Resin bound and resin bonded are different surfaces
Resin bound
Resin bound driveways are made by mixing stone aggregate with resin and trowelling the mix onto a prepared base. The result is a smooth surface with the stone held throughout the layer.
Resin bonded
Resin bonded driveways are made the other way round: a layer of resin goes down first and loose stone is scattered over it. The names differ by one letter, and installers and customers mix them up, so write the word on the quote.
Why the difference matters to you
The two surfaces behave differently when it rains, and the Welsh rule for a front garden turns on whether rain can soak away. If your installer says "resin driveway" without saying which kind, you should ask before you sign.
Which one is permeable
Trade guides describe resin bound surfaces as permeable, so rain soaks through the stone layer. Trade guides describe resin bonded surfaces as a thin resin coat with stone on top, which does not let water through. The statements come from installer and builder-marketplace sites, not from a regulation. The product's own data sheet is the evidence to ask for.
The sub-base question
Ask the installer to describe the sub-base under the surface and to say in writing where the water goes. A surface that lets water through only helps if the layers below carry it away.
What a price guide claims about drainage
Checkatrade's resin guide says resin bound gravel surfaces are permeable and that one of their key benefits is that they are compliant with sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). The claim comes from a price guide, not a Welsh Government finding, so it does not replace the product data sheet or your council's view.
What the Welsh Government says
The Welsh Government page on patios and driveways sets the rule for a house. If you lay or replace a hard surface at the front, you must use permeable or porous materials. The alternative is to direct run-off from an impermeable surface, such as concrete, onto a permeable or porous surface at the front of the home.
The exemptions and exceptions
- Repairing or replacing up to 5 square metres of existing hard surface is exempt from the permeable requirement.
- If you live in a listed building, you need to apply for planning permission to lay a hard surface.
- The allowances apply to houses, not flats, maisonettes or other buildings.
- Permitted development rights may have been removed by an Article 4 direction, most often in conservation areas. Your local planning authority can confirm.
The date problem
The page shows no publication or last-updated date, so check it again before you start work. The page links to separate building regulations guidance on patios and driveways, which this page does not cover.
A warning about English advice
Most online driveway advice describes England. The English 5 square metre rule for impermeable front-garden paving comes from UK Government guidance first published on 13 May 2009. Wales sets its own rules, and its 5 square metre figure is a repair exemption, not the same rule. Use the Welsh wording above.
Sustainable drainage in Wales
The 100 square metre threshold
Wales made sustainable drainage (SuDS) mandatory for new developments from 7 January 2019. The requirement covers developments of more than one dwelling, or where the area covered by construction work is 100 square metres or more. The 2018 Order exempts a single dwelling where the construction work covers less than 100 square metres, whether or not planning permission is needed.
What this means for a driveway
The Welsh Government driveway page does not mention SuDS or the 100 square metre figure, and the sources checked do not say whether a driveway counts towards the construction area. Ask your council's SuDS approving body how it treats a driveway, especially if the job is large or part of a wider build.
Groundwork, edges and cost
What Checkatrade prices
Checkatrade (header updated February 2026) gives about £120 per square metre for a resin bound driveway, made up of about £70 for materials and £50 for installation, and about £6,000 for a 50m² drive. The same page gives installer labour at about £30 an hour and says UV-stable resin is almost twice as expensive as non-UV-stable resin.
What the price leaves out
The same page says groundwork such as levelling, repairs, sub-base or excavation adds to the total, and that a resin bound surface must be laid up to a stable edge such as a wall or brick edging. If your drive has no stable edge, one must be created at extra cost. The page gives no figure for either, so ask for both as separate lines.
Larger stones
Checkatrade adds that larger aggregate stones need excavation to about three times their size in depth, which adds labour. Tell the installer which aggregate you want before the quote is written.
A rough budget
At Checkatrade's £120 per square metre, a 20m² drive works out at £2,400, a 30m² drive at £3,600 and a 50m² drive at £6,000 (the figure the guide gives). The totals leave out groundwork and edging. Checkatrade adds that bulk buying can reduce the material cost per square metre on larger drives.
What to ask the installer
- Is the surface resin bound or resin bonded, and what does the permeability data sheet say?
- What sub-base is proposed, and where does the water go?
- Are groundwork, edging and UV-stable resin priced as separate lines?
- Has the dropped kerb been approved, if the drive needs a new access over the pavement?
Listed buildings and conservation areas
The Welsh Government says you need to apply for planning permission to lay a hard surface if you live in a listed building, and that Article 4 directions, most often in conservation areas, can remove permitted development rights. Your local planning authority can tell you which applies to your street.
Other approvals
Trade guides list a dropped kerb as a separate approval from the highway authority, not a planning matter. In Wales that authority is your council. The guide to dropped kerbs in Wales explains what two Welsh councils require, and it explains why you should apply before you order any materials.
Finding a resin installer in Wales
45 Welsh businesses list resin bound driveway work. Regional lists show who works near you: North Wales (17), Mid & West Wales (12), South East Wales (16).
Ask each installer for the permeability data sheet for the exact mix, the sub-base design, and written confirmation of where the water goes. The guide to hiring a flooring fitter in Wales covers the rest of the checks, and the guide to what flooring costs to fit shows how to compare quotes.
A short regional list is not a verdict on the area. The directory lists only businesses whose own text mentions resin bound work, so an installer who travels may still serve you.
What this page does not cover
The page reports one Welsh Government page, two Welsh drainage documents and several trade guides. The page is not planning advice for your property. The page gives one price guide's resin driveway figures and no Wales-specific price. Your local planning authority is the authority on your address, and the Welsh Government page carries no date.