Concrete Driveways & Sidewalks in Auburn, WA

Driveways & sidewalks in Auburn: what to know

Auburn’s code sends a driveway on a public street to the same construction standards as a sidewalk, and its sidewalks must be concrete. Asphalt is allowed only where the city engineer finds the grade excessive, and the engineer can ask for extra thickness, reinforcement, or a strengthened subgrade. The number of driveways per lot follows the city’s design standards.

On the valley floor, King County’s review of a site near Auburn flagged the alluvium as prone to settling under load, so soft spots get dug out and rock compacted in lifts. Planting or removing a tree in the public parking strip needs the city engineer’s permission, so removing the tree that lifted your walk starts with the city. Artificial turf in the landscape strip has its own notice-and-reset rules.

Permits and rules in Auburn

A driveway on a public street takes a permit from Auburn’s building department, and construction or excavation in the public way takes a construction permit from the city engineer, filed through MyBuildingPermit.com. The abutting owner repairs the sidewalk unless the city engineer decides otherwise. No concrete goes into a sidewalk until the city accepts the subgrade. Before pricing, we confirm with the Permit Center which permit your apron needs.

Rules change and vary by parcel, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

How we approach it

Give the city written notice and wait for subgrade acceptance before pouring
Build the apron to the sidewalk standard, adding thickness if asked
Dig out soft valley soil and compact crushed rock in lifts
Check the strip for street trees and artificial turf before demolition

For the full process, see our Concrete Driveways & Sidewalks page.

Building in the cold months? See our guide to winter concrete pours.

Our driveways & sidewalks work, serving Auburn

Examples of our work. We build driveways & sidewalks in Auburn and the cities around it. See all of our work

Questions from Auburn homeowners

The sidewalk in front of my Auburn house is lifting. Whose job is it to fix?

The abutting owner’s, unless the city engineer decides otherwise. If you think the city or someone else caused the damage, the code asks for written notice to the city engineer with documentation of the cause. Work in the public way needs a permit first.

Does Auburn inspect the ground before concrete goes in for a new sidewalk?

Yes. No concrete is placed until the city has inspected and accepted the subgrade, and written notice comes first. A sidewalk poured without notice is condemned. Driveways follow sidewalk standards, so we confirm whether an apron gets the same hold point.

My Auburn lot is steep. Can I still pour a concrete driveway?

Generally yes, since driveways are built to the concrete sidewalk standard. Where the city engineer finds excessive grade, asphalt is permitted instead, and the engineer can require added thickness, reinforcement, or a strengthened subgrade. We raise grade early because it can change the material.