20 October 2026 Uncategorized 0

Kerb Cut Permit in Melbourne: Who Needs One and How

If you want to cut, lower or remove part of a kerb in Melbourne, you need your local council’s written permission before any saw touches the concrete. In most cases that means a vehicle crossing permit, which covers a new or modified driveway crossover. Where the work digs into the road reserve more broadly, a separate road opening or consent for works applies. This guide explains which one fits your job, what the City of Melbourne charges, what you have to submit, and how to sequence the cutting so the job passes inspection the first time.

One point of wording first. “Kerb cut” isn’t a formal permit name in Victoria. Councils call the permit a vehicle crossing permit (sometimes a crossover or driveway permit), and kerb and channel work is covered under it or under road works consent.

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TL;DR

A kerb cut for a driveway is normally approved as a vehicle crossing permit from the council that owns the road reserve. Cutting first and asking later risks fines and forced reinstatement.
In the City of Melbourne, the application fee is $369.60 for a residential crossing and $580.70 for a commercial one. Both are non-refundable.
Expect to supply a dimensioned site plan, engineering drawings, a Traffic Management Plan and public liability insurance. The City of Melbourne asks for a minimum of $20 million cover.
The permit covers the public side only. Cutting on your own land is a separate job you coordinate yourself.
Book the council’s pre-pour inspection. Pouring before it can mean ripping out your own concrete.

What a kerb cut permit actually is
Which permit do you need?
What it costs in the City of Melbourne
What the council will ask you to submit
Mistakes that delay or sink an application
How the cutting fits into the permit timeline
Why a licensed cutting crew makes the permit easier
Our perspective on kerb cut jobs
Get the cutting scoped alongside your permit
FAQ
Sources

What a kerb cut permit actually is

A vehicle crossing is the section of paving that connects the road to private property. It includes the part of a driveway that crosses a nature strip or footpath, and it ends at the kerb and channel. Cutting into that kerb to let vehicles through is therefore part of building or altering a vehicle crossing, and the City of Melbourne’s vehicle crossing page is the starting point for properties in its area.

Councils across Melbourne use near-identical logic with local variations:

Boroondara requires a Vehicle Crossing Permit to remove, change, relocate, reinstate or construct a vehicle crossing.
Kingston separates a Vehicle Crossing Permit (new crossings, repairs or changes) from a Road Opening Permit, which applies to any digging or excavation within the road reserve.
Maroondah asks for written council consent and a permit for footpath or kerb and channel work as well as crossing repairs and new crossings.

The practical lesson: the council that owns the road in front of the property decides, and its rules and fees differ. Check the correct council before you budget.

Which permit do you need?

Match your job to the likely approval before you contact anyone.

Your job	Likely approval	Where to start
New driveway crossover through a kerb	Vehicle crossing permit	Your local council’s building or local laws team
Widening, shifting or removing an existing crossover	Vehicle crossing permit	Same
Cutting kerb and channel for a service connection or trench	Road opening permit or consent for works	Council roads or asset team
Works that close a lane, footpath or parking bay while crews work	Permit to occupy public space, plus a TMP	Council’s public space or road occupation team
Property on an arterial road	Council permit plus Department of Transport authorisation	Council first, then the department
Property in a heritage overlay	Council permit, possibly a planning permit	Council planning team

The City of Melbourne also states that you must get permission and consent for road works before service works or excavation of any part of a footpath, road or kerb and channel, including parking bays and bicycle lanes. Its process starts with a letter to Council describing the property address, the works in the road reserve, the design details and proposed dates.

If you are unsure which row you fall into, phone the council before you pay anyone. A short call can save a rejected application.

What it costs in the City of Melbourne

As of this writing, the City of Melbourne’s published application fees are:

Permit type	Application fee
Residential vehicle crossing	$369.60
Commercial vehicle crossing	$580.70

Both are non-refundable, so a rejected application still costs you the fee. For road alterations that go beyond a standard crossing, the council’s alterations page also lists an engineering plan review fee calculated as 0.75 per cent of the estimated construction cost of the public realm works. Check that page for current rates, because councils review fees regularly.

Other councils set their own fees, so don’t assume the City of Melbourne figures apply in Stonnington, Boroondara or Kingston. Those councils publish their own schedules.

The permit fee is only one line in the budget. You also pay for:

Design drawings and a site plan
A Traffic Management Plan
Insurance certificates
Concrete cutting and removal
The new crossing construction and reinstatement

Our own published price range for concrete cutting jobs is $450 to $5,000 one-off, depending on scope, depth, access and length of cut. A single kerb section sits at the lower end, while a large commercial removal sits higher. We quote after we know the job.

What the council will ask you to submit

The City of Melbourne’s assessment typically involves a dimensioned site plan, engineering design drawings and a Traffic Management Plan (TMP). The council notes that heritage overlays or arterial roads can trigger extra approvals, such as a planning permit or authorisation from the Department of Transport.

Public liability insurance

For every vehicle crossing permit application in the City of Melbourne, you must provide a certificate of currency showing public liability insurance of at least $20 million for a single claim, with the City of Melbourne listed as an interested party. The council also explains what public liability insurance is for: covering compensation or costs when someone is injured or property is damaged through your negligence. If your contractor holds the policy, ask for the certificate before you lodge, and confirm the interested-party wording is right.

Site plan and engineering drawings

The plan must show dimensions, the proposed crossing, and how it meets the kerb, footpath and your boundary. Accurate drawings are the quickest way to move an application along, since the council’s priorities are public safety and pedestrian access. If your plan shows poles, street trees, pits or drains near the proposed opening, say so. These are common reasons for design changes.

