How much does a dropped kerb cost in the UK?
Dropped kerb costs £2,000 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £1,000 and £5,000 for the crossing. Crossing type: Single vehicle crossing £1,000 to £2,500; Wide or double crossing £1,500 to £3,000; Complex £2,500 to £5,000. Prices reviewed July 2026.
Dropped kerb cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your dropped kerb in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
A dropped kerb lowers the pavement so you can legally drive onto your drive. It has to be built by your council or a contractor it accepts, and the council charges a fee on top of the construction.
Need to know how much material to order? Try the tarmac calculator. To price the whole job, use the tarmac driveway cost calculator or resin driveway cost calculator.
Dropped kerb cost breakdown
Typical dropped kerb costs, by option:
| Crossing type | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Single vehicle crossing | £1,000 to £2,500 |
| Wide or double crossing | £1,500 to £3,000 |
| Complex (utilities or classified road) | £2,500 to £5,000 |
| + Council application and inspection fee | add £100 to £400 |
| + Move a drain, lamp post or utility | add £500 to £2,000 |
The build itself is fairly standard, so the price moves with the width of the crossing, what is under the footway and whether the road is classified or busy. Shown from the road, looking at the kerb. Guide prices, not quotes.
Dropped kerb fees by council
Every council sets its own dropped kerb fee, and some also build the crossing and publish their price. Of the 160 councils below, the fee to apply runs from £25.50 to £660, and 80 of them charge £192.40 or less.
| Council | Fee to apply |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen (Scotland)Not refunded if the application fails. | £92 |
| Aberdeenshire (Scotland)For a new access from an unclassified road without planning consent. | £152.85 |
| Angus (Scotland)To form a new or alter an existing driveway. | £300 |
| Argyll and Bute (Scotland)A road opening permit for a home's vehicle access, 2026/27. | £191 |
| Barking and Dagenham (London) | £222.13 |
| BarnsleyWhere the council builds it. With your own contractor the charge is £285. | £95 |
| Bath and North East SomersetAn administration fee, paid in the online application. | £205.26 |
| BedfordFor a site visit and estimate. The council builds the crossing, currently approximately £1,000. | £177.25 |
| Bexley (London)The council prices the build, from £1,750. Its charges also list a £1,433 traffic management order fee. | £60 |
| BirminghamPlus a £375 administration fee through to completion. Only the council's authorised contractors may do the work. | £125 |
| Blackburn with DarwenAn application assessment fee. | £250 |
| BlackpoolPlus a £115 surveyor's site visit. Where an approved contractor builds it, supervision is £190 for a home. | £115 |
| Blaenau Gwent (Wales)An initial inspection, from the council's 2026/27 fees and charges. | £157.70 |
| BoltonAn inspection fee, deducted from the cost if the council then does the work. | £47 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleCouncil guide price £2,000 for a standard crossing, or use your own street works accredited contractor. | £130 |
| Bracknell Forest£394 if you use your own contractor. Council estimate about £2,200 for a standard 5.6m access, £2,900 for 7.4m. | £200 |
| Bradford£60 is refunded if refused. A standard crossing costs £1,995 plus VAT. The council says new applications are paused for now. | £120 |
| Brent (London)An administration fee for providing each estimate. | £126 |
| Bridgend (Wales)A consideration fee, and a further £81.31 for a new crossing if approved. | £81.31 |
| Brighton and HoveStage 1. If permission is granted, stage 2 is £545.60. | £182.60 |
| BristolA domestic crossover licence. | £357 |
| Bromley (London)Called an administration fee, taken by phone. | £350 |
| BuckinghamshireA vehicular access licence. | £520.38 |
| BuryCalled a non-returnable deposit. | £85 |
| Calderdale | £114 |
| Cambridgeshire£314 is refunded if the application is refused. | £414 |
