It is Critical to Have a Proper Driveway Slope so that Water Easily Sheds from it
By Mark J. Donovan
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When planning to install a driveway, be it an asphalt paved driveway or a concrete driveway, it is vital to include a sufficient slope to it so that water easily drains away from the home and off the driveway towards the road. Typically you should plan for at least a 2% slope for the length of your driveway.
So for example, for every 100 feet of driveway length, the driveway should drop 2 feet (24 inches). There should also be a driveway slope from one side of the driveway to the other. Again this slope should be 2% or greater. |
If the driveway is 10 feet in width, for example, this would translate into a drop from one side of the driveway to the other of 2.4 inches.
| The 2% rule is the minimum, however, your local building codes may require a steeper slope.
In most cases, though, they’ll set max driveway slopes to somewhere between 10% and 15%. Also, you need to be mindful where you shed the water from your driveway. For example, sloping the driveway so that water sheds onto your neighbor’s lawn or driveway is a big no-no. |
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To be safe, when planning to install an asphalt or concrete driveway you should visit your local building inspector to see if a permit is required and to have him/her review your plans prior to the actual installation of the driveway.
| You can save yourself a lot of headaches and money by doing so.
The last thing you want to do is to install a paved driveway and then find the building inspector showing up the next day and handing you a fine, or even worse, telling you to remove the paved driveway. Finally, you also want to be sure not to have steep changes in driveway slopes as this can lead to vehicles bottoming out in the driveway and potentially causing damage to the vehicles. |
Use this paving guide and save time and money. |
For more help on Asphalt Driveway Paving, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Asphalt Driveway Paving Bid sheet. The Asphalt Driveway Paving Bid Sheet will help ensure that your hire the right contractor so that your driveway is paved correctly and you get the finished driveway you are looking for.
Related Information
Additional Driveway Paving Resources
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