How long does a dropped kerb take?

Week 0: check and measure

Measure depth and width, check for junctions, trees and street furniture, and find your highway authority. Eligibility checker.

Weeks 0 to 8: planning permission (if needed)

Up to 8 weeks for a planning decision (Derby). Surrey says getting confirmation can take up to 6 weeks; Leicestershire warns it can take over 8 weeks.

Weeks 1 to 12: council decision

Published timescales: Hampshire Fast Track 2 weeks; Staffordshire 2 to 3 weeks after inspection; Southampton about 4 weeks; Kent 28 days; Surrey 20 working days; Suffolk 20 working days; Lincolnshire a response within 10 working days; Cambridgeshire 6 weeks; Cornwall at least 6 weeks; Plymouth 6 to 8 weeks; Hampshire and Hertfordshire 8 weeks; Sheffield about 10 weeks; Leicester City 12 weeks.

Then: quotes, licence and booking

With your own contractor: get quotes, and the contractor applies for any licence or permit (Staffordshire needs 20 days' notice; Edinburgh 10 working days; Lincolnshire start dates are 21 to 90 days ahead). With the council: you pay its quote.

Then: construction

Usually 1 to 3 days on site (Derbyshire says normally within 3 days; Leicestershire 1 to 2). Council-built waits: BCP usually within 4 weeks of payment; Kingston within 8 weeks; Bradford within 10 weeks; Leicestershire within 12 weeks; Hertfordshire 12 to 14 weeks; Derby about 14 weeks; Birmingham at least 16 weeks.

Afterwards: inspection and maintenance period

The council inspects. If you used your own contractor you may be responsible for defects for 2 years (Devon, Derby, Plymouth, Leicestershire) or 24 months (Leicester City).