| Cardiff (Wales)Only the council or its nominated contractor builds them: £1,989.40 to £2,064.40 for a 3m crossing and £2,984.40 to £3,104.40 for 4.8m, by surface. | £263 |
| Carmarthenshire (Wales)For an officer to assess whether an access will be allowed. | £227 |
| Central BedfordshireTo check whether a dropped kerb is possible. The council has paused applications until 11 January 2027. | £156 |
| Ceredigion (Wales) | £355 |
| Cheshire EastYour own contractor, whose qualifications and insurance the council checks. | £170 |
| Cheshire West and ChesterYou arrange the work. | £139 |
| Clackmannanshire (Scotland)Footway crossing consent. | £51.40 |
| Conwy (Wales)Covers administration and inspecting the works. | £500.11 |
| CornwallA standard vehicle crossing. | £438 |
| CoventryUsing the council's contractor, or £200 with an approved external contractor. | £130 |
| Croydon (London)Covers the application and a site inspection, not building the crossing. | £163.60 |
| CumberlandFrom the council's 2026/27 fees and charges. | £354.30 |
| DarlingtonA licence for a single home, built by your own contractor. If the council builds it, a £25 estimate fee is deducted from the final cost. | £150 |
| DerbyTo process the application. | £175 |
| DerbyshireCovers inspection and administration. | £160 |
| DevonA licence your contractor applies for, including a £268 site visit. | £568 |
| Dorset | £390 |
| DudleyA survey fee. A typical crossing is about £2,500, and a licence for your own contractor is £910. | £114.18 |
| Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland)A permit. | £170.25 |
| Dundee (Scotland)Plus a £190 road opening permit before work starts. | £400 |
| Ealing (London)The council puts an average dropped kerb at roughly £1,500 to build. | £75 |
| East Dunbartonshire (Scotland)To process the application. | £79 |
| East Lothian (Scotland)A footway crossing permit for up to 5 days. | £62 |
| East Renfrewshire (Scotland)A road opening permit, charged per week, which the contractor obtains. | £178 |
| East Riding of YorkshireFor the application pack, then £151 for inspections. | £56 |
| Edinburgh (Scotland)Per location, from the council's 2026/27 schedule of charges. | £210 |
| Enfield (London)Free for Blue Badge holders. The council charges £339 per square metre to build. | £301 |
| Falkirk (Scotland)A footway crossing permit. | £195.20 |
| Fife (Scotland)Paid online when you apply. | £112 |
| Flintshire (Wales)Covers administration and site visits. | £200 |
| GatesheadFor the assessment. | £262.80 |
| GloucestershirePaid in two parts, £105 then £205. | £310 |
| Greenwich (London)The council's price for a standard home crossing is £3,034. In a controlled parking zone the traffic order process costs £3,737. | £133 |
| Gwynedd (Wales) | £276 |
| Hackney (London)The council estimates the works at £2,500 to £7,000. | £275 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham (London)Covers processing and supervising the works. A trial hole is £400, deducted from the final cost. | £660 |
| HampshireAn engineer then visits to check the site. | £211.90 |
| Haringey (London)Listed as an engineer inspection. The council puts the average build at £2,700, from £1,550 to £16,000. | £435 |
| Harrow (London)Covers the site visit and safety check. Most installs cost £200 to £250 per square metre. | £148 |
| HartlepoolA permit your contractor needs. The council also builds crossings. | £145 |
| Havering (London)Built by the council or its approved contractors only. | £261 |
| HerefordshireTo apply. If successful, a further £166 is due before building. | £100 |
| HertfordshireCovers an assessment and a plan of the work. The council installs it. | £139 |
| Highland (Scotland)A minor works permit, including inspection. | £187 |
| Hillingdon (London)For residents. | £164 |
| HullA highway licence. Only an approved contractor can apply. | £251 |
| Isle of Anglesey (Wales)For a Section 184 agreement, payable once the council agrees in principle. | £435 |
| Kent£231 refunded if refused. Any qualified contractor can build it, and Kent puts their prices at £1,000 to £2,500. | £500 |
