Every council in the West Midlands runs its own dropped kerb scheme, and they differ more than most people expect. In Birmingham you pay £500 in council fees before any quote for the work. In Dudley the survey is £114.18. In Solihull and Sandwell nobody but the council's own contractor may touch the kerb, while in Wolverhampton and Staffordshire the council never builds it at all.
We read each council's own web pages and guidance notes on 2 November 2026 and put the figures side by side. Fees change, usually each April, so check the council link at the bottom before you pay anything.
At a glance
| Council | Council fees before any work | Who builds the crossing | Council's guide build price | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | £125 application + £375 admin | Only the council's authorised contractors | Priced per site, no guide figure | Quote within 28 working days of inspection; build at least 16 weeks after payment |
| Solihull | £210 admin | Only the council's own contractor | Per m², minimum £874.35 | Quote within 6 weeks; build within 8 weeks of full payment |
| Sandwell | £250 inspection | Only the council or its appointed contractor | £1,300–£1,800 for a standard crossing | About 9 weeks in total, currently running late |
| Walsall | £170 assessment, then £140 permit (council contractor) or £540 (private) | The council's contractor or your own | About £1,750–£2,000 via the council's contractor | Decision within 3 weeks |
| Wolverhampton | £160 inspection + £415 permit to dig | Your own contractor, never the council | None, you get your own quotes | Decision within 21 days of the visit |
| Dudley | £114.18 survey; £910 licence if you use a private firm | The council or your own | About £2,500 for five kerbs | No timescale published |
| Coventry | £130 (council builds) or £200 + £75 permit (your own contractor) | The council or your own | Estimate per site | Estimate valid 3 months; work aims to start within 6 weeks |
| Staffordshire (Lichfield, Tamworth) | £138 assessment + £271 permit (£388 on a classified road) | Your own contractor, never the council | None, you get your own quotes | Decision usually 2–3 weeks after inspection |
Fees are the council's charges only. The build itself is extra wherever the table says you use your own contractor, and a typical private build in the region runs about £1,200–£2,500: see the dropped kerb cost guide.
Who is allowed to build it
This is the difference that catches people out, because it decides whether you can shop around.
Council only: Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell. You apply, the council inspects, and the council (or a contractor working for it) quotes and builds. A driveway firm can lay your hardstanding, but it cannot lower the kerb. Birmingham's own wording is that the work "can only be carried out by Birmingham City Council authorised contractors and approved suppliers". Sandwell and Birmingham both warn about doorstep callers offering to drop kerbs for cash: in these boroughs nobody can legally do that job privately.
Your choice: Walsall, Dudley and Coventry. The council will build it, or you can hire a private contractor who meets its conditions. In all three that means street works qualifications and at least £5 million public liability cover, and the private route carries its own permit or licence fee. In Dudley that licence is £910, so the council's own price of about £2,500 can work out cheaper. In Walsall the council's contractor is Tarmac Limited.
Private contractor only: Wolverhampton and Staffordshire. The council approves the crossing but you hire the contractor, who pays the permit to dig and must hold street works accreditation and £5 million cover. Neither council keeps a list of firms, so ask to see the accreditation and insurance before you book anyone. Staffordshire also wants the contractor registered with its network team and 20 days' notice before work starts.
Size rules
Councils refuse more applications on frontage depth than on anything else. A parked car must not hang over the pavement.
| Council | Minimum depth of the parking space | Other size rules |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 4.75m | Space at least 2.75m wide for one car (4.5m for two); crossings under 2.75m refused; permeable hardstanding must be in place first |
| Solihull | 5.5m | Opening at least 2.7m; single crossing up to 3.6m (5.4m with tapers); permeable drive built first |
| Walsall | 4.8m | At least 2.8m wide |
| Wolverhampton | 5.5m | Opening at least 2.7m; parallel bay allowed at 2.5m deep with a 6m opening; up to 7 kerbs |
| Dudley | 4.8m | At least 2.4m wide; down to 3.8m with a legal agreement limiting vehicle size; no parallel bays |
| Coventry | 4m (5m if it serves a garage) | At least 2.4m wide; standard crossing 2.7m, maximum 3.6m |
| Staffordshire | 4.8m (6m preferred) | Standard width 2.75m; no parallel parking |
Measure from the house wall or bay window to the back of the pavement before you pay any fee, because the fee is non-refundable everywhere if the officer finds the space too short. Our dropped kerb checker walks through the measurements.
How long it takes
From application to a finished crossing, plan on two to five months in most of the region, longer in Birmingham.
