Three ways to resurface a drive
1. Tarmac overlay
New 25mm wearing course laid over sound existing tarmac. Requires minor prep (crack sealing, edge trim). Transforms a tired-looking drive in 1 day. £30–£50/m² vs £65–£90 for full replacement.
2. Resin overlay onto existing tarmac
If your tarmac is structurally fine but looks drab, resin bound laid directly over the top transforms it. The tarmac becomes the permeable base. £75–£110/m² — about 35% less than a new resin drive.
3. Block paving re-lay with existing sub-base
Less common, but possible. Lift existing blocks, reuse the sub-base if sound, add fresh sand layer, re-lay blocks in a new pattern or replace with different blocks. Can halve the cost of full replacement.
The resurfacing honest-check:
We check the existing base for: compaction (foot-test, rod-test), drainage (where does the water go?), cracking pattern (structural vs cosmetic), edge integrity (walking or holding?). If any one of those fails — we recommend dig-out, not overlay.
Pricing comparison
| Option | 50m² cost | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Tarmac overlay | £1,800–£2,600 | 10–15 yrs |
| New tarmac (full) | £3,800–£5,000 | 15–20 yrs |
| Resin overlay | £4,200–£5,800 | 15–20 yrs |
| New resin (full) | £5,800–£8,000 | 20+ yrs |
| Block paving re-lay | £2,500–£4,000 | 15–20 yrs |
| New block paving | £4,500–£7,500 | 25+ yrs |
When resurfacing isn't right
- Sub-base is already failing (wavy surface, sinkage, pooling).
- Drainage is missing entirely — water shouldn't have anywhere to go.
- Existing drive is more than 20 years old and never had proper edges.
- The savings vs. replacement are less than 30% (not worth the risk).
In those cases we'll always quote proper replacement. It's cheaper over 10 years than bodging an overlay.