What does a drop kerb cost?

What a drop kerb is

A drop kerb, or dropped kerb, is a lowered section of kerb with a strengthened pavement or verge behind it, so a car can cross from the road onto your drive. Councils often call it a vehicle crossing. The pavement and kerb belong to the highway, not to you, which is why the council controls who can build one and how.

Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach are all in Cheshire East, so this guide uses Cheshire East Council's rules as its example. QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, and anyone in the UK can post a job. If you live elsewhere, your own council's rules and fees apply, and the steps are often similar.

Two separate costs

A drop kerb usually means paying for two different things.

The council application. Cheshire East Council lists a non-refundable application fee of £170 ^[S1]. The fee pays for the council to look at your application. It does not pay for the building work, and you do not get it back if the application is refused.

The construction. Cheshire East Council says you must own the property and the work will be done at your own expense ^[S1]. The work is done by a contractor the council has given permission to, and the contractor prices it separately. The Federation of Master Builders driveway guide of 21 May 2026 says this process can cost from £2,300, depending on the council and whether street furniture has to be moved ^[S6]. That is not the £170 application fee, and it is not a figure Cheshire East Council prints ^[S1]. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.

On top of those, you may need to pay for planning permission, moving street furniture, and the driveway on your side of the boundary.

What changes the cost of a drop kerb

A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 ^[S5]. Ask whether each contractor's total includes VAT.

The application step by step

Cheshire East Council's page sets out the process ^[S1]. In outline:

1. Check planning. The council says planning consent is needed for some sites, such as those on A, B or C class roads, or where the property is listed or in a conservation area ^[S1]. If you need it, include it with your application.
2. Prepare the application. The council asks for a plan of the site, permission from the property owner if applicable, any planning consent, and the application fee ^[S1].
3. Wait for a decision. The council says the highways team will tell you whether your application is approved, approved subject to modifications, or rejected ^[S1].
4. Appoint a contractor. If it is approved, you send the council your contractor's details with the reference number from the approval letter ^[S1].
5. Contractor gets permission. The council says it needs the contractor's qualifications and insurance before giving them permission, and the contractor must make a Section 171 application to book road space and carry out the excavation before any works begin ^[S1].

Do not let anyone start digging the pavement before all of that is in place.

Choosing a contractor

Because the work is on the public highway, not every driveway firm can do it. Ask each contractor:

• whether they have built crossings for your council before
• whether they hold the qualifications and insurance the council asks for
• whether their quote includes making the Section 171 application
• whether it includes signs, barriers or traffic management
• what happens if they find a cable, pipe or cover in the way
• how long the crossing will take and when your drive will be usable

Cutting kerbs and paving makes a lot of dust. HSE says cutting paving blocks, kerbs and flags with a cut-off saw can produce very high levels of silica-containing dust, and that the risk should be controlled with water suppression or on-tool extraction ^[S3]. A contractor used to highway work should plan for this.

The driveway behind the kerb

A drop kerb only lets you cross the pavement. You also need somewhere to park, and the surface on your side of the boundary has its own rules.

The Planning Portal says a new or replacement driveway of any size made from permeable materials, or one that directs rainwater to a lawn or border, does not need planning permission ^[S2]. It says planning permission is needed if more than five square metres of a front garden is covered in a traditional, impermeable surface that does not drain to a permeable area ^[S2]. It also notes that a dropped kerb may need planning permission ^[S2].

If the drive and the crossing are being done together, ask whether one contractor will do both, and get a quote that separates the highway work from the driveway.

Widening or moving a crossing

If you already have a dropped kerb but want it wider, or in a different place, treat it as a new application. Lowering more kerbs is still work on the highway, so the same permission and application steps apply. If an old crossing is no longer needed, ask the council whether the kerb should be raised again and who would pay for it. A contractor quoting for a wider crossing should say how many extra kerbs are involved and whether any of the existing ones need relaying.

Dropped kerbs in Cheshire

If you live in Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach or elsewhere in Cheshire East, start with Cheshire East Council's dropped kerb page. If you live in the Cheshire West and Chester area, use that council's own dropped kerb page instead. In both cases, apply before you book any work.

When you post the job on QuoteZila, say whether your application has been approved, attach the approval letter if you have one, and include photos of the pavement and kerb outside. Contractors can then quote for the work the council has approved. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business on QuoteZila.

What to have ready before you ask for quotes

• your council's approval letter and reference number, if you have them
• photos of the pavement, kerb and verge outside your property
• the width of crossing approved, or the width you are applying for
• anything in the way, such as a lamp post, tree or cover
• whether you also need a new driveway, and what surface
• your postcode and when the work could be done

How to compare drop kerb quotes

Check each quote for:

1. The number of kerbs to be lowered and the width of the crossing.
2. The construction of the footway or verge behind the kerb.
3. The Section 171 application and any traffic management.
4. Any street furniture or covers that need adjusting.
5. Whether the driveway is included or priced separately.
6. Waste removal.
7. Whether VAT is included, and whether the price is fixed.

Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three different traders before choosing ^[S4]. It also says a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is a rough guess ^[S4]. Ask which one each contractor has given you.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Council has approved a dropped kerb outside our house, three kerbs wide. Please quote to build the crossing, including the Section 171 application." Or: "Need a dropped kerb and a new permeable block paved drive. Application not made yet. Can you help with the drawing?" Or: "Widen an existing dropped kerb by one kerb. Approval letter attached."

Get quotes for a drop kerb

Describe the crossing, where it is and whether the council has approved it, with photos and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply ^[QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses ^[QZ1].

Posting a job is not open yet

See driveways and paving, the driveway cost guide and builders. For a patio at the back, see what changes the cost of a patio.

Official and public sources

QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.

• Applying in Cheshire East: Cheshire East Council: dropped kerb, vehicular crossing ^[S1].
• Driveways and planning: Planning Portal: paving your front garden ^[S2].
• Dust from cutting kerbs: HSE: cutting paving blocks, kerbs and flags ^[S3].
• Quotes: Citizens Advice ^[S4].
• VAT: GOV.UK on when to register ^[S5].

Questions about drop kerb costs

Related guides

• Driveways and paving: drives, crossings and paving
• Driveway cost: what changes the cost of a driveway
• Builders: walls, gates and groundwork
• All cost guides

Part of Cost guides. All services

Related trades

• Driveway and paving specialists
• Builders
• Landscapers

Cost guides

• Driveway cost

Related pages

• Gravel Driveway Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. Gravel driveways are listed from £20 per square metre in the Federation of Master Builders guide of 21 May 2026. QuoteZila does not set prices.
• Imprint Driveway Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. An imprint driveway is a patterned concrete finish, not a category in the front-garden guidance. Ask if it is permeable and where the rainwater goes.

Sources

1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ "How does getting quotes work?".
3. S1: Dropped kerb: vehicular crossing, Cheshire East Council (gov.uk). Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/highways_and_roads/highways-licences-and-permits/dropped-kerb.aspx
4. S2: Planning permission: Paving your front garden, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/paving-your-front-garden/planning-permission/
5. S3: Construction dust: Cutting paving blocks, kerbs and flags, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/cutting-paving-blocks-kerbs-and-flags.htm
6. S4: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
7. S5: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
8. S6: Costs for a new driveway in the UK, Federation of Master Builders. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/costs-for-a-new-driveway-in-the-uk-what-should-homeowners-budget-for.html