Patios, paths and steps
Resin patios
A resin patio is a resin bound surface laid in a garden for seating and dining areas. Because it is trowelled in one piece, it has no joints for weeds or ants, it can follow curves easily, and it can be laid over sound concrete or old slabs that are solidly bedded.
- Guide price
- £45–£120 per m²
- Time on site
- Usually 1–3 days
- Permeable
- Yes, on a permeable base
How resin patios work
Resin bound works well on patios because foot traffic is light and the finish is comfortable underfoot. A slightly finer aggregate blend gives a smoother surface for furniture and bare feet.
Old slabs can sometimes be overlaid, but only if every slab is fully bedded and level. Slabs that rock, or that were laid on spot-bedding, are lifted and replaced with a concrete or porous asphalt base first.
Patios next to the house need to fall away from the walls and stay below the damp-proof course, so levels at back doors and bifolds are checked on survey.
Worked example (UK average): a 25 m² patio laid over a sound base comes to about £1,100–£1,750; with a dig-out and new permeable base about £1,900–£3,000, including VAT.
Is it right for you?
- You want a patio with no joints to weed
- Your patio is curved or an awkward shape
- You want the patio to match a resin drive or path
- You want a permeable garden surface
How we do it
- Check levels against doors and damp-proof course
- Lift unsound slabs; lay a new base where needed
- Fit edging to lawn and borders
- Prime and mask
- Lay resin bound to 12–15 mm
- Cure and hand over
Specification
- 12–15 mm resin bound for foot traffic
- Finer 1–3 mm blends suit seating areas
- Falls away from the house
- UV-stable resin for exposed patios
Pros
- No weeds or ants through joints
- Easy to form curves
- Comfortable underfoot
- Matches drives and paths
Things to know
- Not suited to loose or rocking slabs
- Hot pans and fire pits can mark it
- 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 patios: common questions
Can resin go over my old patio slabs?
Only if every slab is solidly bedded and level. Rocking or hollow slabs crack the resin, so they are lifted and a new base is laid first.
Is a resin patio slippery?
Resin bound has good grip in normal use. On shaded areas that stay damp, an anti-slip additive can be mixed in.
Resin patios 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 garden pathsCurving, weed-free paths that link the garden together.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 patios
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