The two routes
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's page on applying for a driveway crossing sets out the options:
| Council-built | Licensed contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | The property owner | The property owner |
| Who does the work | The council | A contractor holding the council's Opening Up licence |
| Price | The council's quote for your site | The contractor's quote |
| Main advantage | Simple, one point of contact | Can be timed with the drive |
Whichever route you choose, the crossing is built to the council's specification. If a driveway firm offers to "do the kerb", ask to see the licence before agreeing.
What decides whether you get one
- Room to park: a car must fit within your boundary without overhanging the footway.
- Visibility: for you pulling out, and for people walking past.
- Nearby features: junctions, bus stops, crossings, street trees and lamp columns.
- Verges: many Billingham estates have grass verges between footway and road, which lengthen the crossing.
- Classified roads: access onto a main road can need planning permission as well.
Costs
| Work | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| New dropped kerb | about £1,800 |
| Widening an existing crossing | about £1,100 |
Sources: Checkatrade, 2026; MyJobQuote suggests about £2,000. The council or the licensed contractor sets the actual price for your site. Moving a lamp column or a utility cover adds to it.
Order of work
- Check that your frontage is deep enough to park on.
- Apply for the crossing and wait for approval.
- Book the drive, timed so the drive and crossing meet at the right level.
- Have the crossing built, then the drive finished up to it.
Building the drive before the crossing is approved risks a drive you cannot legally use.
Crossings across Billingham
On the open-plan 1960s and 1970s streets around Low Grange and Marsh House, the question is often the verge: a crossing has to run across the grass as well as the footway. On older streets near the Green and in the villages, narrow frontages and front walls are the issue. In High Grange, most homes already have a crossing, and the job is usually widening it for a second car. See widening a drive.
Common questions
Can a tenant apply?
The application has to come from, or be agreed by, the property owner.
Is there a fixed fee?
The council does not publish one. Each crossing is priced for the site.
Can I just use kerb ramps?
No. The council's guidance says that putting ramps or materials in the road to cross a kerb is not allowed.
Does a Section 50 licence cover a crossing?
No. That licence is for apparatus such as pipes and cables, not driveway crossings.