Concrete Driveways & Sidewalks in Spanaway, WA

Driveways & sidewalks in Spanaway: what to know

The ground helps here. The soil survey calls Spanaway soil gravelly and somewhat excessively drained, so a driveway base seldom sits in standing water the way it can on till. Trouble comes from other places: a corner that settled over an old utility trench, fill pushed around during subdivision grading, or a slab poured thin. The median Spanaway home dates to 1989, so many original driveways are past 30 years old.

Runoff is the other half. Pierce County’s standard drawings for residential approaches say driveway runoff may not flow onto the road unless the design accounts for it. We pitch the slab back toward your yard and plan where that water soaks in, at a lawn edge or a small infiltration trench.

Permits and rules in Spanaway

The county sets the rules, not a city. Re-pouring a driveway without changing its width, grade, or drainage generally needs no permit, but any work in the county right-of-way needs approval from Planning and Public Works, and a new or widened approach is reviewed by the County Engineer for sight distance, width, grade, and surfacing. Added paved area can also trigger a site development permit. We check the county’s approach and right-of-way rules before a driveway is scheduled.

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

How we approach it

Find out which part of the apron and culvert is county right-of-way
Dig out filled or disturbed ground that settled under the old slab
Pitch the slab so runoff stays on your lot and soaks in
Match approach width and surfacing to the county’s standard drawings

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 Spanaway

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

Questions from Spanaway homeowners

Does Pierce County have to approve my Spanaway driveway replacement?

Not if you replace it at the same width, grade, and drainage on your own property, which the county says generally needs no permit. Right-of-way work does, and a critical area can change the answer. We confirm first.

My Spanaway driveway crosses a roadside ditch with no culvert. Is that a problem?

It can be. The county’s drawings for a residential approach call for a culvert at least 12 inches in diameter. Older crossings may predate the permit process, and the county can require current standards when use of the driveway increases.

Can I widen my driveway for a third vehicle in Spanaway?

Possibly. The county’s residential approach drawings allow extra width for a three-car garage on a local road, but a wider approach goes through the County Engineer, and new paved area can bring stormwater review. We sort that out before pouring.