Concrete, retaining wall, and drainage contractor in Kirkland, WA

Kirkland walls, pavement, and drainage review

The city’s Development Services Center says a rockery or retaining wall over four feet needs a permit, and that permit exemptions do not apply in areas of flood hazard, wetland, steep slope, shoreline, or other land use critical areas. Driveway pavement follows Policy R-1, which sets 4 inches of concrete on a 4-inch crushed rock base for private property and 6 inches for concrete in the public right-of-way. Work in the right-of-way is filed under one of three Public Works permit types, depending on how much of the curb, sidewalk, street pavement, or drainage structure it changes.

Projects that add or replace at least 500 square feet of impervious surface, or disturb at least 7,000 square feet of land, go through drainage review under Kirkland Municipal Code 15.52.050. The city uses the 2021 King County Surface Water Design Manual with a city addendum, which took effect for new projects on July 1, 2022.

Nearby, we also build in Bothell, Redmond, Woodinville, and Kenmore, and we serve the rest of western Washington.

Sources we checked

Checked November 2026. Rules change, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

• City of Kirkland, Development Services Center permit guidance
• City of Kirkland Policy R-1, pavement for private driveways and right-of-way work
• Kirkland Municipal Code Chapter 15.52, surface water management
• City of Kirkland, stormwater design and construction