Concrete Driveways & Sidewalks in Lake Tapps, WA

Driveways & sidewalks in Lake Tapps: what to know

Census survey figures put the median Lake Tapps home at 1986, with nearly half of the housing built in the 1970s and 1980s. Driveways from that stretch are close to forty years old, and the usual complaints are cracked panels, settled edges, and an apron that was never built to today’s standard. Pierce County acknowledges that many older driveways predate its approach permit process, which matters once you change the width or the use.

Lake lots add a second limit. A drive that falls toward the shore sends its runoff the same way, and the county’s shoreline code caps residential hard surface at one third of the part of a parcel inside shoreline jurisdiction. A wider pad is then a lot-coverage question too.

Permits and rules in Lake Tapps

In unincorporated Lake Tapps, a connection to a county road is reviewed by the County Engineer for sight distance, width, grade, and surfacing. Paving or repairing a driveway in place is usually simpler when grade, drainage, and width stay the same, and a driveway surface within 30 inches of grade is exempt from a building permit. Inside Bonney Lake, the city’s road approach permit applies. We check current requirements with the right agency before we quote.

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

How we approach it

Confirm whether the parcel is Pierce County or Bonney Lake before drawing anything
Compare the existing apron with county road-approach standards before changing its width
Slope the drive away from the garage and away from the shoreline
Keep new hard surface inside the parcel’s shoreline coverage limit

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 Lake Tapps

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

Questions from Lake Tapps homeowners

My Lake Tapps driveway is from the 1980s. Can I widen it without a permit?

Pierce County says repairing or paving usually needs no permit if grade, drainage, and width stay the same. Widening changes that, and the county may require the approach to meet current standards. Bonney Lake sets its own rules. We confirm which agency covers your lot.

Does a wider driveway count toward the hard-surface limit near Lake Tapps?

It can. The shoreline code caps residential hard surface at one third of the part of a parcel inside shoreline jurisdiction, roughly the first 200 feet from the water. Farther back is treated differently, so we ask how your lot is mapped.

Who has to approve work on the apron next to a county road?

Pierce County Planning and Public Works. Work in the county right-of-way needs its approval, and minor items such as ditch relocation or a cross culvert count as right-of-way work. We look at your driveway mouth before we quote.