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Driveway Approaches, Curb Cuts & Driveway Extensions Des Moines

Driveway approaches, curb cuts and driveway extensions in Des Moines are the jobs where your project meets City property, so they come with a permit, a thickness rule and an inspection.

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New concrete driveway approach and curb cut crossing the public sidewalk in front of a red brick bungalow

We handle all three, so the new concrete passes the first time.

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(515) 585-4111

Call anytime or send the form. Either way, you get a site visit and a written, itemized quote.

New broom-finish concrete driveway extension meeting the older driveway at a clean joint in front of a two-story home with blue-gray siding

Approach vs. Driveway

The driveway is the part on your lot. The approach is the strip between the public sidewalk and the street, plus the curb cut where it meets the gutter. That strip sits in the public right-of-way, which is why the City gets involved. Des Moines Municipal Code Chapter 102 says no one may cut into or remove a curb, or build, rebuild or remove a driveway approach, without a permit.

Permit and Fee

The City of Des Moines Engineering Department's Sidewalk / Approach Permit Application lists $40 for each drive approach or curb restoration. The application asks for a sketch or site plan with dimensions and says to allow two business days for review. We draw the sketch, file the permit, and schedule the inspection.

How Thick?

The SUDAS driveway detail that Des Moines adopts calls for at least 6 inches of concrete in a residential approach and 7 inches for commercial or industrial ones. Where the public walk runs through the driveway, SUDAS asks for at least 6 inches or the driveway's thickness, whichever is greater, so that section of sidewalk gets poured to match.

Two workers finishing a new concrete curb and gutter and commercial driveway approach beside a parking lot on a fall day

Common Projects

  1. Third-stall or side extensions. Widening a two-car driveway to fit a third car or a trailer.
  2. Parking pads. A pad beside the driveway for a boat, camper or the teenager's car.
  3. Wider aprons. Widening the flare at the street so you're not driving over the curb or the grass.
  4. Replacing a cracked approach. City plows and heavy trucks are hard on the strip at the curb.
  5. A new curb cut. For a second driveway or a relocated garage. Expect more review for this one.

Matching Old to New

A new extension has to meet the old slab at the same height and slope, or water will collect along the seam. We dowel or isolate the joint depending on the situation, match the finish as closely as concrete allows, and slope the new section the same direction as the original.

Worker running a plate compactor over a crushed stone base inside new driveway forms, with dark clay soil at the edges

Outside Des Moines City Limits

West Des Moines, Urbandale, Ankeny, Johnston, Clive and the other suburbs each have their own permit, fee and inspection rules for approaches, and unincorporated land falls under Polk County. We check the rules for your address before we quote.

Get an Approach or Extension Quote

Tell us what you want to add or replace and send a photo from the street. Call (515) 585-4111 anytime or use the quote form.

Back to Des Moines Concrete Contractor. Replacing the whole driveway? See concrete driveway replacement.

New concrete driveway approach and curb cut crossing the public sidewalk in front of a red brick bungalow

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Call (515) 585-4111Request a Quote