There's a wide gulf between the cheapest resin driveway quote and the most expensive one — sometimes a 60% spread on the same job. This guide explains where that spread comes from, what a fair Bath price looks like in 2026, and how to read a quote so you can tell which installer is doing the right work.
The 2026 Bath price band
For a typical Bath residential resin bound driveway, expect £85 to £130 per m² fitted. Below £85 you're almost certainly looking at a corner-cut sub-base. Above £130 you're into premium aggregates, granite edges, drainage upgrades or difficult access.
What the price actually pays for
1. Excavation and sub-base (35–45% of cost)
The biggest line item, and the one most often cut on cheap quotes. A proper Bath resin driveway is excavated to around 200mm, the spoil removed, and Type 1 MOT laid in 75–100mm compacted layers. If a quote doesn't specify the depth or material, ask. "We'll lay it over the existing" is fine sometimes, but only if the existing base is sound — and most aren't.
2. Open-grade tarmac binder (10–15%)
The intermediate layer that gives the resin its permeable substrate. Typically 40–50mm thick, laid hot, rolled flat. It's what makes the system SUDS-compliant — water passes through the resin, through the binder, and into the MOT below.
3. Edge restraint (5–10%)
Resin won't stand up to a lawn or border on its own — it needs an edge. Cheapest is a concrete block edge laid as a haunched kerb. Best looks are charcoal granite setts or aluminium edging. Skipping this is a common cost-saving on lowball quotes; six months later the edges crumble.
4. The resin and aggregate (25–30%)
The visible bit. Cost varies more on aggregate than resin. Standard quartz aggregates sit at the bottom of the range; UK-quarried granites and specialist colour blends (Bath stone, oyster pearl, autumn gold) sit at the top. The resin should be UV-stable and from a known UK manufacturer — Vuba, SureSet, Resin Bound Solutions and Daltex all make solid product.
5. Drainage and reinstatement (5–10%)
Threshold drains where the drive meets the house, channel drains across drops, reinstatement of any disturbed grass, borders or stonework. The bits cheap quotes "forget" until they become extras.
What a fair Bath quote should include
- Excavation depth in mm (typically 200mm for a domestic drive)
- Sub-base material (Type 1 MOT) and depth in mm
- Open-grade tarmac binder depth and supplier
- Resin manufacturer and aggregate type
- Edge restraint type
- Drainage treatment
- Workmanship guarantee length in writing
Common quote tricks to watch for
If the quote is significantly below the others, the difference almost certainly isn't profit margin. It's the base.
The two most common: (1) quoting an overlay where a full system is needed; (2) reducing MOT depth from 150mm to 75mm to save aggregate cost. Both fail within 3–4 winters.
Bath-specific factors
Bath driveways have their own quirks. Many are short, steep, and connect to a stone-walled threshold. Access is often tight. Conservation areas and listed properties limit aggregate choice (charcoal looks wrong against Bath stone; Bath stone blend or oyster pearl reads more naturally). Drainage usually has to go to soakaway because adopting drainage is restricted — which is why permeable resin is such a good fit in the first place.
A worked example
A typical Bath three-bed semi resin driveway at 45m², with full sub-base, mid-range aggregate, concrete block edge and threshold drain: £4,500 to £5,000 fitted. Add granite edges or premium aggregate: £5,500 to £6,000. Overlay only (existing tarmac in good condition): £3,500 to £4,200.
What we'd recommend asking
Don't just get three quotes. Get three quotes and ask each installer the questions above. The ones who answer specifically — depths in mm, manufacturer names, guarantee terms — are the ones to shortlist. The ones who answer vaguely are usually the ones who'll cut the base and come back to bite you in winter three.
Want a written, itemised quote for a Bath resin driveway? Book a free site visit — we'll come out, measure, and email a clear quote within 48 hours.