Dropping a Kerb
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BigMans197

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

230 months

Monday 18th October 2010
quotequote all
We are in the process of opening up the front garden and getting a single car driveway put in.

Now, we obviously need to get the kerb dropped to allow easy access to the drive, but it seems the cost is going to be just under £1000, which seems quite high?

We apparently don't need planning permission as its on an 'unclassified' road, only need to tell the council (Shropshire) and use one of there 'approved' contractors.

Its seems like as only a handful of people are aloud to do it, they can charge what they want.

Does that figure sound about right?

Sheets Tabuer

21,051 posts

238 months

Monday 18th October 2010
quotequote all
£500 flat fee around here.

vxsmithers

729 posts

223 months

Monday 18th October 2010
quotequote all
just under £1k is the standard rate in Surrey too. rip off? never...

Spudler

3,985 posts

219 months

Monday 18th October 2010
quotequote all
Approx £120 each plus £44 to the council.

kiteless

12,379 posts

227 months

Monday 18th October 2010
quotequote all
BigMans197 said:
Does that figure sound about right?
No. In a word.

I'm assuming that all that needs doing is the existing 255 x 125mm road kerbs need taking out over a width of about 5.00m, and replacing with two drop kerbs either side of the drive with a couple of 150 x 150mm "channel" kerbs across the drive entrance itself?

2 blokes for a day, a heavy breaker, a little concrete and the kerbs. Maybe some sundry making-good tarmac / bitumen.

£500 would kill it.

Less if you bought the materials yourself.


Busamav

2,954 posts

231 months

Monday 18th October 2010
quotequote all
and of course laying the crossover to fall , oh and the line of the pavement .

russ_a

4,706 posts

234 months

Monday 18th October 2010
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It cost me about £350, that's up North though.

mk1fan

10,852 posts

248 months

Tuesday 19th October 2010
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kiteless said:
BigMans197 said:
Does that figure sound about right?
No. In a word.
The amount has nothing to do with it.

Firstly it's not your property - although you may have a right of access over it.

Secondly, it's about liabilities. The Coucil needs to maitain their Public Liability insurances and they can only do that by having an agreed standard of workmanship / details with a limited number of insured companies.

To put it into an example. If you mother was walking down the pavement and tripped over a section of dropped kerb that had been put in badly by the adjoining homeowner who would be responsible?

Cogcog

11,838 posts

258 months

Tuesday 19th October 2010
quotequote all
whatever happened to thos lengths of 4 inch post cut on the diagonal and popped against the kerb as required? £10.

dave_s13

13,979 posts

292 months

Tuesday 19th October 2010
quotequote all
Cogcog said:
whatever happened to thos lengths of 4 inch post cut on the diagonal and popped against the kerb as required? £10.
You will eventually be told by a council busy body to remove them asap and request the kerb be dropped.

This might take 8 years though.....in my experience.

You want it done right though really. All the trouble and expense of a new drive is spoiled rather by a pikey wedge of ripsawn fence post and a bump up and down every time you leave.

You're just going to have to pay up.

It's a bit like moving gas/elec meters. One price is used to allow for the one job that involves shutting down picadilly circus and installing temporary traffic lights etc. That same price is used for the other 99.9% of jobs to make it worth their while.

breamster

1,145 posts

203 months

Tuesday 19th October 2010
quotequote all
Unfortunately £1k is about right.

We've just had this done as prerequisite for a planning application for a new garage. £820+VAT was the cheapest of three quote. The most expensive was £1500.

I had to apply to the highways agency (£35 admin charge) for permission and to check with the planning dept to see if permission for dropping the kerb was required (it wasn't).

A few years ago someone had the same work done in the same area for ~£500 so prices have rocketed.

We are in Bournemouth by the way.


Chrisgr31

14,212 posts

278 months

Tuesday 19th October 2010
quotequote all
mk1fan said:
Secondly, it's about liabilities. The Coucil needs to maitain their Public Liability insurances and they can only do that by having an agreed standard of workmanship / details with a limited number of insured companies.

To put it into an example. If you mother was walking down the pavement and tripped over a section of dropped kerb that had been put in badly by the adjoining homeowner who would be responsible?
A lot of highway authorities require those working on the public highway to have £10 million of public liability. That doesnt come cheap!

BigMans197

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

230 months

Tuesday 19th October 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for all the replies.

It just seems expensive for what the job is. Its only 2/3M wide and about 1.5M of pavement involved.

The point about it being council property is a good one, why should just anybody be allowed to tamper with it i guess.

Looking at other examples on the street, it looks as though the pavement has just been scraped away, should we be expecting it to be resurfaced properly, or is that acceptable?

Since had quotes of £650+vat so not looking so bad!

S47

1,356 posts

203 months

Wednesday 20th October 2010
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I'm about the knock down & rebuild my garage, when I submitted the plans I asked about getting the kerbs outside garage dropped. local planning officer told me to phone local highways dept and ask what was required.
Explained the situation to a nice bloke from Highways dept, he said they'd have no problems if I did it myself [or got my builder to do it]!!
He even sent me the specs of the kerbstones to be used
Sortedwavey
suggest you ask the Q to your Planning deptthumbup

mk1fan

10,852 posts

248 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
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The path should be properly dug out, new sub base laid at a deeper level and then new covering (tarmac or what ever) laid at the same thickness of the existing path so it doesn't deform.

The prices they charge should easily cover this.

m3jappa

6,889 posts

241 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
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People can think that the cost to pave a driveway is expensive, i then tell them to wait until they get the price for a drop kerb. Makes the drive look cheap.