Traffic Management Plan

A TMP describes how pedestrians and vehicles will be kept safe while you work. If the works need part of the footpath, road or a parking bay, the City of Melbourne’s occupy public space page says you must get a permit. Plan this at the same time as the crossing application so the two don’t contradict each other.

Mistakes that delay or sink an application

These come up repeatedly with council crossing work.

Assuming the permit covers everything. The permit applies to the council-managed road reserve. Work inside your property boundary, including the driveway surface on your side, is separate and you must coordinate it.
Missing neighbour consent. The City of Melbourne’s guidance flags written consent from an adjacent owner when works fall within 1000 mm (1 metre) of the boundary. Check your boundary against official records before you finalise the plan.
Expecting the council to pay. The vehicle crossing is the property owner’s responsibility, including maintenance, repairs and meeting engineering design standards.
Skipping the pre-pour inspection. Yarra City Council describes a vehicle crossing as the portion of driveway between the property boundary and the road, and inspectors there check formwork and reinforcement before concrete goes in. Pour early and the council can require removal at your cost, even if the finished concrete would have met the design.
Cutting before approval. Failing to follow council requirements can lead to permit refusal, fines and an order to reinstate the infrastructure.

How the cutting fits into the permit timeline

The order matters more than most owners expect. A workable sequence looks like this:

Confirm which council owns the road and what permit it requires.
Get a concrete scan or site check so drawings reflect what is under the surface.
Prepare the site plan, engineering drawings, TMP and insurance certificate.
Lodge the application and pay the fee.
Receive approval and read the conditions, including time limits and reinstatement requirements.
Book the cutting crew and any traffic control for the approved dates.
Cut and remove the kerb and old crossing, then prepare the formwork and reinforcement.
Book and pass the council’s pre-pour inspection.
Pour, finish and complete any permanent reinstatement within the permit’s time frame.

The City of Melbourne’s standard permit conditions say permanent reinstatement is to be completed within two months of temporary reinstatement, to the council’s satisfaction and standards. Read your own permit, because conditions can vary by job.

Why a licensed cutting crew makes the permit easier

A council permit says you may do the work. It doesn’t say the work will be accurate, safe or tidy. Saw-cutting a kerb and channel needs clean lines so the new crossing meets the road surface neatly, and the cut has to stay within the approved footprint. Over-cutting leads to patching, and patching leads to a failed inspection.

The method depends on the setting:

Road and kerb edges: road sawing gives straight, controlled cuts through concrete and asphalt next to live traffic and pedestrian paths.
Removing the old crossing: concrete removal takes out the old slab in sections, which limits dust and vibration near neighbours.
Unknown ground: concrete scanning before cutting helps locate reinforcement and services, so the cut doesn’t hit something you didn’t plan for.

If you’re weighing whether to hire a pro, our guide on the benefits of hiring concrete cutting in Melbourne sets out the safety and quality reasons in more detail.

Our perspective on kerb cut jobs

Most of the delays we see on kerb and crossover work aren’t about the cutting. They come from the paperwork running behind the programme. A crew booked for Monday and a permit that arrives the following month is a common and expensive mismatch.

We work across Melbourne and Victoria with licensed, qualified operators, and we run every job to OH&S safety standards, whether it’s a small domestic crossover or part of a large construction project. For kerb work, that means three habits. We confirm that approval is in place and read its conditions before we mobilise. We scan or inspect the area before cutting. And we mark the cut lines against the approved drawings so the inspector sees what the plan promised.

We don’t lodge council permits for you as a service we advertise, so we won’t claim that. What we do is give builders, property managers and homeowners a clear cutting scope and quote that fits the permit timeline. That makes it easier to schedule the sequence above without idle days.

— MYBMC

Get the cutting scoped alongside your permit

If you’re planning a crossover, driveway widening or kerb alteration anywhere in Melbourne, talk to us about concrete cutting while your application is being prepared. Tell us the address, the council, the approximate length of cut and whether the surface is plain or reinforced concrete. We’ll give you a free quote and a realistic window that lines up with your approval and inspection dates. For road-edge and kerb cuts specifically, see our road sawing service.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to cut a kerb for a driveway in Melbourne?

Yes. The kerb belongs to the road reserve, which is managed by the council, so you need its written consent before cutting. Most councils process this as a vehicle crossing permit. Cutting without one can lead to fines and an order to reinstate the kerb at your cost.

How much is a kerb cut permit in the City of Melbourne?

The City of Melbourne lists an application fee of $369.60 for a residential vehicle crossing and $580.70 for a commercial one, both non-refundable. Other councils set different fees, and road alteration work can attract an engineering plan review fee. Confirm the current amount with your council before lodging.

Who does the work after the permit is approved?

You, as the property owner, are responsible for the crossing and for arranging a contractor. The permit covers the public side only, so any work inside your boundary is organised separately. The crew you hire should work to the approved drawings and conditions.

Can I pour the new crossing straight after cutting?

No. Councils inspect the formwork and reinforcement before the concrete goes in. If you pour before that inspection, the council can require you to remove the concrete at your own expense. Book the inspection as soon as the preparation is done.

Does a property on a main road need anything extra?

Possibly. For arterial roads, the City of Melbourne notes that extra authorisation from the Department of Transport may be required alongside the council permit. Heritage overlays can also trigger a planning permit. Raise both with the council at the start.