Planning a dropped kerb in Derby
Derby has everything from short terrace frontages to wide drives on newer estates, so the survey sets the layout and the dig.
Block drives laid twenty or thirty years ago are often ready for re-laying rather than replacing, because sound blocks outlast a weak base.
How much does a dropped kerb cost in Derby?
In the East Midlands, a dropped kerb usually costs £1,000–£3,000 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 |
|---|---|
| Dropped kerb (vehicle crossover) construction | £1,000–£3,000 |
| 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 East Midlands, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our dropped kerbs service
A dropped kerb, also called a vehicle crossover, is a section of lowered kerb with a strengthened footway behind it so a car can cross the pavement to reach a drive. It is part of the public highway, so it needs the highway authority's permission and has to be built to their specification, usually by a contractor they approve.
- Drive levels set to meet the new kerb line
- Crossover construction where the authority permits our contractor
- Coordination so the drive and crossover are finished together
- Help with the highway authority application and drawings
- Eligibility check: visibility, trees, street furniture, frontage depth
Before we price your dropped kerb
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- Ground conditions for any soakaway
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
- How the new work ties into the paving
Do you need permission in Derby?
Derby is in England, so these rules apply:
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.
From enquiry to finished paving
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.
How we work
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Dropped kerbs in Derby: questions
Do you work in Belper, Ilkeston and Heanor?
Yes. We cover Derby and the places around it, including Belper, Ilkeston and Heanor, and the rest of Derbyshire.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Derby?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
How much does a dropped kerb cost in Derby?
Guide price: £1,000–£3,000 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Who approves a dropped kerb in Derby?
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.
Dropped kerbs near Derby
Nearby towns we cover for dropped kerbs, and dropped kerbs across Derbyshire:
- Dropped kerbs in Belper
- Dropped kerbs in Ilkeston
- Dropped kerbs in Heanor
- Dropped kerbs in Ripley
- Dropped kerbs in Long Eaton
- Dropped kerbs in Swadlincote
