What Is a Dropped Kerb?
Written by James Walker · Last reviewed 16 August 2026
James Walker has 2 degrees in construction (BSc (Hons) Building Surveying · MSc Environmental Design of Buildings) and an extensive background in issue resolution, resolving over £4 billion of consumer issues.
A dropped kerb is a section of kerb and footway lowered and strengthened so vehicles can cross from the road onto a driveway. Creating one requires approval from the highway authority.
It is a separate approval
Not planning permission, and not building control. The highway authority, usually the county or unitary council, controls the footway and the road, and they decide.
They assess visibility, road safety, proximity to junctions and crossings, and whether the driveway is long enough for a vehicle to stand clear of the pavement.
It is usually not in the quote
This catches people. A driveway contractor quotes for the drive; the dropped kerb is a separate application and separate work, often carried out by a council-approved contractor at your cost.
It is a substantial sum. Budget for it separately and ask early, because approval takes time and can be refused, which changes whether the driveway is worth doing at all.
Parking without one
Driving over a kerb that has not been dropped can damage the footway and any services beneath it, and you can be required to reinstate it. It is not a shortcut worth taking.
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