Last updated October 2026
Nottingham City Council is specific about what your drive is made of: if you want a dropped kerb, the driveway must be “permeable, bound materials”, and loose gravel is not allowed. Resin bound fits that description exactly. The city charges a £170 licence fee for the kerb, and at typical UK prices a two-car resin drive of about 50 m² costs £4,000 to £7,500.
The licence is a small part of the bill; the drive and its base are the main cost, as these typical UK figures show.
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Resin bound on an existing sound base | £60 to £100 per m² | four UK price guides agree |
| About 20 m², single car | £1,800 to £2,800 | MacColl & Stokes |
| About 50 m², two cars, Nottingham | £4,000 to £7,500 | MacColl & Stokes, Checkatrade |
| Nottingham City Council kerb licence | £170 | Nottingham City Council |
What surface does Nottingham accept with a dropped kerb?
A permeable, bound one: Nottingham’s dropped kerb rules say so, and add that loose gravel is not permitted. A resin bound surface locks the gravel in resin while still letting water through, so it meets both halves of the rule. If you have a gravel drive now and want a kerb, resin over a proper base is one of the straightforward ways to qualify.
Who builds the kerb in Nottingham?
The council’s two pages disagree. Its dropped kerb page says the City Council does not install dropped kerbs, and that you appoint a suitably qualified contractor under the £170 licence. Its vehicle access page offers a council construction service, with a quote within 14 days, works up to three months after payment and a 1 to 2 day build. Alex arranges the Nottingham kerb through the council or an accredited contractor, whichever the council confirms for your street, and we check that at survey.
Is a cheap kerb offer at the door a warning sign?
In Nottingham, yes. In February 2025 the City Council warned about rogue traders offering “incredibly cheap prices, but only if you agree and pay on the spot”. It also said it “does not approve individual contractors”, so anyone claiming council approval “is not being honest”. An unauthorised kerb can be removed at the owner’s expense, which turns a cheap deal into a costly one.
What about Mansfield and the rest of Nottinghamshire?
Outside the city boundary, every new or improved dropped kerb needs the consent of Nottinghamshire County Council. You can hire any contractor who meets its requirements, but the contractor has to apply to the county for a permit to do the work. So a Mansfield drive follows county rules, not the city’s loose gravel wording, though resin bound is still the sensible choice.
Will a Nottingham resin drive need planning permission?
For a house, usually not: GOV.UK’s guidance clears a permeable drive of any size, and Nottingham’s own surface rule already points you that way. Flats, listed buildings and classified roads are the usual exceptions; our planning guide explains them.
Sources
- Nottingham City Council, apply for a dropped kerb, read Oct 2026
- Nottingham City Council, creating a vehicle access for your property, read Oct 2026
- Transport Nottingham, council warning over rogue traders, 3 Feb 2025
- Ashfield District Council, dropped kerbs (Nottinghamshire County Council consent), read Oct 2026
- GOV.UK, permeable surfacing of front gardens, updated Feb 2026
- MacColl & Stokes, resin driveway cost UK 2026, Oct 2026
How it works
- 01Send photos of the driveRough size, what is there now and your postcode.
- 02We visitThe ground under the drive, the levels and where the water goes are checked.
- 03Written priceThe base, edging and drainage as their own lines.
Can resin go straight over my Nottingham gravel?
No. Resin cannot simply be poured over loose gravel; the gravel has to come up and a compacted sub-base go down first. That puts a Nottingham gravel conversion nearer the dig-out price of about £120 per m² or more than the £60 to £100 per m² overlay price. A sound tarmac or concrete drive is different, as resin over concrete explains.
What should a Nottingham quote include?
For a Nottingham drive, look for the sub-base, edging and drainage as separate lines, the UV-stable resin and its maker’s system, the name of whoever gives the written guarantee, and the kerb licence with the contractor’s accreditation. The resin driveway cost page explains each line, and dropped kerb cost covers the crossing.
Who runs a Nottingham job?
The Resin Drive Company is a WeDo Property Services service. We arrange a vetted local resin driveway installer for Nottingham jobs. We confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you if we can’t. Alex Winser stays your single contact from the first call to handover, and the written quote names who does the work before anything is booked.