How much does a drive drainage job cost in Greater London?
In London, a drive drainage job usually costs £420–£1,200 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 | £420–£1,200 |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £25–£60 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £420–£1,200 |
| Soakaway | £1,100–£2,400 |
| Highway authority dropped kerb application fee | £65–£600 |
Guide figures for London, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in Greater London
We quote drainage in every town across Greater London, including:
- Brent
- Islington
- Bexley
- Barking
- Sutton
- Croydon
- Ilford
- Enfield
- Harrow
- Tottenham
- Walthamstow
- Dagenham
- Becontree
- Romford
- Hayes
- Fulham
- Edmonton
- Southall
- Putney
- Battersea
- Canary Wharf
- Purley
- Peckham
- Chingford
- Uxbridge
- Wimbledon
- Stamford Hill
- Brixton
- Hounslow
- Finchley
- Cricklewood
- Mitcham
- Feltham
- Acton
- Beckenham
- Streatham
- South Croydon
- Leytonstone
- Eltham
- Morden
- Carshalton
- Catford
- Willesden
- Canning Town
- Holloway
- Welling
- Shepherds Bush
- Surbiton
- Greenford
- Heston
- Stratford
- Chiswick
- Thamesmead
- Ruislip
- Greenwich
- Barnet
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.
Front gardens in much of London are short, so parking depth and the dropped kerb usually decide whether a drive is possible.
- Linear channel drains with gratings rated for cars
- Threshold drainage at doors and garages
- Levels survey and a falls plan
- Soakaway crates or rubble soakaways where ground allows
- Connection to an existing surface water gully where permitted
What the survey covers
- Buried services near the crossing or channel
- Where water collects now and where it can go
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- How the new work ties into the paving
- Access and working space
Rules for front drives in Greater London
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 Greater London: questions
Do you work in Brent, Islington and Bexley?
Yes. We cover all of Greater London, including Brent, Islington and Bexley.
Who approves a drive drainage job in Greater London?
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.
How much does a drive drainage job cost in Greater London?
Guide price: £420–£1,200 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Greater London?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