- Birmingham is the slowest: a quote within 28 working days of the inspection, then at least 16 weeks after you pay, and over 20 weeks if a lamp column, tree or utility cover has to move. An approval lasts 12 months.
- Solihull quotes within 6 weeks and builds within 8 weeks of full payment. Paying by instalments delays the build, because work only starts once the balance is paid. Quotes last 6 months.
- Sandwell aims for an inspection within about 10 working days, a quote about 10 working days later and the build within 25 working days of payment, but says it is currently behind those targets. Quotes last 6 months.
- Walsall decides within 3 weeks. A private contractor then needs to apply for its permit at least 28 days before starting.
- Wolverhampton decides within 21 days of the site visit, and the approval is valid for 12 months, so you have time to get quotes.
- Coventry estimates are valid for 3 months, and the council aims to start work within 6 weeks once its conditions are met.
- Staffordshire usually decides within 2–3 weeks of the inspection, and an approval lasts 3 years, the longest in the region.
- Dudley doesn't publish a timescale on its current pages.
If you're building a new drive at the same time, the order matters: the hardstanding goes in first in Birmingham, Solihull and Dudley. Our guide on how to get a dropped kerb sets out the sequence.
Help for disabled applicants and Blue Badge holders
Only two councils mention any help. Birmingham says Blue Badge holders may be eligible for a reduced construction cost on a standard 2.75m crossing at the address where the badge is registered, though it doesn't say how much. Wolverhampton says registered disabled residents may be entitled to assistance and points them to its Independent Living Team. Sandwell states that no financial help is available. The other councils' current pages don't mention any. If you hold a Blue Badge, ask before you pay the application fee.
When you also need planning permission
Across the region, a new access onto a classified road (an A, B or numbered C road) needs planning permission as well as the kerb consent. Walsall, Wolverhampton and Coventry also bring in conservation areas and houses split into flats, Wolverhampton and Coventry add listed buildings, and Wolverhampton adds offices and shops. In Dudley the planning fee for a classified road is £383 and a decision typically takes eight weeks. Check whether your driveway needs planning permission before you apply.
Which council is my road?
Postcodes don't follow council boundaries. Some B74 addresses are in Walsall, not Birmingham. Little Aston, Lichfield, Tamworth and WS6/WS7 apply to Staffordshire County Council, not their district council. Bromsgrove-district addresses in B31, B38 and Hagley apply to Worcestershire County Council, whose contractor quotes about £1,434 plus VAT for a standard five-kerb crossing and installs within 6 weeks of payment. CV7 addresses go to Solihull. If in doubt, the council that collects your bins is usually the one that runs the road outside, but the council's own postcode checker settles it.
What the driveway firm does
Wherever the council builds the kerb, the job splits in two: a driveway firm lays a hardstanding the council will accept, and the council lowers the kerb. Where you hire your own contractor, one firm can usually do both. Ground and Gate passes your enquiry to one local specialist who can price the drive and, where the council allows it, the crossing. See dropped kerbs for what that covers.
Sources
Checked on 2 November 2026 on each council's own site:
- Birmingham: apply for a dropped kerb and the dropped crossing policy for applicants
- Solihull: apply to lower your kerb and guidance notes
- Sandwell: dropped kerbs and terms and conditions (revised September 2026)
- Walsall: get a dropped kerb for your home
- Wolverhampton: dropped kerbs and the s.184 footway crossing application pack (October 2026)
- Dudley: dropped kerbs
- Coventry: dropped kerbs
- Staffordshire: dropped kerbs
- Worcestershire: vehicle crossing prices valid to 31 March 2027
Questions
Which West Midlands council has the cheapest dropped kerb fees?
On council fees alone, Dudley's £114.18 survey is the lowest and Birmingham's £500 the highest. The total depends on the build: Walsall's guide total through its contractor is about £2,060–£2,310, Sandwell's about £1,550–£2,050 including its fee.
Can I use my own builder to drop the kerb in Birmingham or Solihull?
No. In Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell only the council's contractor may lower the kerb. Your own firm can build the driveway behind it.
Are dropped kerb application fees refundable if I'm refused?
Not in any of these councils. Coventry's £200 private-route fee is the partial exception, with £100 of it non-refundable.
How long does a dropped kerb approval last before I have to build it?
Birmingham and Wolverhampton allow 12 months, Staffordshire 3 years. Solihull and Sandwell quotes last 6 months and Coventry's estimates 3 months.