Planning a dropped kerb in Rochester
In Rochester, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.
Planning-sensitive towns and conservation areas are common in the South East, so we check the front-garden rules before quoting.
How much does a dropped kerb cost in Rochester?
In the South East, a dropped kerb usually costs £1,100–£3,250 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 | £1,100–£3,250 |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £20–£55 per metre |
| Typical channel drain run | £380–£1,100 |
| Soakaway | £970–£2,150 |
| Highway authority dropped kerb application fee | £60–£540 |
Guide figures for the South East, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our dropped kerbs service
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.
- Help with the highway authority application and drawings
- Coordination so the drive and crossover are finished together
- Drive levels set to meet the new kerb line
- Crossover construction where the authority permits our contractor
- Eligibility check: visibility, trees, street furniture, frontage depth
Before we price your dropped kerb
- Access and working space
- Buried services near the crossing or channel
- How the new work ties into the paving
- Levels of the pavement, kerb and drive
- Load ratings needed for covers and gratings
Rules for front drives in Rochester
Rochester 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
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Dropped kerbs in Rochester: questions
Who approves a dropped kerb in Rochester?
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.
Can this be done at the same time as a new drive in Rochester?
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 Rochester?
Guide price: £1,100–£3,250 including VAT. The survey confirms the work needed.
Do you work in Strood, Gillingham and Gravesend?
Yes. We cover Rochester and the places around it, including Strood, Gillingham and Gravesend, and the rest of Kent.
Dropped kerbs near Rochester
Nearby towns we cover for dropped kerbs, and dropped kerbs across Kent:
- Dropped kerbs in Strood
- Dropped kerbs in Gillingham
- Dropped kerbs in Gravesend
- Dropped kerbs in Maidstone
- Dropped kerbs in Sittingbourne
- Dropped kerbs in Dartford
