What the Price Does Not Include: Planning the Full Budget
Our guide rate of approximately €15/m² + IVA covers the refresh itself and nothing else. Outside it sit IVA, any municipal paperwork and fees, work on a moving base, new paving, parking lines, indoor floors and structural advice; knowing these in advance is how you avoid a budget surprise.
Send us a photo and the m²Why publish what is not included?
Because a guide price is only useful if you know its edges. A rate that quietly leaves things out looks cheaper than it is, and the difference turns up later as a surprise.
The inclusions are covered in our guide to what the €15/m² includes. This guide looks at everything around it, so you can build a realistic total budget for the property.
Is IVA part of the €15/m²?
No. IVA is added as a separate line, at 21% as the general rate or 10% where the conditions for renovation of dwellings are met. On a 70 m² driveway at €1,050, that is €220.50 or €105 of tax respectively.
Whether the reduced rate covers driveways, garages and patios has not been verified, so check with your adviser. Our IVA guide has the sources.
Do I need to budget for municipal permission?
Possibly. In Andalucía, the LISTA (Ley 7/2021) distinguishes works that need a licence from those that can proceed with a declaración responsable; minor, technically simple works that need no project fall into the second group, according to a municipal form quoting article 138.1.a (the full official text is to be verified).
In Málaga city, the Ordenanza Fiscal nº 15 lists, under item A.2.12, exterior works in gardens, pools and common areas that only repair or coat slabs, with a fee of €50. The urban planning office notes that protected areas may require a licence instead.
What if the ground under the driveway is moving?
Then the refresh has to wait. Painting does not cure subsidence, and cracks caused by a sinking or shifting base will reopen through any new coating.
Investigating and fixing the base is work for a structural or groundworks specialist, and we do not carry out structural assessment or design. Once the base is sound, the crack repair cost page explains how the surface is priced.
What about broken sections or new paving?
Sections that are broken right through, slabs that have lifted and paving blocks that are loose or sunk need to be broken out or relaid. We do not lay new concrete, imprinted concrete or paving.
If only a small part of a driveway needs this, it can often be done first by a paving contractor, after which we refresh the whole area so the colour is consistent. The two jobs are quoted separately.
Which services do you not provide at all?
We work on existing outdoor surfaces only. Several related jobs are outside our service entirely, and we say so rather than quote for them.
- Painting parking lines, bay numbers or road markings.
- Coating indoor floors.
- Coating industrial warehouse floors.
- Building new surfaces of any kind.
- Structural assessment, engineering design or reports.
Communities in particular should note the first point: if the garage needs new bay lines after the refresh, that is a separate contractor. Our communal garage quote page explains how to budget for it.
Are there rules on wash water and paint residues?
Yes, in Málaga city at least. Article 17 of the municipal sewer regulation prohibits discharging the substances in its Annex 1, which include water-immiscible organic solvents and paints, pigments and dyes that cannot be removed by normal treatment.
For Marbella we have not found the local rules (to be verified). On waste more generally, Real Decreto 105/2008 regulates the production and management of construction and demolition waste; a refresh produces no rubble, which is one reason it avoids the cost of a skip.
How do I build a complete budget for the property?
Start with the refresh, then add the items around it that apply to you. A simple list keeps everything in one place and makes it easy to share with co-owners or an administrator.
| Item | Who prices it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh: area × €15 | Us | Cleaning, crack filling, cut-in, two coats |
| IVA | Us, on the quote | 21% or 10% depending on conditions |
| Municipal fee | Ayuntamiento | Where required; €50 in Málaga city for this item |
| Base or paving repairs | Another contractor | Only if the base is moving or sections are broken |
| Line marking | Another contractor | Communal garages and car parks only |
If your surface is sound and your town needs no paperwork, only the first two lines apply. The others appear when the photos or the local rules call for them.
What ongoing costs should I expect afterwards?
Routine cleaning and, at some point, a further coat. How often depends on traffic, sun and the product; the product data sheet is the reference for maintenance and recoating, not a figure we invent.
If you are weighing up these future costs against replacing the surface, our article on recolouring versus replacing compares the two over the life of the driveway. For the base figure, see the driveway painting cost page.
Frequently asked questions
Is IVA included in the €15 per m²?
No. IVA is added as a separate line, at 21% or, where the legal conditions for renovation of dwellings are met, 10%. On a 70 m² driveway at €1,050 before tax, IVA is €220.50 at 21% or €105 at 10%. The quote states the rate applied.
Do I need a permit to paint my driveway?
It depends on the town and the zone. In Málaga city, repairing or coating exterior slabs in gardens, pools and common areas is a minor work under a declaración responsable, with a €50 fee, though protected zones may need a licence. For other towns, check with the ayuntamiento.
Who pays the municipal fee?
Fees for a declaración responsable or a licence belong to the property owner or community and are not part of our guide rate. In Málaga city the fee for this type of minor work is listed as €50; other municipalities have not been verified.
What if my driveway is sinking?
A sinking or moving base has to be fixed before any refresh, because cracks will reopen through new paint. That work needs a groundworks or structural specialist; we do not carry out structural assessment, design or ground works. Once the base is sound, we can quote the refresh.
Do you replace broken slabs or loose paving blocks?
No. Broken-through sections and loose or sunken blocks need to be relaid by a paving contractor. Once that is done, we can clean, repair and recolour the whole area so the finish is consistent. The two jobs are quoted separately.
Are parking lines included for a communal garage?
No. We do not paint parking lines, bay numbers or road markings at all. Communities that need lines after the refresh should budget for a separate line-marking contractor and plan the timing around the product data sheet for the new coating.
Is there a skip or waste charge?
A refresh produces no rubble, because nothing is broken out. That is one of the reasons it costs far less than replacing a driveway. Construction and demolition waste is regulated by Real Decreto 105/2008, which becomes relevant when a surface is broken out and replaced.
Can wash water go down the drain?
Not if it carries paint or solvent. Málaga city's sewer rules ban sending water-immiscible solvents, and paints or pigments that ordinary treatment cannot remove, into the network. We have not verified the equivalent rules for Marbella or other towns, so ask your ayuntamiento if you have a specific concern about your property.
Will I need to pay for maintenance later?
Yes, every outdoor surface needs routine cleaning, and coated surfaces eventually need recoating. How often depends on traffic, sun and the product, and the product data sheet is the reference. We do not publish a lifespan figure we cannot support.
Do you provide a structural report?
No. We do not carry out structural assessment, engineering design or reports. If your photos show signs of structural movement, we tell you and suggest consulting a qualified professional before any cosmetic work is considered. That way you do not pay for a refresh on a surface that is about to move again.
Related services
Sources
- Gerencia Municipal de Urbanismo de Málaga – Annex I.1, works subject to licence or declaración responsable
- Ayuntamiento de Málaga – Ordenanza Fiscal nº 15, urban planning fees
- Ayuntamiento de Málaga – Reglamento del Servicio de Saneamiento
- Ley 7/2021 (LISTA) – summary and publication data
- Real Decreto 105/2008 on construction and demolition waste