Planning a dropped kerb in Manchester
Across Manchester, front gardens range from narrow terrace plots to broad modern drives, and the best block, pattern and drainage choice changes with them.
Terraced streets across the North West often have very short frontages, so we check parking depth before quoting a conversion.
How much does a dropped kerb cost in Manchester?
Guide price in Manchester: £1,000–£3,000 including VAT. These are North West guide figures; the survey or your photos confirm the real price before you commit.
| 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 North West, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What is included?
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.
- Crossover construction where the authority permits our contractor
- Eligibility check: visibility, trees, street furniture, frontage depth
- Drive levels set to meet the new kerb line
- Coordination so the drive and crossover are finished together
- Help with the highway authority application and drawings
Before we price your dropped kerb
- Access and working space
- How the new work ties into the paving
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
Rules for front drives in Manchester
Manchester 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.
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.
What you can expect from us
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
One point of contact
You deal with one team from survey to sign-off, with work carried out by paving teams working under S&K.
Water planned first
Falls, channels and soakaways are designed before the pattern is chosen.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Dropped kerbs in Manchester: questions
Do you work in Salford, Old Trafford and Failsworth?
Yes. We cover Manchester and the places around it, including Salford, Old Trafford and Failsworth, and the rest of Greater Manchester.
Who approves a dropped kerb in Manchester?
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 Manchester?
Guide price: £1,000–£3,000 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Manchester?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
Dropped kerbs near Manchester
Nearby towns we cover for dropped kerbs, and dropped kerbs across Greater Manchester:
- Dropped kerbs in Salford
- Dropped kerbs in Old Trafford
- Dropped kerbs in Failsworth
- Dropped kerbs in Droylsden
- Dropped kerbs in Stretford
- Dropped kerbs in Eccles
