Asphalt Binder Course - 50mm – cost per m² – UK 2026 Rate Guide

Budget rate for supply & lay · typical budget rate before your adjustments

Asphalt Binder Course - 50mm

per m² · supply & lay

£22 – £72 / m²

What is it

A 50mm compacted asphalt binder course delivered, machine-laid and rolled over a prepared pavement substrate.

Rate guide

Standard AC 20 dense binder, machine-laid, 500–1,500m²£26 – £35/m²

Large continuous area, over 2,000m²£22 – £30/m²

Small area, 150–500m²£33 – £47/m²

Restricted access or predominantly hand-laid£46 – £72/m²

Polymer-modified or enhanced-specification binder£32 – £44/m²

Labour output

Continuous paving with clear access and assured deliveries1,200–2,000 m²/day

Typical site paving with normal joints and interruptions700–1,200 m²/day

Phased or restricted work around obstructions250–600 m²/day

Broken-up areas requiring substantial hand laying80–200 m²/day

Key rate adjusters

Quantity

Small lots and repeated mobilisation can increase the rate by £6–£15/m² compared with a continuous paving run.

Asphalt pricing

A £10/tonne movement in supplied asphalt cost changes the 50mm course rate by approximately £1.20/m².

Haul distance

Long travel, delivery waiting and temperature-control risk typically add £2–£6/m².

Access and phasing

Restricted paver movements, short bays or out-of-hours working can increase laying costs by 20–50%.

Surface tolerance

Local regulating to an uneven substrate can add £3–£12/m² where average thickness rises or additional passes are required.

Specification

Modified binders, enhanced testing or project-specific approvals commonly add £4–£10/m².

Quantity surveyor insights

Waste and buildability: Allow around 3–5% material waste for normal machine paving, increasing toward 8–10% for narrow strips, irregular edges and numerous joints. Bay widths should suit the paver and roller fleet to minimise cold joints and handwork.
Scope and procurement: Confirm responsibility for surface preparation, tack coat, regulating, ironwork adjustment, traffic management, testing and aborted loads, as these are frequent scope gaps. Secure asphalt plant capacity and agree price validity early, particularly for night work, remote sites or tightly phased programmes.

Estimate Anything AI answer · indicative budget rates · updated 31 August 2026