How much does a drive drainage job cost in Tyne and Wear?
In the North East, a drive drainage job usually costs £320–£900 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 | £320–£900 |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £18–£45 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £320–£900 |
| Soakaway | £810–£1,800 |
| Highway authority dropped kerb application fee | £50–£450 |
Guide figures for the North East, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in Tyne and Wear
We quote drainage in every town across Tyne and Wear, including:
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Sunderland
- South Shields
- Washington
- Tynemouth
- Wallsend
- Newburn
- Whitley Bay
- Houghton-le-Spring
- Felling
- Jarrow
- Gosforth
- Hebburn
What does a drive drainage job involve?
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.
Wind-driven rain on the North East coast makes falls and a well-filled joint more important.
- Connection to an existing surface water gully where permitted
- Soakaway crates or rubble soakaways where ground allows
- Threshold drainage at doors and garages
- Levels survey and a falls plan
- Linear channel drains with gratings rated for cars
What the survey covers
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
- Where water collects now and where it can go
- Ground conditions for any soakaway
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
Rules for front drives in Tyne and Wear
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
Quick details
Your postcode and the job. It takes a minute.
On-site check
Measurements, levels against the damp-proof course, ground and drainage.
Itemised quote
Fixed once the specification is agreed, with no vague extras.
Laid and finished
Compacted, jointed and handed back clean.
Drainage in Tyne and Wear: questions
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Tyne and Wear?
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 Tyne and Wear?
Guide price: £320–£900 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Who approves a drive drainage job in Tyne and Wear?
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.
Do you work in Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and South Shields?
Yes. We cover all of Tyne and Wear, including Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and South Shields.
