The Short Answer
On our estimates, resurfacing a 50m² driveway costs about £1,250 to £2,250 with a new tarmac layer, or £2,250 to £4,000 in resin, if the existing base is sound. That's well under the price of a new drive. Most jobs take two to four days.
The catch is the base. A new surface covers a worn, faded or lightly cracked drive; it doesn't fix deep cracks, sunken ground or a failed base. If yours has those, price a new drive instead, or the faults come back through.
Resurfacing prices
| Option | Per m² | 50m² |
|---|---|---|
| New tarmac wearing course | £25 to £45 | £1,250 to £2,250 |
| Resin over existing tarmac or concrete | £45 to £80 | £2,250 to £4,000 |
| Lift and relay block paving | £25 to £50 | £1,250 to £2,500 |
| Concrete overlay or resurfacer | £30 to £60 | £1,500 to £3,000 |
Resurface or replace?
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Worn, faded, shallow cracks, firm underfoot | Resurface, or clean and reseal |
| Deep cracks, sunken areas, a base that has failed | New base: price a new drive |
| Water runs towards the house | Fix the falls first: a drive should fall away from the house, or have a drainage channel |
Resurfacing only works on a stable base, so I'd ask the installer to say in writing what they found when they checked it.
Planning
The front garden rule covers replacement surfaces too: replacing more than 5m² of front drive with a solid surface that drains to the road needs planning permission. A porous surface, or one draining onto your own land, doesn't. See driveway planning.
Other prices you may see
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Resurfacing is priced by area and by how much of the old drive needs fixing first.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to resurface a driveway?
On our estimates, about £25 to £45 per m² for a new tarmac layer, or £45 to £80 for resin, over a sound base.
Is resurfacing a driveway worth it?
Yes, if the base is stable and the problem is wear, fading or shallow cracks. If the base has failed, no: the new surface will crack and sink with it.
Do I need planning permission to resurface my driveway?
Only in a front garden, if you replace more than 5m² with a solid surface that drains to the road.
What is the cheapest way to redo your driveway?
If it's sound, a clean and reseal (about £4 to £10 per m² for sealing, on our estimates), then a new tarmac layer at £25 to £45 per m².
Is a resin driveway cheaper than tarmac?
No. Over an existing base, resin is about £45 to £80 per m² against £25 to £45 for tarmac, on our estimates.
How long does driveway resurfacing take?
Two to four days for most drives.
How we priced thisView sources (3, 2 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialThe Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialGuidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens (September 2008), Department for Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK). Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideDriveway costs in the UK, Checkatrade. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
