How much does a drive drainage job cost in Dorset?
Guide price in Dorset: £350–£1,000 including VAT. These are South West guide figures; the survey or your photos confirm the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Channel drain run across a drive | £350–£1,000 |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£50 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £350–£1,000 |
| Soakaway | £900–£2,000 |
| Highway authority dropped kerb application fee | £55–£500 |
Guide figures for the South West, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in Dorset
We quote drainage in every town across Dorset, including:
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.
The South West is wetter than the east of England, so falls and drainage are planned before the pattern is chosen.
- Threshold drainage at doors and garages
- Soakaway crates or rubble soakaways where ground allows
- Linear channel drains with gratings rated for cars
- Connection to an existing surface water gully where permitted
- Levels survey and a falls plan
What the survey covers
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
- Access and working space
- Ground conditions for any soakaway
- How the new work ties into the paving
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
Rules for front drives in Dorset
In England, paving in front of the house that covers more than 5 m² needs planning permission unless it is permeable or drains to a lawn, border or soakaway inside your boundary. Permeable block paving, or standard blocks laid to fall onto a planted strip, avoid the need for permission in most cases.
Flats and maisonettes, listed buildings, and homes covered by an Article 4 direction can have tighter rules, and conservation areas, National Parks and National Landscapes restrict some permitted development.
A dropped kerb needs your local highway authority's approval (usually the county, unitary, metropolitan or London borough council), and a new access onto an A, B or C classified road also needs planning permission.
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 Dorset: questions
Do you work in Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth?
Yes. We cover all of Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Dorset?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
How much does a drive drainage job cost in Dorset?
Guide price: £350–£1,000 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Who approves a drive drainage job in Dorset?
For a dropped kerb, your local highway authority (usually your council). For drainage and covers on private land, no approval is usually needed, but connections to public sewers need the water company's consent.
