How long does a resin drive last?

On a sound base, a properly laid resin bound drive comfortably lasts fifteen years and more. The base is the deciding factor — resin itself is tough and UV-stable, but it can only ever be as flat and stable as what it's laid on, which is why we won't cut corners underneath it.

Is it slippery when wet?

No more than any other surface, and often less. The aggregate gives a naturally textured, grippy finish, and because it's permeable water drains through rather than sitting on top. For sloped or shaded drives we can adjust the blend for extra grip.

Can you lay resin over my existing drive?

Only if the existing surface is genuinely sound — flat, well-drained and structurally intact. If it's cracked, dipping or holding water, resin will follow those faults and you'll see them again within a year. We check this at the site visit and tell you honestly whether it needs a new base first.

Will the colour fade?

A good UV-stable resin holds its colour well. Natural aggregates weather very slightly over years, which most people never notice, and a UV-stable binder stops the yellowing you can get with cheaper resins. The sample panel we cure for you shows the settled colour, not the just-laid one.

Does it need much upkeep?

Very little. An occasional sweep and the odd wash-down keeps it looking fresh, and because there are no joints there's nowhere for weeds to root. Every few years a power-wash lifts any surface grime. That's about the extent of it.

Residential service

Resin Bound Driveways

Seamless, permeable and sharp-looking for years. Mixed on site and trowelled by hand — and only ever laid on a base that's genuinely up to the job.

Resin bound is the smooth, seamless finish you've seen on newer drives — a warm spread of natural aggregate with no joints, no loose stone underfoot, and no gaps for weeds to find. It's laid in one continuous surface, so there's nothing to shift or sink in patches, and it drains straight through, which keeps it compliant with the drainage rules without a separate soakaway.

It only works, though, if the base underneath is right. Resin is a wearing surface, not a structure — trowel it onto a tired old drive and it takes on every dip and crack below it within a year. We lay it on a sound, well-drained base, either a fresh open-textured tarmac or a properly prepared existing one, so the finish stays flat and true rather than mapping the faults underneath.

We mix on site and trowel by hand, batch by batch, so the colour stays consistent and the surface goes down inside its working time. There's a wide range of aggregate blends — golds, greys, earth tones — and we'll lay a sample panel so you can see the real colour cured and dry before we cover the whole drive.

Best for

Modern homes that suit a clean, seamless finish over a patterned one
Drives that take normal car traffic and want the lowest maintenance going
Anyone who wants a permeable surface that meets the drainage rules without a soakaway

What’s included

A site visit and a cured sample panel of your chosen blend
A base assessment — and honest advice if it isn't up to it
A new open-textured tarmac base where one is needed
Edge detailing and any channel drainage set before laying
Resin and aggregate mixed on site, batch by batch
Hand-trowelled to an even, seamless finish
A walk-round and clear guidance on curing time

How the job runs

Site visit and sampleWe check the existing base and drainage, talk through aggregate blends, and lay a cured sample so you're choosing against the real colour rather than a photo.
Prepare the baseWhere the existing surface is sound we prep and prime it; where it isn't, we lay a fresh open-textured tarmac base. Edges and any drainage channels are set at this stage.
Mix and layResin and dried aggregate are mixed on site in measured batches and trowelled out by hand to a consistent depth, working wet edge to wet edge so there are no cold joins.
Cure and hand overThe surface cures over a few hours for foot traffic and longer before the car goes on. We walk it with you and tell you exactly when it's ready.

Materials & spec

What we build with

Base — Open-textured tarmac or a sound prepared existing surface — resin needs something solid and free-draining beneath it
Aggregate — Kiln-dried natural stone in your chosen blend, sized for resin bound rather than resin bonded
Resin — UV-stable polyurethane binder, mixed on site so each batch cures evenly and the colour stays true
Edging — Block, kerb or a flush trim, set before laying to contain the surface cleanly
Drainage — Permeable by design; channel drainage added where the fall or the site calls for it

Resin bound, not resin bonded

These sound alike and get sold interchangeably, but they're different things. Resin bound is the stone mixed through the resin and trowelled smooth — permeable, hard-wearing, the one people mean when they say a resin drive. Resin bonded is loose stone scattered onto a resin-coated surface: it looks similar on day one but sheds stone, isn't permeable, and doesn't last the same way.

We lay resin bound. If you've been quoted a 'resin driveway' that's noticeably cheaper, it's worth checking which of the two you're actually being offered, because the difference in life and drainage is significant.

Where we do this

Resin Bound Driveways across Surrey

We cover the whole county — these are the towns we’re asked for resin bound driveways most often.

See every town we cover →

FAQ

Resin — common questions

How long does a resin drive last?
On a sound base, a properly laid resin bound drive comfortably lasts fifteen years and more. The base is the deciding factor — resin itself is tough and UV-stable, but it can only ever be as flat and stable as what it's laid on, which is why we won't cut corners underneath it.
Is it slippery when wet?
No more than any other surface, and often less. The aggregate gives a naturally textured, grippy finish, and because it's permeable water drains through rather than sitting on top. For sloped or shaded drives we can adjust the blend for extra grip.
Can you lay resin over my existing drive?
Only if the existing surface is genuinely sound — flat, well-drained and structurally intact. If it's cracked, dipping or holding water, resin will follow those faults and you'll see them again within a year. We check this at the site visit and tell you honestly whether it needs a new base first.
Will the colour fade?
A good UV-stable resin holds its colour well. Natural aggregates weather very slightly over years, which most people never notice, and a UV-stable binder stops the yellowing you can get with cheaper resins. The sample panel we cure for you shows the settled colour, not the just-laid one.
Does it need much upkeep?
Very little. An occasional sweep and the odd wash-down keeps it looking fresh, and because there are no joints there's nowhere for weeds to root. Every few years a power-wash lifts any surface grime. That's about the extent of it.

Other services

Block Paving Driveways
A smart, interlocking driveway that lifts the front of the house — laid to BS 7533 on a proper base, so it holds its shape instead of dipping and sprouting weeds.
Get a block paving quote
Most requested
Tarmac Driveways
The workhorse driveway — quick to lay, well priced and tough. Hot-laid and properly compacted so it stays flat under cars and vans, not just for the first summer.
Get a driveway quote
Gravel Driveways
The right fit for period and rural properties. Built on a proper base with set edges and the correct depth, so the stone stays put instead of scattering across the lawn.
Get a gravel quote
Patios & Pathways
Porcelain, sandstone or block, laid with the right falls and jointed properly — so water runs off the way it should and the edges don't lift a season later.
Get a patio quote