Last updated October 2026
We lay and resurface tarmac and macadam for schools, academies, councils, clubs, holiday parks and commercial sites across the UK: playgrounds, MUGAs, courts and car parks. Three real quotes to resurface a 713 m2 porous macadam MUGA came in at £24,000 to £26,400, about £36 per m2 before VAT, and lining 37 car park bays at £625 to £1,270. Send a plan and photos for a survey and quote, timed for a holiday if needed.
How much does tarmac playground resurfacing cost?
On real quotes, about £36 per m2 before VAT to resurface a large macadam games area, rising on small or broken areas that need dig-out. Homeowner price guides put new driveway-grade tarmac at £45 to £80 per m2, which is a useful ceiling check for small yards.
| Job | Figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Resurface 713 m2 MUGA, 35 mm porous multisport macadam | £24,000 to £26,400 (three quotes; about £36 per m2) | Wickham Parish Council pack, Feb 2025 |
| Build a new 782 m2 macadam MUGA with fencing and sports lighting | £190,000 | Sport England benchmark, Q4 2025 |
| Resurface a multi-use court, porous macadam with acrylic paint | £17,000 to £20,000 | Great Longstone Parish Council estimate, Nov 2024 |
| The same with a cushioned overlay | £37,000 to £47,000 | Great Longstone Parish Council estimate, Nov 2024 |
| New tarmac, driveway grade | £45 to £80 per m2 (VAT not stated) | MyBuilder, Aug 2026 |
| Tarmac overlay on an existing driveway | £50 to £70 per m2 (VAT not stated) | MyJobQuote, Aug 2026 |
| Car park lining, about 37 bays | £625 to £1,270 | Wickham Parish Council pack, Feb 2025 |
The parish council quotes are the best guide for schools and councils, because they are real, dated and for the same kind of area. Driveway figures are for small domestic jobs and are shown only as a cross-check.
Porous or dense macadam for playgrounds and courts?
Porous macadam for courts and games areas, so rain drains through and play resumes quickly; dense macadam for car parks, roads and service yards, where it is laid to falls with gullies to take the water away. The Wickham MUGA quotes were for a 35 mm porous multisport surface, and the LTA prices tennis courts in porous asphalt at about £150,000 for a set of four.
Porous asphalt is also one of the permeable surfaces the government’s front garden guidance names, which matters if a homeowner is surfacing a front drive or court near the road.
How it works
- 01Send a plan and photosThe site, the surface and the date it must reopen.
- 02We check the groundLevels and where the water drains.
- 03Written quoteBuilt around your reopening date.
What does car park surfacing cost for schools and commercial sites?
Car park resurfacing is priced per m2 after a survey of the base, with lining as a separate line: one parish council was quoted £625 to £1,270 to line about 37 bays. The surface price depends mostly on whether the existing base is sound enough to overlay or has to be dug out.
For academies and schools applying to the Condition Improvement Fund, note that the 2026 to 2027 guidance gives resurfacing car parks as its example of low-priority “other works”, so a car park bid is unlikely to score well on its own. Developers and commercial sites can find wider scheme pricing under developers and commercial sites.
Can tarmac be overlaid with wetpour or acrylic later?
Yes, both are common on a sound tarmac or macadam base. Redlynch Leisure states wetpour can be laid on existing tarmac, which turns part of a yard into a play area without digging out; see wetpour. Courts are often finished with acrylic paint on porous macadam, as in the £17,000 to £20,000 Great Longstone estimate, or upgraded with a cushioned overlay for nearer double.
New tarmac is also the base for school playground markings and tennis court marking. Primary schools can fund repainting existing playground lines from the PE and sport premium, which the government guidance gives as an example of maintenance it can pay for.
How long does a tarmac playground last?
Expect around 15 to 30 years on a well-built base with light use, going by homeowner guides (MyBuilder says 15 to 20 years or more, MyJobQuote 20 to 30). Playgrounds and car parks take heavier wear, so cracks, potholes and standing water show sooner where the base is weak or drainage is blocked.
Resurfacing over a sound base is far cheaper than rebuilding, which is why the survey looks at the base first. On a MUGA, resurfacing at about £36 per m2 compares with Sport England’s £190,000 for a new fenced and floodlit build; our MUGA pitch page covers the full build.
What’s included
- Survey of the base, levels, drainage and access
- A quote naming porous or dense macadam, the layer depths and the area
- Planing or dig-out and disposal where quoted
- Sub-base and base course repairs as quoted
- Laying and rolling the wearing course
- Lining, kerbs and gullies where quoted
What’s not included
- VAT, shown separately
- Traffic management or closures on public roads, unless listed
- New drainage connections beyond the site, unless listed
- Fencing, goals or floodlights on courts, unless listed
Illustrative example
From the table alone, not a real job: a parish council has a 700 m2 macadam games area with a worn surface but a sound base. At about £36 per m2 from the Wickham quotes, resurfacing comes to roughly £25,200 before VAT, with relining extra. If the base had failed and a full rebuild were needed, Sport England’s £190,000 for a fenced, floodlit MUGA of similar size is the better guide.
Who does the work
The surfacing teams plane, lay and roll the surface and mark it out. Alex Winser is your single contact on the ground, arranging the survey once we have your enquiry and checking the result with you.
Often needed alongside
Most tarmac jobs finish with lines: markings for games, courts and parking. Every surface we lay is listed on the surfaces page.
FAQs
What is the difference between tarmac and macadam?
In everyday use the names are interchangeable for bitumen-bound stone surfaces; what matters on a quote is porous or dense and the layer depths.
Can you resurface during term time?
Yes, in phases with areas fenced off, but holidays are easier for schools.
Can potholes be patched instead?
Yes, small failures can be cut out and patched; the survey says whether patching or resurfacing is better value.
Does new tarmac need time before use?
It needs to cool and set before heavy use; the quote gives the time for your area.
Do you line car parks and courts?
Yes, lining is priced as a separate line on the same quote.
Do tarmac and macadam prices include VAT?
The council quotes exclude VAT; the driveway guides do not say, so every quote shows VAT separately.
Sources
- Wickham Parish Council, Recreation Committee document pack, 27 Feb 2025
- Sport England, Facility Cost Guidance Q4 2025, published Feb 2026
- Great Longstone Parish Council, Proposal to resurface the tennis court, Nov 2024
- LTA, How much does it cost to build or renovate a tennis court, read Oct 2026
- MyBuilder, Tarmac driveway cost, Aug 2026
- MyJobQuote, Tarmac driveway cost, Aug 2026
- DfE, Condition improvement fund 2026 to 2027: information for applicants, 2025
- DfE, PE and sport premium guidance for primary schools, updated 24 Sept 2026
- gov.uk, Guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens, updated Feb 2026
- Redlynch Leisure, Wet pour rubber, Sept 2026