Block paving
£95 per m²
- Life
- 30+ years
- Permeable
- Only permeable blocks
- Upkeep
- Clean and re-sand every 3–5 years
Best for: Most driveways. The best-looking and the most repairable.
Compare styles
Which surface?
We lay all four, so we have no reason to push one. Here they are with the numbers we quote, the life we see on drives we laid fifteen years ago, and what each is honestly best for.
Side by side
Four surfaces, one base.
Prices are per square metre for a full build including the sub-base, edging, drainage, waste and VAT. Lifespans are what we see, not what the brochure says.
Resin bound
£110 per m²
- Life
- 20–25 years
- Permeable
- Yes
- Upkeep
- Occasional wash; no re-sanding
Best for: Seamless modern look, awkward shapes, overlaying sound concrete.
Tarmac
£70 per m²
- Life
- 20 years, then overlay
- Permeable
- No
- Upkeep
- Almost none
Best for: Long drives, slopes, vans and motorhomes, tight budgets.
Patio paving
£120 per m²
- Life
- 30+ years
- Permeable
- No
- Upkeep
- Wash yearly; porcelain needs nothing
Best for: Patios, paths and the area by the front door.
The detail
The same four, in a table.
| Surface | Per m² | Life | Permeable | Upkeep | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block paving | £95 | 30+ years | Only permeable blocks | Clean and re-sand every 3–5 years | Most driveways. The best-looking and the most repairable. |
| Resin bound | £110 | 20–25 years | Yes | Occasional wash; no re-sanding | Seamless modern look, awkward shapes, overlaying sound concrete. |
| Tarmac | £70 | 20 years, then overlay | No | Almost none | Long drives, slopes, vans and motorhomes, tight budgets. |
| Patio paving | £120 | 30+ years | No | Wash yearly; porcelain needs nothing | Patios, paths and the area by the front door. |
Drainage and planning
Where the water goes decides whether you need permission.
Since 2008 a new front drive over five square metres that sheds rain onto the road has needed planning permission. One that drains to a soakaway, a channel, a lawn or a border, or is permeable, does not. We design every drive the second way and show the drainage on the drawing, so the question never comes up. Resin bound and permeable block paving drain through the surface; everything else gets a channel and a soakaway sized for the area.
- Soakaway crates sized to the drive area and the soil
- Linear channels at the garage and the house
- Permeable options where the ground drains well
- Dropped kerbs applied for and built to council spec
Still not sure? Bring the question to the measure.
Nia brings the samples board and the drainage plan. You see the real blocks on your real drive and decide there.