Patios, paths and steps
Resin garden paths
A resin path is a narrow resin bound surface used for garden walkways, side passages and front paths. It is laid on a compacted base with edging both sides, is permeable, and can follow tight curves without cutting.
- Guide price
- £50–£140 per m²
- Time on site
- Usually 1–2 days
- Permeable
- Yes, on a permeable base
How resin garden paths work
Paths are where resin bound shows what it can do: a curve that would mean dozens of cuts in block paving is simply trowelled. The edges matter more than on a drive, so steel, timber or sett edging is fixed first.
Because paths are narrow, more of the cost is in the edging and set-up than in the resin itself, so the price per square metre is higher than for an open drive.
Worked example (UK average): a 12 m² path laid over a sound base comes to about £700–£1,100; with a dig-out and new permeable base about £1,200–£1,900, including VAT.
Is it right for you?
- You want a path that curves through the garden
- Your side passage gets weedy or muddy
- You want to link a drive, patio and garden room
- You want a surface that is easy to push a wheelbarrow over
How we do it
- Set out the line and widths
- Dig out and compact the base
- Fix edging both sides
- Lay binder course or concrete where needed
- Trowel resin bound to 12–15 mm
- Cure and hand over
Specification
- 12–15 mm resin bound
- Edging both sides
- Compacted base suited to foot traffic
- Permeable build where ground allows
Pros
- Follows curves easily
- No weeds through joints
- Wheelbarrow and buggy friendly
- Permeable
Things to know
- Higher cost per m² than a drive
- Edging is essential
- Needs dry weather to lay
Planning and permissions
General information, not legal advice. Pick your nation:
England
Patios, paths and steps in a rear garden are generally permitted development for houses. Listed buildings, flats and raised platforms are the main exceptions, and any part that is in front of the house follows the front-garden drainage rules.
Wales
Patios, paths and steps in a rear garden are generally permitted development for houses. Listed buildings, flats and raised platforms are the main exceptions, and any part that is in front of the house follows the front-garden drainage rules.
Scotland
Patios, paths and steps in a rear garden are generally permitted development for houses. Listed buildings, flats and raised platforms are the main exceptions, and any part that is in front of the house follows the front-garden drainage rules.
Northern Ireland
Patios, paths and steps in a rear garden are generally permitted development for houses. Listed buildings, flats and raised platforms are the main exceptions, and any part that is in front of the house follows the front-garden drainage rules.
Resin garden paths: common questions
How wide should a garden path be?
Around 900 mm is comfortable for one person and a wheelbarrow; 1.2 m lets two people walk side by side.
Why does a path cost more per m² than a drive?
Most of the work is in the edging and set-up, which stays roughly the same however narrow the path is.
Resin garden paths near you
- Aberdeenshire
- Angus and Dundee
- Argyll and Bute
- Ayrshire
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Clwyd
- Cornwall
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Durham
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Dunbartonshire
- Dyfed
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Edinburgh
- Essex
- Fife
- Forth Valley
- Glasgow
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Gwent
- Gwynedd
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Highlands and Islands
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lanarkshire
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Lothians
- Merseyside
- Mid Glamorgan
- Moray
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Perth and Kinross
- Powys
- Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Rutland
- Scottish Borders
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Glamorgan
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Glamorgan
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
Related services
Resin patiosWarm, seamless patios with no joints for weeds.Learn more
Resin stepsResin-faced garden and entrance steps with crisp nosings.Learn more
Resin pool surroundsComfortable, free-draining surfaces around outdoor pools.Learn more
Accessible resin rampsGentle, grippy ramps for wheelchairs, walkers and buggies.Learn more
Free survey · itemised quote
Get a quote for resin garden paths
Free survey, real samples and an itemised written quote.
- Base, edging and drainage priced line by line
- Real blend samples shown in daylight
- Price fixed in writing once the spec is agreed
Prefer to talk? 0800 088 6341 or