Report a pothole

If you see a pothole that needs filling on a public road or pavement in the Liverpool boundary, please tell us. We can't repair potholes on private or unadopted roads. 

• If a defect or pothole is at a crossing point on the road or a cycle path and is greater than 25mm (2.5cm) deep, this will be inspected.
• If a defect or pothole is on the pavement and is 25mm (2.5cm) deep, this will be inspected.

Examples of severe defects

We will provide an emergency 2 hour response for potholes of this size and depth, greater than 100mm (10cm).

• Example of a pothole in the road that requires a 2 hour emergency response.
• Example of a pothole in the road that requires a 2 hour emergency response.
• Example of a pothole on the pavement that requires a 2 hour response.

Examples of non-emergency defects

We will look at these defects within 28 days and let you know if any repair is needed.

• Example of a non-emergency pothole that requires a 28 day response.
• Example of a non-emergency pothole in the road which requires a 28-day response.

Examples of non-hazardous and non-actionable defects

We will not repair minor surface defects where they are not causing a public safety hazard, so please do not report these to us.

• Example of an eroded/cracked road but no potholes. Not hazardous.
• Example of pothole surface stripping, only 10mm deep. Not hazardous or damaging to vehicles.
• Example of cracked paving sunk only 5 to 10mm. Not rocking or moving. No hazard.

It's really useful if you can provide photos, as they can help us to locate the pothole and also to understand the severity of the problem. Only take a photograph if it is safe to do so.

Report a pothole

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.

What happens next?

Our highway inspector will visit the site to carry out a risk assessment. 

• Our emergency response time for severe defects is 2 hours. 
• We will respond to non-emergency defects within 28 days.  

Priority will depend on the degree of deficiency and the site location.

The inspector will recommend that work is carried out where potholes or defects are more than 40mm (4cm deep). 

Defects less than 25mm (2.5cm) deep will be repaired within our routine programme of works. 

Reports that do not meet the required level may not be actioned.

Temporary repairs

We aim to repair potholes with the right type of repair, first time. 

However, for the safety of road users, a temporary repair might be made until a permanent repair can be carried out. This might be because the location requires complex traffic management or because of adverse weather conditions.

How to identify the size of a pothole or defect

These are our minimum inspection levels for road defects.

• An example of 25mm (2.5cm) depth using one 50p coin.
• Example of 40mm (4cm) depth using two 20p coins.
• Example of 100mm (10cm) depth using four 50p coins.