The Austin rule
The City's Work Exempt from Building Permits page (read 23 October 2026) lists, for one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three stories:
| Exempt in Austin | Not exempt |
|---|---|
| "A sidewalk, driveway, or concrete flatwork that is not located in the public right-of-way" | The driveway approach between your property line and the street |
| A patio slab or walkway on your lot | A new or widened curb cut |
| Replacing the public sidewalk in front of the house |
The page adds that exempt work "must still comply with applicable Building Codes, City Codes, and all other applicable ordinances", and the commercial version of the same exemption excludes flood hazard areas. Where your lot ends is on your survey or plat; the strip between the property line and the curb is often public.
What a DS permit covers
The City's Issued Construction Permits file calls them "Driveway / Sidewalks" (type DS). Counted on 23 October 2026, for DS permits issued October 2023 to September 2026 on all property types:
| Work class | Permits |
|---|---|
| New | 3,594 |
| Repair | 83 |
| Modification | 34 |
| Demo | 24 |
Their descriptions are short and specific, for example "Construct new driveway approach of 18 FT" or "Demo old driveway. Construct new driveway approach of 16 FT", and some add "No sidewalk inspection per plan review". Of the same permits, 3,149 were Final, 286 Active and 281 Expired.
How to apply
- Check whether the work reaches the right-of-way. If it stops at your property line, no DS permit is needed.
- Apply through Austin Build + Connect (abc.austintexas.gov), where the permit, its fees and its inspections live. On a new house the builder files the DS permit with the building permit.
- Pay the review fee and wait for the permit to go Active before forming or pouring.
- Inspection and Final. The City inspects the approach and sidewalk; the permit closes at Final. The DS pages on the City's old Transportation site returned "page not found" after the City's 2026 website relaunch, so for requirements such as approach width and materials, ask through 3-1-1.
What it costs
The City's residential fee schedule, effective 1 October 2026, lists one DS line:
| Fee | Collected for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LDE Driveway/Sidewalk Review Fee | Transportation and Public Works | $220.00 |
| LDE ROW Compliance Review Fee (when it applies) | Transportation and Public Works | $220.00 |
| Reinspection (work not ready, corrections not done, no access) | Development Services | $83.85 |
The schedule notes that these Transportation fees "may or may not apply and are considered on a 'per case' basis". The concrete itself is the cost; the file carries no job value, so we cannot say what a typical approach costs.
What 2,137 Austin driveway permits show
| Measure | Austin driveway and sidewalk |
|---|---|
| Residential DS permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 2,137 |
| Firms that pulled them | 472 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 170 |
| Reached Final (permits a year or more old) | 98.8% |
| Usual days from issue to Final | 69 |
| Share held by the busiest firm / five busiest | 11.8% / 40.6% |
| Firms on a single permit | 58.9% |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (127) / December (67) |
This list is dominated by home builders, who pull a DS permit for every new house, which is why the five busiest firms hold 40.6% and it likely helps the finish rate (98.8%), since the builder is still on site for the house's own inspections. For a replacement approach on an existing home, look past the builders: 58.9% of firms on the list have a single permit, and the compare list shows each one's record. Pouring peaks in April (index 127). New-home builders are on the Austin new home list; year-by-year counts on Austin permit statistics.
See every Austin driveway and sidewalk contractor by permits finished →
Next steps
Look up firms on the Austin driveway and sidewalk list, check past permits on your address with Austin building permit search, and the contractor's City registration with Austin contractor license lookup. Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a driveway.
What this does not tell you
Exempt flatwork on private land never appears in the permit file, so our counts are right-of-way work only. A Final says the City passed the approach, not what it cost. Fees change each 1 October with the City budget.
How we know this
The exemption is quoted from the City of Austin's Work Exempt from Building Permits page and fees from the residential fee schedule effective 1 October 2026 (updated 14 October 2026), both read 23 October 2026. Work-class, status and description examples are from the City's Issued Construction Permits open data, counted the same day. Our figures are City of Austin residential Driveway / Sidewalks permits, October 2023 to September 2026; finished share uses permits a year or more old, and days to Final is the median from issue.
Numbers come from City of Austin issued construction permits, data through October 10, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to pour a new driveway in Austin?
Not for the part on your own lot. Austin's exempt-work list includes 'A sidewalk, driveway, or concrete flatwork that is not located in the public right-of-way.' The approach from your property line to the street, a new curb cut and the public sidewalk are in the right-of-way and need a Driveway / Sidewalks (DS) permit.
- How much is a driveway permit in Austin?
The City's residential fee schedule effective 1 October 2026 lists an LDE Driveway/Sidewalk Review Fee of $220.00, collected for Transportation and Public Works. Other fees can apply case by case; the invoice in Austin Build + Connect is the final figure.
- Do I need a permit to replace my driveway approach in Austin?
Yes. Replacing the approach means demolishing and pouring concrete in the right-of-way, and the City files that as a DS permit; descriptions in its permit file read like 'Demo old driveway. Construct new driveway approach of 16 FT'.
- How long does a driveway permit take to close in Austin?
The usual Austin driveway and sidewalk permit in our file reached Final 69 days after issue, and 98.8% of those a year or more old had closed, the highest finish rate of any Austin trade we track.
- Who pulls driveway permits in Austin?
Mostly home builders: the busiest names on Austin DS permits are new-home builders, because the driveway approach is permitted with each new house. On an existing home, whoever pours the approach files it.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit for a driveway? The rule in 12 cities, and where the curb changes it
- Do I need a driveway permit in Greensboro? Yes, for access to a City street, and it closes in about a week
- Do I need a driveway permit in Miami? Usually yes: pavers, the flood-zone catch in the $7,500 exemption, and the swale
- Do I need a driveway permit in Naperville? The concrete season, width limits, decorative aprons and the $88 fee
- Do I need a fence permit in Cook County? Any height, the 6-foot and 3-foot limits, and 16,560 permits
- Do I need a permit for a garage or shed in Cook County? The 15-foot limit, the wiring rule, and 6,035 permits
For one city
- Work Exempt from Building Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees (effective 1 October 2026) — City of Austin (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Issued Construction Permits — City of Austin Open Data (Driveway / Sidewalks counts) (counted 2026-10-23)
- Austin Build + Connect public portal (2026-10-23)