Resin Bound Driveway Calculator — Resin, Aggregate & Primer

The UK standard resin bound kit is 7.5 kg of resin to 100 kg of aggregate (7.5% resin by weight), covering about 3.5 m² at 18mm. So at 18mm depth (standard for driveways) you need roughly 2.1 kg resin and 28.6 kg aggregate per m². For 15mm pedestrian paths the same kit covers ~4.0 m², so about 1.9 kg resin and 25 kg aggregate per m². For 24mm heavy-duty use allow about 2.9 kg resin and 38 kg aggregate per m². Keep resin at 6-8% of aggregate weight — too little causes loose-stone ravelling — and add 10% wastage.

Resin bound paving mixes the resin and aggregate together before trowelling onto the surface, creating a smooth permeable finish. Resin bonded scatters loose aggregate onto a resin-coated surface, creating a textured non-permeable finish. Resin bound is more durable and is SuDS-compliant as it allows water to drain through.

Yes, a primer coat is essential on all substrates to ensure proper adhesion. Coverage is substrate-dependent: a 5 litre tin of dedicated PU/acrylic concrete primer typically covers 30-50 m² (about 0.1-0.17 L/m²) on sound, non-porous concrete, while porous tarmac or Type 1 bases can take up to ~0.3 L/m². This calculator uses 0.3 L/m² as a safe default that errs toward over-ordering — drop it if priming dense concrete. Apply to a clean, dry surface and let it cure (typically 20 minutes to a few hours, per the datasheet) before the resin bound mix. Highly porous substrates may need a second coat.

Resin bound must be laid onto a solid, stable base. For driveways, this is typically 100mm of tarmac (binder course) on 150mm of Type 1 sub-base. For paths, 50mm of tarmac on 100mm sub-base is sufficient. Concrete is also suitable but must be crack-free. The base must have falls for drainage (1:80 minimum) — check with our Drainage Fall Calculator.

Aluminium or steel edging restraint prevents the resin bound surface from cracking or breaking away at the edges. It's pinned into the base course at the perimeter and any changes in surface material. Without edge restraint, the thin resin bound layer will chip and deteriorate at exposed edges.

Resin bound is sold as matched aggregate-and-resin kits, and the UK industry standard is 100 kg of aggregate to 7.5 kg of resin, covering about 3.5 m² at the standard 18mm depth (4.0 m² at 15mm for paths). This calculator uses that same ratio: for example, 20 m² at 18mm with natural aggregate and the default 10% wastage needs 629 kg of aggregate and 48 kg of resin. Divide the aggregate figure by 100 kg per kit and round up (629 / 100 = 6.29) to order 7 kits, which leaves a small surplus for repairs or offcuts. Kit sizes vary between suppliers, so check the exact kg per kit before ordering.

Materials alone (resin, aggregate and primer) typically work out around £35-55 per m² at UK trade prices: this calculator's own default rates (£6.50/kg resin, £0.85/kg aggregate, £12/litre primer) give about £47/m² for a 20 m² driveway at 18mm depth, before edging. A fully installed resin bound driveway, including labour, a new sub-base and edging, costs more: budget £60-90 per m² for a typical UK job, in the same range as block paving and above tarmac, gravel or concrete (see our Driveway Calculator for a full surface-type cost comparison). If your existing tarmac or crack-free concrete base is sound and just needs resurfacing, you can often skip the sub-base cost.

18mm is the UK standard depth for a resin bound driveway carrying car traffic, which is why it's the default in this calculator. 15mm is enough for pedestrian paths and patios with no vehicle loading, while 24mm (heavy vehicle) suits driveways used by vans, motorhomes or frequent deliveries. Whatever the application, thinner layers are prone to cracking and loose-stone ravelling under load, and industry guidance recommends a depth of at least three times the largest aggregate size, so a typical 2-5mm blend needs at least 15-18mm to bed in properly.

Yes. Resin bound gravel is permeable because the resin only coats each stone rather than filling the gaps between them, so rainwater drains straight through into the sub-base and the ground below rather than running off, in the same way as our Permeable Paving Calculator. Under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order, a front-garden driveway over 5 m² only needs planning permission if it uses an impermeable surface, such as standard tarmac or concrete, whose run-off doesn’t drain to a permeable area such as a lawn, border or soakaway. Because resin bound is permeable, it normally falls under permitted development regardless of size, so no planning application is needed. Always check with your local planning authority if your property is listed or in a conservation area, where different rules can apply.