Who builds a dropped kerb: the council or your contractor?

There are four ways UK councils handle the building work. Which one applies depends only on where you live. It changes who you pay, how long you wait, and whether shopping around for quotes is possible at all.

Out of the 39 highway authorities we've checked so far (as of 3 October 2026). It isn't a random sample of the UK.

Council builds it

You apply, the council inspects and quotes, you pay in full, and the council's own team or contractor does the work. You can't use your own contractor for the crossing.

• Pros: one organisation is responsible; no contractor checks; the council guarantees the work.
• Cons: no shopping around; queues can be long (Birmingham: at least 16 weeks after payment; Hertfordshire 12 to 14 weeks).
• Published prices: Bradford £1,995 plus VAT for a standard crossing (applications currently paused); Manchester from £1,575; Kingston about £1,800 for the 4 m maximum; Thurrock about £1,900 (£264 per m²).

Council's own contractor list

The council approves your application and gives you its list; you get quotes from contractors on it. Lancashire, Surrey, North Yorkshire and Southend-on-Sea work this way. Southend says it's illegal to use anyone else.

Council or your own contractor

You choose: take the council's quote, or hire a qualified contractor yourself. Examples: Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Coventry, Derby and BCP. Fees can differ by route. In Coventry it's £130 for the council route and £200 for your own contractor; in Lincolnshire, £300 and £470.

Your own qualified contractor

The most common model in our data. The council only gives permission; you hire any contractor with the right street works qualifications and insurance, and they usually need their own licence or permit. See what to check in a contractor.

Which is cheaper?

We can't say one route is cheaper. Councils don't publish like-for-like prices, and every site is different. Council-published figures for both routes sit in a similar band of roughly £1,500 to £3,500 for a standard crossing. Use the calculator for your council.