Two products share the name. Resin bound mixes the stone through the resin and trowels it on. On an open base, water goes through. Resin bonded is a glue coat with stone scattered on top. Water mostly runs off. Get the contractor to write down which one they are pricing. The base matters more than the finish. Installers commonly talk about 150 to 225 mm of open-graded stone under resin bound, often called Type 3. A sealed Type 1 base under a permeable surface defeats the point. Ask what depth goes down on your ground. Ask about the fall too. A permeable bay sitting in a hollow will still hold water. On the coast at Strandhill and Rosses Point, salt and wind are hard on edging. Ask what the edge restraint is made of. Cheap metal rusts. Price. Published 2026 Irish installer guides give a wide range per square metre, mostly depending on whether digging out is included. None of it is a Sligo quote. Access, the old surface and the ground decide yours. Planning. Permeable surfaces, or ones that drain to the garden, are often exempt. Large areas, protected structures and run-off onto the road can change that. Sligo County Council can confirm for your house.
The contractor should name bound or bonded, the base depth and type, and the fall, in writing.
Rough length and width, where water sits after rain, and whether you are near the sea.
Atlantic rain and coastal salt make Sligo a good case for a properly built permeable drive, not a thin decorative coat.