. For a typical 1–5mm driveway blend that means a minimum of 15mm, and for vehicle traffic we lay 18mm as standard. Go thinner and the surface may look identical on day one, but it will be brittle underfoot and start to crack under turning wheels within a few seasons.

This is where quotes that look similar on paper can describe very different driveways. When you compare prices, ask what depth is being laid, what stone size is being used, and what base the resin is going over. We put all three in writing on every quote, so you can compare like for like.

For most front gardens in England, no. Since 2008, planning rules have allowed any amount of permeable surfacing on a front garden without permission. Resin-bound surfacing qualifies because rainwater drains straight through it into the base beneath, rather than running off into the road or the drains.

The rules only bite if you lay a non-permeable surface over more than five square metres without dealing with the run-off, which is how some tarmac and concrete drives end up needing retrospective attention. Because we build the free-draining base as well as the surface, the whole build-up is SUDS-compliant, and we'll confirm the drainage design for your site on the survey.

If your existing concrete or tarmac drive is sound, level and free-draining, resin can often be laid directly over it as an overlay. It saves the cost of excavation and keeps disruption to a day or two. But an overlay is only as good as what's underneath: cracks, movement or standing water in the old surface will telegraph straight through to the new one.

That's why we survey before we price. If the base is good, we'll tell you and quote the overlay. If it isn't, we'll explain what we found and price the dig-out honestly: excavation, a compacted MOT Type 1 or open-grade sub-base, and the drainage the finish depends on. It's the same crew doing both, so nothing gets lost between a groundworks contractor and a surfacing contractor.

Day to day, a resin-bound drive asks very little: sweep it, and give it an occasional rinse or light jet-wash on a fan setting to keep the pores clear. There are no joints for weeds to root into, no loose gravel to migrate onto the lawn, and no sealing or re-sanding cycle like block paving.

UV-stable resin holds its colour rather than yellowing in sunlight, and the surface copes with UK winters: water drains through instead of pooling and freezing, so it's naturally less icy than a sealed surface. De-icing salt can be used sparingly if you need it. Treated well, a properly specified surface on a sound base is a 15–25 year investment.

Most resin failures we're asked to look at aren't resin failures at all; they're base failures. The surface has cracked or sunk because the ground beneath it was never engineered for the load. When the company that laid the resin didn't build the base, each points at the other and the homeowner is left in the middle.

We do the excavation, sub-base and drainage ourselves, then lay the resin over ground we prepared. One survey, one written quote, one crew, and one place the responsibility sits for the next couple of decades. That's been Paul's way of working for over 30 years, and it's why so much of our work comes from referrals and repeat clients across Essex, Kent and London.