What does it cost to restore a resin driveway?

We are not going to print a price list, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Two resin drives of identical size can need completely different work, and the honest answer to "what does it cost" is that it depends on what the surface actually needs. What we can do is explain what moves the number, so you can read a quote properly.

What actually drives the price

1. Whether it needs cleaning or recoating

This is the biggest single factor. A clean and biocide treatment is a fraction of the cost of a full recoat, because a recoat means fresh UV-stable resin across the whole surface. A good contractor will tell you if a clean is all you need. If every quote you get is for the most expensive option, that tells you something.

2. Size, but not the way you think

Area matters, but access matters nearly as much. A large open drive is quicker per square metre than a small awkward one with steps, tight gates and nowhere to set up. Cost per square metre falls as the job gets bigger.

3. How bad the organic growth is

Light surface algae lifts easily. Established moss with years of root behind it needs treatment, dwell time and a second pass. That is labour, and it is the difference between a half-day and a full day.

4. Whether there is damage to make good

Loose aggregate that needs re-binding, a patch that has failed and needs cutting out, an edge that has broken away — each adds work. A hollow-sounding area means the base is involved, and that is a repair rather than a clean.

5. Drainage

If water is standing on the surface, cleaning it solves nothing for long. Sometimes the fix is clearing a silted gully, which is quick. Sometimes it is more involved.

6. The colour you want

Recoating in a clear or matching resin is standard. Changing colour, or matching an unusual aggregate, can mean sourcing material and costs more.

7. Access to water and power

Most jobs are straightforward. Occasionally a property has neither available, and that changes the setup.

Why per-square-metre pricing misleads

A rate per square metre sounds transparent and usually is not. It either assumes the simplest possible job — and gets revised upward on the day — or it is padded to cover the worst case, so straightforward drives subsidise difficult ones. Neither serves you.

The pattern to watch for is a low headline rate followed by extras discovered once work has started. A quote given after someone has actually looked at the surface is worth more than a cheaper one given over the phone.

Questions worth asking

• Does this need a recoat, or would a clean do? The answer tells you whether they are selling or advising.
• Is the resin UV-stable? Non-UV-stable systems yellow and fail early.
• Is a biocide treatment included? Without it, the green returns within a season and you have bought a wash, not a fix.
• What happens if you find damage underneath? You want to know the process before, not after.
• What is the surface like afterwards, and how long before I can park on it?

Where the money is genuinely well spent

Restoring a sound resin drive is maintenance. Relaying a failed one is construction, and the gap between those two numbers is large. The window between them is measured in winters — every year that water gets into the base through loose aggregate moves you toward the expensive end.

That is the real economics of it. A clean and recoat at the right moment is not an expense so much as the thing that stops a much bigger one. Our assessments are free and carry no obligation, and if your drive does not need work yet, we will say so.