Two quotes for the same driveway can be far apart, and the difference is rarely the resin. Most of the cost, and most of the risk, is in what goes underneath.
Size and shape
The area is the starting point, but shape matters too. Curves, steps and cutting around drains, trees and walls all add time, and every extra metre of edge needs edging.
Groundwork
The biggest variable is whether the old surface can stay. A sound concrete or tarmac drive can sometimes be overlaid. Otherwise it has to be dug out, and the spoil taken away by skip or grab lorry. Soft ground or tree roots may mean digging deeper.
The base
A permeable resin drive needs a compacted sub-base and a porous base course beneath the resin. This is where low quotes most often save money, and it is why some resin drives crack or sink within a few years.
Edging, drainage and extras
Block borders, metal edging, channel drains, soakaways, steps and lighting all add to the price. A dropped kerb is arranged through the council and charged separately.
Stone and resin
Stone blends vary in price, and UV-stable resin costs more than the cheaper aromatic kind, which can darken in sunlight. On a front drive, UV-stable resin is worth paying for.
Comparing quotes
Put the quotes side by side and check that each one says how deep the dig-out is, what the sub-base and base course are, what edging is included, how the drive will drain, and what the guarantee covers, in writing. A quote that is much lower than the others has usually left something out of the ground.
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