How much does a dropped kerb cost in Highlands?
In Scotland, 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 Scotland, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in Highlands
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.
In Scotland, front paving must be porous or drain within the property whatever its size, so drainage is part of every design.
- Coordination so the drive and crossover are finished together
- Drive levels set to meet the new kerb line
- Help with the highway authority application and drawings
- Eligibility check: visibility, trees, street furniture, frontage depth
- Crossover construction where the authority permits our contractor
What the survey covers
- Buried services near the crossing or channel
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- Where water collects now and where it can go
- Who must approve the work and how long that takes
- Access and working space
Rules for front drives in Highlands
In Scotland, a hard surface between the house and the road is permitted development only if it is porous or drains to a permeable area within the property. There is no 5 m² threshold: the rule applies whatever the size.
Hard surfaces are not permitted development in a conservation area or within the grounds of a listed building, so planning permission is needed there.
A dropped kerb needs consent from your council as roads authority under section 56 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, and planning permission may also be needed depending on the road.
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.
Dropped kerbs in Highlands: questions
How much does a dropped kerb cost in Highlands?
Guide price: £1,000–£3,000 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Do you work in Inverness, Fort William and Nairn?
Yes. We cover all of the Highlands, including Inverness, Fort William and Nairn.
Who approves a dropped kerb in Highlands?
For a dropped kerb, your council as roads authority. For drainage and covers on private land, no approval is usually needed, but connections to public sewers need the water company's consent.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Highlands?
Yes, and it usually should be, so the levels match and the paving is only disturbed once.
