How much does a drive drainage job cost in County Down?
In Northern Ireland, a drive drainage job usually costs £330–£950 including VAT. Your exact price depends on what the survey or your photos show, and is fixed in writing before anything is booked.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Channel drain run across a drive | £330–£950 |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £19–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £330–£950 |
| Soakaway | £860–£1,900 |
| Highway authority dropped kerb application fee | £50–£480 |
Guide figures for Northern Ireland, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in County Down
We quote drainage in every town across County Down, including:
- Bangor, County Down
- Newtownards
- Newry
- Banbridge
- Dundonald
- Holywood
- Downpatrick
- Comber
- Carryduff
- Warrenpoint
- Newcastle
- Donaghadee
What is included?
We design the falls first, then add channels only where they are needed, typically across a garage door, at the bottom of a drive sloping to the house, or where the drive meets the pavement. Where the rules require water to be dealt with on site, a soakaway or a permeable build is the usual answer.
Dropped kerbs in Northern Ireland go through DfI Roads, so we build that timing into the plan for new drives.
- Connection to an existing surface water gully where permitted
- Threshold drainage at doors and garages
- Linear channel drains with gratings rated for cars
- Levels survey and a falls plan
- Soakaway crates or rubble soakaways where ground allows
What the survey covers
- Buried services near the crossing or channel
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
- Access and working space
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
Rules for front drives in County Down
In Northern Ireland, a hard surface between the front of the house and the road that covers or replaces more than 5 m² must be porous or permeable, or drain to a permeable area within the property, to be permitted development.
Hard surfaces within the grounds of a listed building need listed building consent. Planning is handled by your district council, so check with its planning office if you are unsure.
Dropped kerbs in Northern Ireland are approved by DfI Roads (the Department for Infrastructure), not the council; check planning separately with the council.
General guidance, not legal advice. Your survey confirms what applies to your home. See the planning guide.
How it works
Send the basics
Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.
Survey
We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.
Written quote
An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.
The work
Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.
Drainage in County Down: questions
Who approves a drive drainage job in County Down?
For a dropped kerb, DfI Roads. For drainage and covers on private land, no approval is usually needed, but connections to public sewers need the water company's consent.
How much does a drive drainage job cost in County Down?
Guide price: £330–£950 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in County Down?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
Do you work in Bangor, County Down, Newtownards and Newry?
Yes. We cover all of County Down, including Bangor, County Down, Newtownards and Newry.
