Car park line marking: bay sizes, paint or thermoplastic, and costs
A common UK parking bay is 2.4 m by 4.8 m. Accessible bays add a hatched access zone, typically 1.2 m along the side and rear, following BS 8300-1 guidance. New-layout bay marking costs about £45–£120 per bay excluding VAT.
Bay sizes
Standard bays are commonly 2.4 m wide and 4.8 m long, with wider aisles where cars reverse out. Accessible bays and parent-and-child bays need extra space for doors and wheelchairs; your designer or BS 8300-1 guidance sets the details.
Paint or thermoplastic?
Thermoplastic is laid hot and lasts longer under traffic. Paint is cheaper for lightly used car parks or temporary layouts.
Costs
As a 2026 guide, about £45–£120 per bay on a new layout and £2–£10 per metre for lines, excluding VAT. Small jobs often have a minimum charge of around £500.
Speed humps
Asphalt speed humps with chevron markings typically cost about £800–£3,000 each excluding VAT, depending on width and profile.
Questions
How long does line marking last?
Paint a few years; thermoplastic often several years longer, depending on traffic.
Can you re-line our existing layout?
Yes, or redesign it to fit more bays or add accessible spaces.
Related services
Line marking and speed humps
Bay lines, hatching, arrows and accessible bays, plus asphalt speed humps for car parks and private roads.
FROM £40–£120 PER BAY EX VATLearn more →
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Overlay or plane-and-inlay to renew a worn car park surface without rebuilding the base.
FROM £20–£35 PER M² EX VATLearn more →
Car park surfacing
New small car parks built properly: deeper sub-base, dense binder and surface course, kerbs, drainage and lining.
FROM £50–£85 PER M² EX VATLearn more →Get a written tarmac quote
Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.
- Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
- Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
- Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
- Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED