Last updated October 2026
Manchester City Council publishes a starting price for its kerbs: a new dropped kerb of about 3 m starts at £1,575. It also insists that driveways use permeable material, which suits resin bound. A two-car Manchester drive of about 50 m² is typically £4,000 to £7,500 at UK prices. Stockport, Bolton, Oldham and Altrincham (in Trafford) each run their own kerb process.
The city publishes its own kerb starting price, so this table shows it next to typical UK drive prices.
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single-car resin drive, about 20 m² | £1,800 to £2,800 | typical UK prices, MacColl & Stokes |
| Two-car resin drive in Manchester, about 50 m² | £4,000 to £7,500 | typical UK prices, MacColl & Stokes, Checkatrade |
| Edging around the drive | £15 to £40 per metre | typical UK prices, MacColl & Stokes, MyBuilder |
| New dropped kerb, about 3 m, Manchester City Council | from £1,575, including up to 2 m towards the property | Manchester City Council |
What does a dropped kerb cost in Manchester?
The city’s starting price is £1,575 for the minimum size of about 3 m, and that includes up to 2 m of footway towards your property. Wider kerbs cost more, as do crossings that run further than 2 m to your boundary. Grass verges are the dearest, because they need new edging, and moving an obstruction is charged on top.
How big must a Manchester driveway be?
For pull-on, pull-off parking, at least 4.8 m deep and 3.5 m wide. For side-on parking, 3 m deep and 6 m wide. Manchester warns that meeting the minimum does not guarantee approval, so a measured plan with the application helps.
The 3.5 m width is the figure to check first. Several councils accept 2.4 m, so a frontage that would pass elsewhere can fail in Manchester; measure between the walls, not just along the pavement.
Does the drive have to be finished before I pay for the kerb?
Yes, at payment stage, though not when you apply. Manchester lets you apply with a proposed layout, but a compliant driveway or hardstanding must exist by the time you pay. So the resin goes down first, and Alex arranges the kerb to follow it, through the council or an accredited contractor, whichever Manchester allows for your road; its page does not say which. Applications stay open for 90 days, and if you do not respond after approval and pricing, the council closes the file.
Is resin bound allowed under Manchester’s surface rule?
Yes. Manchester City Council says driveways must use permeable material, and resin bound is porous when laid on a suitable base. Resin bonded on a sealed base is not permeable, so it would not meet that rule. Ask any installer which of the two they are quoting.
When does Manchester need planning permission?
For every Manchester dropped kerb on a road that is not unclassified, and the council confirms which yours is during the assessment. You may also need permission for a new driveway itself or for taking down a front wall or fence. If the work falls under a street tree’s branches, the council’s tree officers may move where the access can go.
Sources
- Manchester City Council, apply for a dropped kerb, read Oct 2026
- Trafford Council, dropped kerb advisory document, May 2024
- MacColl & Stokes, resin driveway cost UK 2026, Oct 2026
- Checkatrade, resin bound driveway cost, June 2026
- MyBuilder, resin bound driveway cost, Aug 2026
How it works
- 01Send photos of the driveRough size, what is there now and your postcode.
- 02We visitThe ground under the drive, the levels and where the water goes are checked.
- 03Written priceThe base, edging and drainage as their own lines.
What about Altrincham, Stockport, Bolton and Oldham?
Each is a separate council with its own rules. Trafford, which covers Altrincham, lets you use another provider once it approves the application, but your contractor must hold a Section 50 street works licence and at least £5 million of public liability cover. Trafford also wants the drive permeable or drained to a lawn or a channel within the drive. We confirm the rules for Stockport, Bolton and Oldham at survey. Bury has its own page.
What should a Manchester quote include?
On a drive that must pass Manchester’s permeable rule and 4.8 m minimum, the parts that make it last are a sub-base built for cars, edging, a drainage plan and UV-stable resin from a named system, backed by a written guarantee that says who gives it. Each line is priced on our resin driveway cost page, and other councils’ crossings are compared on dropped kerb cost .
Who looks after a Manchester job?
Alex Winser manages a Manchester job from the first call to the final walk-round, including lining up the resin with the council’s kerb stage. The installers handle the base and surface on every Manchester drive. The Resin Drive Company is a WeDo Property Services service. For a Manchester job we arrange a vetted local resin driveway installer, and we confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you if we can’t.