Resin driveway cost per m²: use your figures without hiding the scope

Measure the priced area, not the number of parking spaces

For a rectangle, multiply length in metres by width in metres to obtain square metres. For several non-overlapping rectangles, calculate each separately and add their areas. Curves, tapering boundaries, steps and irregular shapes need a suitable measurement method and confirmation by the person pricing the work. A single-car or two-car label is not an agreed measurement and should not substitute for a marked plan.

Keep the proposed resin area separate from other quantities. Edging may be measured in linear metres, while access-cover changes, drainage and excavation may use different units or lump sums. Identify planting areas, paths and entrance strips that are excluded. When two contractors measure differently, ask them to reconcile their boundaries before trying to compare their square-metre figures.

Give every entered rate a written meaning

Record where your rate came from, when it was supplied and whether it covers a finish over an assessed existing base or a wider construction package. Materials-only figures cannot be compared directly with installed prices. Likewise, an overlay rate cannot be treated as a rebuild rate merely because both are expressed in pounds per square metre. Store the relevant scope description beside the number.

The supplied competitor research found different base scenarios and unclear tax treatment in some published guides. That is why this worksheet does not blend those figures into an alleged average. If you use an amount purely to explore a budget, label it your assumption rather than a quotation. A calculated result is no more reliable than the measurement, rate and inclusions you entered.

• Area-priced amount = confirmed area × your entered rate.
• Worksheet total = area-priced amount + your separate extras.
• Effective whole-project rate = comparable project total ÷ confirmed area.
• Keep tax basis, exclusions and provisional allowances beside every result.

Add extras once, and do not quietly add VAT

Use a separate line for each extra that is not already in the area rate. Possible headings include preparation, disposal, borders, drainage and access-cover adjustments, but the actual items must come from your project documents. If the quote already includes an item, adding it again inflates the result. If its cost is unknown, write unknown rather than entering zero to make the worksheet look complete.

Ask whether each amount includes VAT, excludes VAT or comes from a business that says it is not VAT registered. Mixed tax bases cannot produce a meaningful comparison without clarification. The homepage worksheet records the basis you select but does not add tax or determine the correct treatment. Request a written total payable from the quoting business instead of assuming that a calculator has settled the question.

Use the result to find missing information

A whole-project effective rate can help organise like-for-like quotes, but it should not conceal their differences. A higher total divided by the same area may include work omitted elsewhere. Keep the original line items and separate confirmed fixed sums from provisional allowances. Do not remove inconvenient costs simply to make one rate resemble another.

Before relying on the worksheet, check units, decimal entries, area boundaries and whether extras are duplicated. Retain unrounded measurements during calculation and round the displayed money consistently. Take the completed sheet to the contractor for confirmation of quantities and scope. It is a transparent arithmetic record, not a site survey, supplier offer, affordability assessment or prediction of the final installation bill.