The Naperville rule
Naperville's Guide to Building Permits (read 26 October 2026) lists "Installing or replacing a driveway, driveway approach or sidewalk" as permitted work. The code quoted in the City's Driveway Guide (August 2023) adds that no one may build a driveway onto a public street, "or make any excavation for the purpose of constructing such a driveway, without first having obtained a permit", and that "Reconstruction of an existing driveway in which any changes are to be made" is covered too (9-1I-2).
What the Driveway Permit page and the guide require:
| Item | Naperville requirement |
|---|---|
| Season | "Concrete materials in the driveway apron and public sidewalk can only be installed from April 15 through Nov. 15." |
| Drawing | All changes "clearly shown and dimensioned on a copy of the legal plat of survey" |
| Width | The guide's diagrams show 20 feet maximum at the property line and 24 feet maximum at the curb, hardscape included |
| Front yard | A driveway may widen toward a parking space but "not exceed the width of the unenclosed parking space or garage opening" (6-9-2:12.1) |
| Extra parking pad | One uncovered 9-by-18-foot space in the front yard, parallel to the driveway, at least five feet from a side lot line (6-9-2:4.2.1) |
| Number of driveways | One drive "in the first seventy-five (75) feet" of frontage, one more per additional 75 feet (9-1I-3) |
| Circular driveways | Only where a car can park behind the front yard; ones existing by October 2, 2007 may be replaced in kind |
| Decorative apron | Pavers, stamped, coloured or exposed-aggregate concrete or stamped asphalt in the apron need a Right-of-Way Encroachment License Agreement with the application |
| Drainage | Paved areas must be graded "so as to prevent causing an increased burden upon adjoining property" |
Material standards in the right-of-way
The guide sets thicker sections in the public apron than on your lot:
| Material | Right-of-way (apron) | Private property |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt | 3" on 6" stone base | 2" on 6" stone base |
| Concrete | 6", no reinforcement allowed | 4", mesh or bars allowed |
| Stamped concrete | 7" | 5" |
| Brick pavers | 3 1/8" on 8" stone + 1" sand | 2 3/8" |
Ask your contractor which thickness it priced for the apron; the cheapest quote is sometimes the private-side section carried to the curb.
What it costs
From the City's residential fee schedule (effective 1 February 2019):
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Driveway permit: $18 clerical + $26 permit + one $44 inspection | $88 |
| Right-of-way inspection, if the work reaches the apron | $33 |
| Recorded encroachment agreement (decorative apron) | $54 to file in DuPage County, $51 in Will County |
| Reinspection | $62 |
A plain replacement that includes the apron is $121 by our arithmetic ($88 + $33).
How to apply
- Mark up a copy of your plat of survey with the new driveway, its dimensions and materials.
- Apply in the City's Civic Access portal, adding the encroachment agreement if the apron is decorative.
- Review: the City says "a simple project, such as a fence or driveway, may be reviewed in less than one week" (Building Permits).
- Post the permit visible from the street and book inspections in the portal or on 630-420-6100 (option 1), 72 hours ahead. Questions: 630-420-6100, option 2.
What 1,175 Naperville driveway permits show
| Measure | Naperville driveways and sidewalks |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,175 |
| Firms | 258 |
| Firms with one permit only | 147 (57.0%) |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 105 |
| Usual filed value | $4,498 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $3,500 to $11,500 |
| Finaled (permits a year or more old) | 76.5% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 99 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 69.0% / 92.1% |
| Busiest / quietest month (100 = average) | April (216) / December (3) |
The concrete season shows in the filings: April runs at 216 against an average month of 100, and December at 3. Booking in winter for an April 15 start is the way to get early in the queue. The firm-level spread is wide: the middle half of firms usually file between $3,500 and $11,500, so ask each bidder for the area, material and apron section behind its number. 10 firms with five or more permits filed none in the last 12 months. Prices by firm are on Naperville driveway cost.
See every Naperville driveway contractor by permits finaled →
Related
Compare firms on the Naperville driveway list; counts by month on Naperville permit statistics. Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a driveway. Past permits on an address: Naperville building permit search. Illinois licenses no paving contractors; see the Naperville contractor license lookup.
What this does not tell you
The trade mixes driveways with sidewalk and apron-only jobs, which pulls the usual value down. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. We show no license status because Illinois has none for this work. Data stops at September 2026, and the fee schedule dates from 2019; the portal invoice governs.
How we know this
Rules are quoted from the City of Naperville's Driveway Permit and Building Permits pages, its Driveway Guide (August 2023, quoting Municipal Code 5-2B-4, 6-9-2 and 9-1I) and its Guide to Building Permits; fees from the Single Family/Small Residential Permit Fee Schedule; read 26 October 2026. The $121 total is our arithmetic. Counts are City of Naperville driveway and sidewalk permits, October 2023 to September 2026; "finaled" uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Naperville building permits (the current permit system plus the city's older records), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in Naperville?
Yes. The City's Guide to Building Permits lists 'Installing or replacing a driveway, driveway approach or sidewalk' as work that needs a permit, and the driveway code says reconstruction with any changes is subject to the same rules as a new driveway.
- How much is a driveway permit in Naperville?
From $88 on a house lot: an $18 clerical fee, a $26 permit fee and one $44 inspection, plus a $33 right-of-way inspection where the work reaches the apron. A decorative apron adds a recorded encroachment agreement, $54 to file in DuPage County or $51 in Will.
- When can you pour a driveway apron in Naperville?
Concrete in the driveway apron and public sidewalk can only be installed from April 15 through November 15. Work on the private part of the driveway is not limited by that window.
- How wide can a driveway be in Naperville?
The City's Driveway Guide shows a maximum of 20 feet at the property line and 24 feet at the curb, including decorative hardscape, and generally no wider than the garage opening in the front yard.
- How long does a driveway permit take in Naperville?
The City says a simple project such as a driveway may be reviewed in less than one week. In our file the usual Naperville driveway permit reached final 99 days after issue.
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 Austin? The right-of-way line, the DS permit and the $220 review fee
- 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
For one city
- Driveway Permit — City of Naperville (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Driveway Guide (August 2023) — City of Naperville T.E.D. Business Group (accessed 2026-10-26)
- City of Naperville Guide to Building Permits (revised 10/31/2022) (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Single Family/Small Residential Permit Fee Schedule (effective 1 February 2019) — City of Naperville (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Building Permits — City of Naperville (accessed 2026-10-26)