Resin Bound vs Block Paving vs Tarmac: Which Driveway Is Right for You?

If you're replacing a driveway, you've probably narrowed it down to three options: resin bound, block paving, or tarmac. Each has its place, and the right choice depends on your home, your budget and how much upkeep you're willing to do. Here's an honest comparison — including where resin isn't the obvious winner.

The quick verdict

Block paving is traditional and repairable but high-maintenance — weeds, sinking blocks and re-sanding come with the territory. Tarmac is the cheapest up front and fine for large or utilitarian areas, but it's the least refined finish and can soften and scuff over time. Resin bound costs more than tarmac and sits around block paving on price, but it gives the most seamless, low-maintenance and permeable finish of the three — which is why it's become the premium choice for front driveways.

Appearance

Block paving offers lots of colours and laying patterns, but the joint lines and occasional colour fade date it. Tarmac is a flat, uniform black — practical rather than pretty. Resin bound is smooth and seamless, with a natural-stone look from the aggregate blend and no joint lines, so it complements both period and modern homes. For kerb appeal on a front driveway, resin generally wins.

Maintenance

This is where the gap is widest. Block paving needs regular weeding, occasional re-sanding of the joints, and lifting and relaying where blocks sink or a tree root heaves them. Tarmac is fairly low-maintenance but can develop soft spots, and oil and fuel can mark it. Resin bound has no joints for weeds to grow through, no loose stones, and generally needs only an occasional jet-wash. Over ten years, resin is comfortably the least hassle.

Drainage and planning

This one matters more than most people expect. Block paving and tarmac are usually impermeable, so a new front driveway over 5m² often needs planning permission unless you use a permeable surface or direct water to a border or soakaway. Resin bound is permeable — rain drains straight through it — so it typically meets the SUDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) guidance without extra drainage work or a planning application. If avoiding planning hassle matters to you, resin has a real, practical edge.

Durability and lifespan

Tarmac has the shortest refined lifespan and can need resurfacing soonest. Block paving lasts well structurally but looks tired without upkeep. A properly installed resin bound driveway — full depth, UV-stable resin, over a well-built permeable base — holds its finish for well over a decade. The key phrase is properly installed: a thin resin layer over a shallow base won't last, which is why the specification underneath matters as much as the surface.

Cost

Roughly speaking: tarmac is usually the cheapest per square metre, resin bound and block paving sit higher and fairly close to each other, and the final figure depends heavily on groundworks. Because most of a driveway's cost is in the excavation and base, the surface choice is only part of the picture. Our cost guide breaks down what actually drives the price.

So which should you choose?

Choose tarmac if budget is the priority and the area is large or purely functional. Choose block paving if you love a traditional patterned look and don't mind the upkeep. Choose resin bound if you want the most seamless, low-maintenance and permeable finish and you're investing in a surface to last — which, for most front driveways, is exactly the brief.

If resin sounds right for your home, see what a full-specification RSS install includes on our resin driveways page, or send us a couple of photos for a quick quote.