Driveway Installers in Lincolnshire
Driveway Installation Lincoln, Gainsborough, Scunthorpe and Sleaford
A driveway is built from the ground up. The surface is the last thing to go down, and how long it lasts is decided by the excavation, the sub-base and the drainage underneath it. Reshape Landscaping Ltd is Lincoln based and installs resin-bound, block paving, tarmac and gravel driveways across Lincoln, Gainsborough, Scunthorpe and Sleaford, and throughout Lincolnshire.
We manage the whole job, from the site visit and groundwork through to the finished surface, edging and gates. Levels, drainage and EV cable routing are settled before the first dig, so the driveway drains within the property and the cable for a charger is in the ground before the surface goes down. We are approved installers for Talasey Landscaping Solutions and winners of the Prestige Awards 2026 Landscaper of the Year for Lincolnshire.
We install driveways across Lincolnshire, including resin-bound driveways and block paving in Lincolnshire. The same teams build driveways in Scunthorpe, Sleaford and Gainsborough as they do in Lincoln. The existing surface comes out first, because a new driveway laid over an old one fails early.
Resin-Bound Driveways
Resin-bound is a mix of dried aggregate and clear resin, trowelled by hand onto a solid base to give a smooth, seamless surface with no loose stone. It is fully permeable, so rainwater drains through the surface into the base below and the driveway meets the SuDS rules without a separate drain. The aggregate comes in a wide range of colours and blends, from natural stone tones to darker contemporary mixes, and finished resin surfaces are slip resistant.
The base matters more than the resin. We lay resin-bound onto a new permeable base or onto sound existing tarmac or concrete, never onto a cracked or moving surface, because the resin will follow any movement underneath it. Edges are finished with a block or steel edge so the surface has something to lock against. Resin-bound also suits paths and patios, so the driveway and the garden can be laid in one surface.
Block Paving Driveways
Block paving is laid as individual concrete, clay or natural stone blocks on a bed of sharp sand over a compacted sub-base, with every edge held by a concrete haunched kerb or edging block. The blocks lock together once the sand is vibrated into the joints, giving a surface that carries regular vehicle use and can be lifted and relaid if a service ever needs reaching underneath.
Patterns, colours and block sizes give a wide choice of finish, from a herringbone in a traditional brick colour to large-format blocks in grey or charcoal. Permeable block paving is laid on an open-graded base with wider joints, so it drains through the surface like resin-bound. Standard block paving is drained to a channel or a soakaway within the property. Our block paving in Lincoln page covers the driveways we lay in the city.
Tarmac and Gravel Driveways
Tarmac is laid hot in two courses, a base course and a wearing course, over a compacted stone sub-base, and rolled to a dense, even finish. It suits long drives and larger areas where the cost of block or resin adds up, and it takes a block paved edge or apron where a sharper finish is wanted at the house.
Gravel is the simplest surface and the most permeable, laid over a compacted base with a geotextile membrane and a solid edge to keep the stone in place. A gravel stabilisation grid keeps the surface firm under tyres and stops the stone migrating. Both tarmac and gravel are built on the same groundwork as every other driveway we lay.
Groundwork and Sub-Base
Every driveway we build starts with excavation to the depth the ground needs, which on Lincolnshire clay is deeper than on free-draining ground. A geotextile membrane goes down to keep the sub-base separate from the soil, then MOT Type 1 or an open-graded stone for permeable surfaces, laid in layers and compacted with a plate or roller. Edges and kerbs are set in concrete before the surface goes down, so nothing moves outward under the weight of a vehicle.
The depth of the sub-base is set by what will use the driveway. A family car and a van or motorhome need different depths, and we ask at the site visit. If a contractor cannot tell you the sub-base depth they are pricing, ask what they are leaving out and why.
Drainage and the Five Square Metre Rule
In England, a new or replacement driveway at the front of a house larger than five square metres needs planning permission if it is laid in a surface that does not let water through and the water runs onto the road. It does not need permission if the surface is permeable, such as resin-bound, permeable block paving or gravel, or if the rainwater drains to a lawn, border or soakaway within the property.
We design the drainage into every driveway so it meets this rule without a planning application. On a permeable surface the base does the work. On standard block paving or tarmac we lay the falls towards a linear channel drain at the garage or the house, or towards a soakaway, and never towards the pavement. Where the driveway meets the house, the surface finishes at least 150mm below the damp-proof course.
EV Charger Cable Routing
If a charger is going on the house, the cable route is planned in with the driveway. Ducting goes in the ground before the sub-base is compacted, so the cable can be pulled through later without lifting the surface. This is a small job at the groundwork stage and a large one afterwards.
Driveway Gates and Repairs
We fit timber and composite driveway gates, hung on concrete or steel posts set at the groundwork stage so the gate and the surface line up. We also carry out driveway repairs, from relaying sunken block paving and replacing broken kerbs to patching tarmac, where the base underneath is sound.
Driveways Across Lincolnshire
We install driveways in Lincoln, Gainsborough, Scunthorpe and Sleaford, and throughout Lincolnshire. Each town has its own driveway page, and the Lincoln page covers block paving and resin driveways in the city in more detail. Every project starts with a consultation and a site visit, and we then send a written quote setting out each stage of the work, from excavation to the finished surface.
Get A Driveway Quote In Lincolnshire
We are Lincoln based driveway installers and winners of the Prestige Awards 2026 Landscaper of the Year for Lincolnshire. We install resin-bound and block paved driveways in Lincoln, Gainsborough, Scunthorpe and Sleaford, and throughout Lincolnshire. We also fit driveway gates and carry out driveway repairs.
Every project starts with a consultation and a site visit, and we then send a written quote setting out each stage of the work. Fill in the form with your address and a few details of the driveway so we can come back to you, or use our contact page to get in touch.
We reply to every enquiry within 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?
Not usually. A front driveway over five square metres needs permission only if it is laid in a surface that does not let water through and the rainwater runs onto the road. Permeable surfaces, or drainage to a soakaway or lawn within the property, do not need it, and every driveway we build is drained within the property.
What affects the cost of a driveway?
The surface, the size, the depth of excavation and sub-base the ground needs, the drainage, the edging and any gates or EV ducting. Gravel is usually the lowest cost and resin-bound and block paving the highest, because of the materials and the preparation. We are approved installers for Talasey Landscaping Solutions, who supply much of what we lay. Our landscaping cost guide sets out what affects the cost of each service.
Which driveway surface lasts longest?
Resin-bound, block paving and tarmac all perform well in Lincolnshire conditions when they are built on a correct sub-base. Drainage, sub-base depth and ground preparation matter more than the surface material itself.
What driveway options do you install?
Block paving, resin-bound, tarmac, gravel and permeable surfaces, with block paved edges, channel drains, driveway gates and EV cable ducting as part of the same job.
How deep should the sub-base be?
It depends on the ground and on what will use the driveway. A car driveway on firm ground needs less than a driveway for a van or motorhome on clay. We set the depth at the site visit and it is written into the quote.
Resin-bound or block paving?
Both perform well when installed correctly. Resin-bound is fully permeable with a smooth, low-maintenance finish. Block paving carries heavier use and can be lifted and relaid if a service underneath ever needs reaching.
Do you install driveways outside Lincoln?
Yes. We install driveways in Lincoln, Gainsborough, Scunthorpe and Sleaford, and throughout Lincolnshire.