| Kingston upon Thames (London)An inspection fee. The widest crossing allowed, 4 metres, costs about £1,800. | £183.86 |
| KirkleesCovers the survey, licence and final inspection, with your own contractor doing the work. | £191 |
| Lambeth (London)For the highway engineer's inspection. | £396 |
| Lancashire | £290 |
| LeedsFor the site inspection. A standard crossing usually costs around £1,500. | £55.06 |
| LeicesterTo apply. If approved, a second payment of £100. | £50 |
| Leicestershire | £300 |
| LincolnshireFor a council-built crossing, estimated at £2,500 to £3,500. | £300 |
| LiverpoolFor the initial site inspection. | £100 |
| LutonPaid when you apply. | £175 |
| MedwayFor the council to visit, inspect and give an outcome. | £450 |
| Merthyr Tydfil (Wales) | £141.76 |
| Merton (London)From 1 April 2026. | £235.80 |
| MiddlesbroughAn assessment, then £173.40 for the vehicle crossing licence. | £25.50 |
| Midlothian (Scotland)A permit, after the council agrees the kerb can be lowered. | £137 |
| Milton KeynesYour contractor's licence and inspections add £537. | £237 |
| Monmouthshire (Wales) | £168 |
| Neath Port Talbot (Wales)To check it is possible; £93 is refunded if refused. The council builds a standard dropped kerb for £2,292. | £200 |
| Newham (London)A council-approved contractor quotes the build case by case. | £300 |
| Newport (Wales)A licence. The council builds the crossing, likely £1,500 to £2,500. | £100 |
| NorfolkThe council builds it, at about £3,050 on average for a simple home crossing (2026 prices). | £193.92 |
| North Ayrshire (Scotland)A road opening permit for kerb lowering. | £126 |
| North Lanarkshire (Scotland)A road opening permit for the first 7 days, then £119.07 a week. | £309.80 |
| North NorthamptonshireA licence and inspection fee, paid when the licence is applied for. | £333 |
| North Yorkshire | £310.20 |
| NottinghamFor the licence. | £170 |
| NottinghamshireAn assessment fee, plus £80 for consent to use your own contractor. | £52 |
| OldhamOnly the council builds them. | £218 |
| Orkney (Scotland)A minor works permit, from the council's 2026/27 charges. | £233 |
| OxfordshireOn an unclassified road; £400 on a classified road. | £250 |
| Pembrokeshire (Wales)The 2026/27 fee for an individual home. | £197 |
| Perth and Kinross (Scotland)For vehicular access consent. | £371 |
| PlymouthTo apply, then £128 on conditional approval. | £104 |
| PortsmouthAn administration fee including VAT, for processing the form. | £66 |
| Powys (Wales)Authorisation of the access and inspection of the works. | £160 |
| Reading | £156 |
| Redbridge (London)Application and inspection, plus £376 for the legal agreement. | £454 |
| Renfrewshire (Scotland)A crossover permit. | £300 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf (Wales)An admin fee. | £152 |
| Richmond upon Thames (London)An administration charge of £674.50 is included in the build quote, which averages £2,500 to £3,000. | £295 |
| RotherhamA contractor from the council's approved list, or another suitably accredited one. | £140 |
| RutlandApplication and permit fee, up to two homes. | £194 |
| SandwellAn inspection fee. | £250 |
| Scottish Borders (Scotland)For vehicular access consent, from 1 April 2026. | £371 |
| SeftonA fee for the quote, then £149 for administering the work. | £50 |
| SheffieldYou arrange a qualified highway contractor. | £220 |
| Shetland (Scotland)Minor road works consent, including three inspections. | £221.13 |
| ShropshireThe 2026/27 fee for a single home. | £470 |
| Slough | £100 |
| SolihullBuilt at a rate per m², with a minimum charge of £874.35. | £210 |
| SomersetCovers administration and site inspection. | £388.30 |
| South GloucestershireFor the first site visit, then £193.50 for the specification of works and consents. | £96.90 |
| South Lanarkshire (Scotland)A road opening permit for the first week, then £136.20 a week. The council's permission itself is free. | £350.70 |
| SouthamptonIncluding VAT, paid when you apply. | £165 |
| Southwark (London)For the feasibility survey every application starts with. | £276 |
| StaffordshireYour contractor's permit to dig adds £271, or £388 on a classified road. | £138 |
