# The Phoenix Driveway Policy and Right-of-Way Permit Fees: What Applies Now

> The current Phoenix Driveway Policy (Rev. 03/26) and City right-of-way permit fees: what needs a permit, what it costs and why. Check your project first.

URL: https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/blog/phoenix-driveway-policy-and-permit-fees/

News

The City of Phoenix's current Driveway Policy for Single Family Development is Rev. 03/26, and its Planning & Development fee schedule took effect on January 20 under Ordinance G-7465. Here is what the two documents say for a homeowner.

Last Updated: October 26, 2026

Two City of Phoenix documents decide whether a driveway job at a single-family home needs a permit and what that permit costs: the Phoenix Driveway Policy for Single Family Development and the Planning & Development Department (PDD) fee schedule. Both have current versions in force. [Sundial Driveway Repair](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/) offers and manages driveway repair across Phoenix and the Valley, fulfilled by licensed and insured contractors, and this post sets out what the two documents say in plain terms.

| Document | Version | Published by |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Driveway Policy for Single Family Development](https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/pddsite/documents/trt/external/dsd_trt_pdf_00071.pdf) (TRT/DOC/00071) | Rev. 03/26 | City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department |
| [PDD fee schedule](https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/pddsite/documents/impact-fees/fee-schedule.pdf), Ordinance G-7465 | Effective January 20, 2026 | City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department |

## What does the Phoenix Driveway Policy say?

The policy splits single-family driveways by the kind of street edge in front of the house, because that decides how much of the driveway sits in the City’s right-of-way and how it has to meet the street.

- **Streets with roll or ribbon curb.** A concrete driveway up to 10.5 feet long inside the right-of-way counts as part of the on-site work and needs no separate driveway permit. Longer than that, it needs one. The concrete is 6 inches thick.
- **Streets with no sidewalk, curb and gutter or ribbon curb.** A driveway permit is required, and the drive ties in at grade following MAG Standard Detail 205 for paved turnouts, with an off-site flow analysis and erosion protection. Residential concrete is Class A, 6 inches thick; asphalt follows MAG Standard Detail 202.
- **Other materials and finishes.** Asphalt, other non-concrete materials or finishes other than broom finish beyond the 10.5-foot allowance need a maintenance agreement with Street Transportation.
- **Gravel.** On single-family lots with existing curb and gutter, a gravel drive may be built in the right-of-way without a permit, using aggregate base or quarter-inch to three-quarter-inch rock per MAG Detail 202 and Specifications 310 and 702, treated with a dustproofing product.

The policy does not address streets with vertical curb, where a new or widened driveway means cutting the curb. That work is treated as concrete in the right-of-way under the fee schedule and confirmed with the City; [driveway curb cut](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/driveway-curb-cut/) work covers it.

## What do Phoenix right-of-way permits cost?

The fee schedule sets these charges for work in the street right-of-way:

| Fee item | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Minimum right-of-way permit, residential single-lot construction | $195 |
| Minimum right-of-way permit, all other construction | $390 |
| Concrete permit (driveway, sidewalk, valley gutter and apron, curb and gutter, ramps) | $44 per 100 linear ft or fraction |
| Paving permit (asphalt, paving replacement, seal coat) | $48 per 100 sq yd or fraction, plus $240 City lab tests on paving permits over $500 |
| As-built review on concrete and paving permits | $195 per permit |
| Investigation fee for work done without a permit | $250 or the permit fee, whichever is greater, up to $2,500 per day |

Worked through for a small residential concrete job, such as an apron under 100 feet, the schedule comes to about $390: the $195 minimum plus the $195 as-built review, before any plan review. PDD confirms the figure for a given job. The [driveway apron replacement cost guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/driveway-apron-replacement-cost/) puts that fee next to the cost of the concrete itself.

## Related rules for the driveway crossing

The City’s Parking Requirements Guideline adds three rules that matter when an apron is rebuilt. On corner lots, a single-family driveway sits at least 4 feet from the curb radius return. An accessible walkway with a cross slope no steeper than 50:1 has to continue across every driveway. And a driveway that is no longer used is replaced with curb, gutter and sidewalk to City standards. That walkway rule is why an apron rebuild cannot simply slope the sidewalk crossing to suit the car. [Driveway apron repair](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/driveway-apron-repair/) explains how those pieces fit together, and [who is responsible for the apron](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/who-is-responsible-for-the-driveway-apron/) covers ownership.

Phoenix also requires a dust-free parking surface. Ordinance G-4037 lists asphalt, concrete or an approved equivalent; on a lot with one single-family home or duplex, a smooth layer of crushed rock or gravel at least 3 inches deep inside a permanent border also qualifies, and rear yards of those lots are exempt. That rule shapes [gravel driveway](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/gravel-driveway-replacement/) and conversion projects.

## What this means if you are planning work

For a homeowner, the practical questions are short:

1. **Does the work reach the street?** Repairs that stay on the lot need no right-of-way permit. Work at the apron, the sidewalk crossing or the curb may.
2. **What kind of curb is in front of the house?** Roll or ribbon curb gets the 10.5-foot allowance; no curb means a permit; vertical curb means a curb cut conversation.
3. **What material and finish?** Plain broom-finish concrete fits the policy most simply. Stamped or colored concrete, pavers or asphalt past the allowance bring in a maintenance agreement.
4. **Who pulls the permit?** The estimate should say, and whether the fee is included. Arizona generally requires a Registrar of Contractors license when a job tops $1,000 or needs a permit; the [license lookup guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/how-to-check-a-contractor-license-in-arizona/) shows how to check one.

The [Phoenix driveway permit guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/city-of-phoenix-driveway-permit/) goes through each case in more depth. Other Valley cities set their own rules and fees, so a job in Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler or Tempe is confirmed with that city. When work reaches the right-of-way, the permit is part of the scope; to see where your job falls, run the [cost estimator](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/tools/driveway-repair-cost-estimator/) with the right-of-way answer set, or [ask for an estimate](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/contact/).

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## More from the blog

- Timing [The Best Time to Pour Concrete in Phoenix, and When to Schedule Other Driveway Work](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/blog/best-time-of-year-for-driveway-work-in-phoenix/) The Phoenix year has three windows that matter for driveway work: the long mild season, the summer heat and the monsoon. Each one favors different jobs.
- Seasonal [A Pre-Monsoon Driveway Checklist for Phoenix](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/blog/pre-monsoon-driveway-checklist/) Monsoon storms are short and heavy, and the water they drop goes looking for cracks, open joints and loose edges. These are the checks worth doing before mid-June.
- Walkthrough [The Driveway Replacement Process, Start to Finish: An Illustrative Walkthrough](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/blog/what-a-driveway-replacement-looks-like-start-to-finish/) An illustrative walkthrough, not a record of a real job: how a concrete driveway replacement in the Phoenix area typically runs, step by step, and what each step decides.