How much does a drive drainage job cost in West Midlands?
In the West Midlands, a drive drainage job usually costs £350–£1,000 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 | £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 West Midlands, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in West Midlands
We quote drainage in every town across the West Midlands, including:
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Wolverhampton
- Dudley
- Walsall
- Solihull
- Sutton Coldfield
- West Bromwich
- Halesowen
- Stourbridge
- Smethwick
- Willenhall
- Tipton
- Bloxwich
- Wednesfield
- Washwood Heath
- Aston
- Shirley
- Brierley Hill
- Aldridge
- Acocks Green
- Bartley Green
- Wednesbury
- Kingswinford
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.
Inter-war semis with narrow front gardens are common in the West Midlands, so front garden conversions and drive widenings are often the practical choice.
- Threshold drainage at doors and garages
- Connection to an existing surface water gully where permitted
- Linear channel drains with gratings rated for cars
- Soakaway crates or rubble soakaways where ground allows
- Levels survey and a falls plan
What the survey covers
- Where water collects now and where it can go
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- Access and working space
Rules for front drives in West Midlands
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
Tell us about the job
Use the form, the quote tool, WhatsApp or a call.
We take a look
A survey visit, or photos for smaller repair and cleaning jobs.
Price in writing
Every line itemised, including the dig, edging and drainage.
Booked and built
Agreed start date, then the work, the final clean-down and the joint top-up.
Drainage in West Midlands: questions
Do you work in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton?
Yes. We cover all of the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.
Who approves a drive drainage job in West Midlands?
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 West Midlands?
Guide price: £350–£1,000 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in West Midlands?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