| Stirling (Scotland)A road opening application. | £141 |
| StockportAn assessment fee. The council puts a single-width crossing at £1,500 on average. | £220.48 |
| Suffolk | £450 |
| Surrey | £383 |
| Sutton (London)An inspection fee, the same as Kingston's. A 4m crossing costs on average £1,600. | £183.86 |
| SwindonFor a home. | £203 |
| TamesideA quotation fee. | £70 |
| Telford and WrekinRefunded, less £50, if refused. | £273 |
| ThurrockPaid upfront: £300 is refunded if refused and £150 on satisfactory completion. The council's table is headed 2025/26. Building costs £264 per square metre. | £375 |
| TorbayA licence application. | £192.40 |
| TraffordA deposit for the assessment. | £60.38 |
| Vale of Glamorgan (Wales)For a new crossover. | £280 |
| Wakefield | £171.36 |
| WalsallAn assessment fee. | £170 |
| Wandsworth (London)The council builds a standard two-car access in grey brick for a fixed £2,311. | £299 |
| WarwickshireRetrospective applications cost £261. | £174 |
| West BerkshireTo process the application. | £202 |
| West Dunbartonshire (Scotland)Site inspections and registration, for private contractors. | £72.30 |
| West Lothian (Scotland)Covers two site visits. Your approved contractor's permit is £42.71. | £150 |
| West NorthamptonshireA licence and inspection fee, paid when the licence is applied for. | £330 |
| West SussexAn assessment fee, plus £309 for the construction licence. | £215 |
| Westminster (London)Including VAT. | £142 |
| Westmorland and Furness | £348 |
| WiganAn administration fee added to the build price, which the council works out at £188 times the width; its own example comes to £926. | £80 |
| Wiltshire | £310 |
| WirralFor the estimate and survey. If your own contractor builds it, the council charges £195 to supervise a residential crossing. | £85 |
| WokinghamA processing fee. | £231.30 |
| WolverhamptonAn inspection fee. | £160 |
| Wrexham (Wales) | £210 |
| YorkInvoiced if permission is granted; £63 if refused. | £263 |
From each council's own website, checked October 2026. Fees for one home. Many councils keep the fee if they refuse, and several set new fees each April, so check your own council's page before you apply.
What's included in the price?
Typical dropped kerb prices include:
- Lowering the kerb and rebuilding the footway
- Reinstating the surface to council standard
- Working to the approved specification
- Traffic management where needed
What changes the price?
The things that move dropped kerb prices most:
Width of the crossing
Whether utilities, a drain or a lamp post have to be moved
Whether the road is classified or busy
Council application and inspection fees
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, dropped kerb typically costs around £2,400 for the crossing, about 20% above the UK average of £2,000. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £1,900.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £1,000 | £2,000 | £5,000 |
| London | £1,200 | £2,400 | £6,000 |
| South East / South West | £1,100 | £2,100 | £5,300 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
Guide prices for the crossing, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Dropped kerb cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £950 | £1,900 | £4,800 |
| Birmingham | £1,000 | £2,000 | £5,000 |
| Bristol | £1,100 | £2,100 | £5,300 |
| Cardiff | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| Edinburgh | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| Glasgow | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| Leeds | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| Liverpool | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| London | £1,200 | £2,400 | £6,000 |
| Manchester | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| Newcastle | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
| Sheffield | £970 | £1,900 | £4,900 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for dropped kerb, not quotes.
The South East and London run above the national figures, and council fees vary widely by area.
Common questions
How much does it cost to put in a dropped kerb?
