I live off a private lane and l am finally installing a new driveway. Just got a quote back at £3250 to drop the curb😳 Pavement needs to be lowered and 5 curb stones replaced. I know things are crazy at the moment but that is taking the 🤬Anybody had similar work done recently for a price comparison? I am struggling to find a local contractor in South Derbyshire.

I had the kerb dropped here last year to widen my drive by two and a half kerbs, and also 4 foot of stone wall taken down , a 5 metre x 5 metre piece of lawn excavated , levelled , soil taken away, kerbed , hardcore , rolled , and a heavy tarmac surface as an extra parking place . £2400 total . I think the actual drop component was £800

The council gave me the name of 5 approved Kerbing contractors , only two followed up my calls , they were all so busy they couldn’t care less except the bloke I gave the job to . He had a 12 week lead time , and required a 10% non refundable deposit to sort out time wasters . He was excellent . the Council actually inspected the kerb drop last week and sent a letter of satisfaction . 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Last edited by MartynB on 4th Oct 2022 9:33 pm. Edited 2 times in total

To do drop kerbs I thought that the firm doing the work had to be on an approved council list etc. I thought that they have to have insurance or a bond for the work to cover it in case someone trips up a loose kerb in the future etc. They probably get charged for blocking the pavement etc, then throw in 20% VAT I guess that causes it to be expensive

Not on a private lane . It’s your own responsibility. I had a rental house on an unadopted road . Bought the kerbs when a tarmac crew were doing the village roads , and pound notes changed hands ! 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Cash gets rid of 20% vat straight away

Had a quote a couple of years ago and part of the cost is the company doing the work apply for a licence for you to use part of the pavement you will cross to get on your drive .  2009 FL2 S now gone
2011 FL2 HSE AUTO
2012 FL2 XS AUTO
2000 Kawasaki er 5

Many thanks for sharing your experience. That was a good price for that amount of work on your driveway. I thought it should be about £1200 ish. My mate works in commercial property. They are having to pay bricklayers £500 a day😱 Massive shortage of skilled tradesmen at the moment so the good ones are naming their own price.

Isn't the purpose of a Freelander to simply drive over gutters, that's my experience anyway. If you approach at opposite front & rear wheels you can get over anything. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Who owns the private lane?
Is it in any way maintained by the council?
Who is insisting this work has to be done to council standards? Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Lightwater wrote:

Isn't the purpose of a Freelander to simply drive over gutters, that's my experience anyway. If you approach at opposite front & rear wheels you can get over anything.

Get over anything . . . . except UK council rules and regulations

We have to put in a DA (development application) to council. The paperwork alone costs a fortune.


P.S. We are not allowed to do plumbing other than change a washer. Plumbers are on heart surgeon rates at over $200 per hour. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

It could be worse, I hear in Ireland that they have put an extra 10% concrete tax on in their last budget.

^^^^ Does that also go for tarmac drives ???

I was thinking of the kerbs and the concrete that they are set in , or any other bits

RealBeale wrote:

^^^^ Does that also go for tarmac drives ???

Only if they are peripatetic contractors.