England · Dropped kerbs

Dropped kerbs with a new drive in Devon

Dropped kerbs with a new drive in Devon: the groundwork that makes a block drive legal, dry and tidy, planned before the first block goes down.

  • 9 towns listed
  • £1,000–£3,000 inc VAT
  • Free survey for new paving
Lowered kerb on a residential pavement leading to a charcoal block paved driveway

How much does a dropped kerb cost in Devon?

Guide price in Devon£1,000–£3,000Including VAT at 20%

In the South West, 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.

ItemGuide 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 South West, checked 9 November 2026.

Towns we cover in Devon

Choose a town for local prices and details for dropped kerbs:

What does a dropped kerb involve?

We do not take money for kerb work we cannot legally do. What we do is check whether your property is likely to qualify, help you with the application, coordinate the timing with your new drive, and either price the crossover where the authority allows private contractors or work alongside the authority's own contractor where it does not.

Sloping plots are common in the South West, which affects edging, steps and where the water runs.

  • Help with the highway authority application and drawings
  • Crossover construction where the authority permits our contractor
  • Eligibility check: visibility, trees, street furniture, frontage depth
  • Coordination so the drive and crossover are finished together
  • Drive levels set to meet the new kerb line

What the survey covers

  • Ground conditions for any soakaway
  • Where water collects now and where it can go
  • Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
  • Access and working space
  • Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive

Rules for front drives in Devon

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

  1. Send the basics

    Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.

  2. Survey

    We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.

  3. Written quote

    An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.

  4. The work

    Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.

Dropped kerbs in Devon: questions

Do you work in Plymouth, Exeter and Paignton?

Yes. We cover all of Devon, including Plymouth, Exeter and Paignton.

Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Devon?

Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.

Who approves a dropped kerb in Devon?

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 dropped kerb cost in Devon?

Guide price: £1,000–£3,000 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.

Neighbouring areas

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Answer four quick questions for an instant guide price, then book a free survey to fix it in writing. Repairs and cleaning can often be priced from photos.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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