A dropped kerb costs roughly £1,000 to £5,000 in the UK, typically around £2,000. A standard single-vehicle crossing is £1,000 to £2,500, a wide or double crossing £1,500 to £3,000, and a complex job with utilities to move or a classified road £2,500 to £5,000. Kent County Council, where you choose your own contractor, says contractors' prices vary from £1,000 to £2,500. Where the council builds the crossing itself, its own price applies, and the councils on this page that publish a standard or average price mostly put it at about £1,500 to £3,000. The council's application fee, usually £100 to £400, is on top.
Do I need permission for a dropped kerb?
Yes. You must apply to your local council (the highway authority) for permission before any work starts, and the crossing must be built by the council or by a contractor it accepts. You may also need planning permission first: Sheffield, for example, requires it on a classified road, in a conservation area or for a listed building. Doing it without approval is illegal and the council can make you undo it at your own cost.
How much is the council fee for a dropped kerb?
It depends entirely on your council. Most of the councils in the table on this page charge £100 to £400 to apply. The dearest are Hammersmith and Fulham at £660, Devon at £568 and Buckinghamshire at £520.38, and the lowest are Middlesbrough at £25.50, though a £173.40 licence follows, and Bolton at £47. Many keep the fee if they turn you down, though Kent refunds £231 and Cambridgeshire £314. Watch for a second fee: some councils charge your contractor for a licence or permit, such as £537 in Milton Keynes, and Birmingham adds a £375 administration fee. In parts of London, where a crossing means changing a parking bay, the council has to amend a traffic order first, which costs £3,737 in Greenwich and £3,980.28 in Camden, and Camden warns that some proposals cannot go ahead if local objections cannot be resolved.
Who can build a dropped kerb?
It depends on your council. Some build every crossing themselves or through their own contractor: Cardiff, Oldham and Hertfordshire all say so. Others let you hire a contractor with street works qualifications, who then needs the council's licence or permit, and that can add to the bill: £537 in Milton Keynes, and £271 in Staffordshire, or £388 there on a classified road. Either way the work has to be approved and inspected, or the crossing will not be signed off and you will not be allowed to use it.
Does a dropped kerb add value to a house?
By turning on-street parking into off-street parking, a dropped kerb and driveway can genuinely add value and make a home easier to sell and cheaper to insure, especially in areas where parking is tight. The £1,000 to £5,000 cost is modest against that, though the uplift depends entirely on the area and is never guaranteed.
Can I park across a dropped kerb?
You cannot legally drive across a pavement to reach a drive without a proper dropped kerb, and parking across someone else's dropped kerb (or your own in a way that blocks it) can get you a ticket. The crossing exists precisely to make driving over the footway legal and to protect the pavement and any services beneath it.
Why do dropped kerb quotes vary so much?
The build itself is fairly standard, so the swing is mostly the extras: moving a drain, a lamp post or utilities under the pavement adds £500 to £2,000, a wider crossing needs more kerb and footway rebuilt, and council fees differ a lot by area. Get the quote to state whether the council fee and any utility diversions are included.
Can I build my own dropped kerb?
No, not the crossing itself. Work on the public footway must be done by a contractor your council has approved, because it involves the highway and often utilities. That is why the crossing runs £1,000 to £5,000. The only DIY part is your own driveway behind the boundary. Digging into the pavement yourself is illegal and you would be made to put it back.
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- Apply for a dropped kerb GOV.UK · A dropped kerb needs your council's approval before any work on the public highway.
- Highways Act 1980, section 184 legislation.gov.uk · The law under which vehicle crossings over a footway are controlled.
- Request a dropped kerb Sheffield City Council · Planning permission first on a classified road, in a conservation area or for a listed building.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): Dropped kerb typically costs £2,000 in the UK, ranging from £1,000 to £5,000 for the crossing. Reviewed July 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). Dropped kerb cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-10-23. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/dropped-kerb-cost/2026-10-23 (158 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.