A driveway is a staple of most home designs and though it seems pretty simple, there are in fact regulations you’ll need to follow. Whether you want to build an additional driveway for a single garage or a double garage, in an urban or rural zone, knowing the necessary driveway regulations will ensure you have a safe driveway and that you won’t impede anyone else. So without further ado, let’s have a look at driveway regulations in QLD.
This article will be looking at residential driveways for a single detached house and will focus on regulations in South East Queensland. If you live elsewhere, your best bet is to look at your local council’s website for more information.
Table of Contents
Why are the driveway regulations in QLD important?
Driveway regulations are in place to ensure the safety and functionality of your driveway. It’s important for you to know before building as you can be heavily fined for not complying with the guidelines. The basic criteria you need to meet are:
- Your driveway needs to be built with a solid, non-slip material. This includes concrete, pavers or asphalt. You can not build a driveway with materials like tile, gravel or bluestone.
- the driveway needs to be on the same level as the footpath.
- be within permitted gradients.
- clear of stormwater pits and trees.
- the driveway must be constructed to meet the council’s technical standards.
Who do the Queensland driveway regulations impact?
Driveway regulations affect anyone who plans to build a driveway, whether it be for residential or commercial purposes. If you’re planning to build, remodel or alter your driveway, you’ll need to abide by regulations.
What is a driveway crossover?
This is a term you’ll see a lot when looking up driveway regulations because it is an integral part of any driveway. The crossover is the portion of your driveway that crosses the kerb and channel or road edge to the property boundary. In most cases, driveways need to begin at the kerb or the edge of the road and work their way up to the garage, carport or desired location. Property owners need to will need to check with the local council whether they need any special approval for this or whether a self-assessment (see below) will suffice.
Things that could hinder your approval are if your driveway will interfere with or is too close to street trees, a stormwater drain or drainage easement, water meters, fire hydrants, a bus stop, or any other public facility. Alternatively, the council may allow your driveway to go ahead with provisions or required remedial works. To answer your first question… yes, you’ll have to pay for any extra costs that result from these conditions.
What doesn’t need council approval?
Basic maintenance and repair won’t need to be run by your local council. This includes jobs like repairing cracks, sealing your driveway or other minor repairs. Anything that will change the access point of the driveway, steepness or size will need a permit.
What are the driveway technical standards?
Below are the technical standards your driveway will need to meet to be approved by the Brisbane council. If you live in another area, your council should have the information on their website or be able to provide it to you.
Gradients
A gradient is another way of saying a slope and in this case, refers to the incline of your driveway. In the Brisbane city, your driveway’s gradient cannot exceed a maximum gradient level of 1:4 within your property boundary. This changes to one in six outside of your property boundary. This means your driveway can be steeper within your property than it can be in the crossover.
Visit the Brisbane City Council website to find the specific measurements and gradient levels for your proposed driveway.
Load and Materials
There are technical standards for each type of material you may use on your driveway. Here are the details:
Concrete surfaces
Concrete driveways need to meet the following requirements:
- Expansion joints must be 10 millimetres thick, full depth, closed cell, cross-linked polyethylene foam
- The slab must be 125 mm thick
- Stencilled concrete or broom-finished concrete is the preferred surface finish.
Asphalt
Asphalt is only permitted in non-urban areas, so if you’re unsure if this includes you, it’s best to double-check.
- There needs to be at least a 50mm thick compacted roadbase under your driveway’s asphalt cover.
- An asphalt cover must be at least 100mm thick
Clay or concrete pavers
Clay or concrete paver driveways must meet the following criteria:
- It must be at least 40mm thick for either material
- The compacted sub-base must be at least 100mm thick.
- Pavers need to be concreted to the base.
Standard drawings
Standard drawings are designed to help convey construction layouts and details of infrastructure that would receive council approval.
To assist with the construction of driveways, Council has produced standard drawings for:
- BSD-2001 – Kerb profiles
- BSD-2023 – Vehicle crossing (driveway)
- BSD-2021 – Vehicle crossing (driveway) – other than single dwelling and rear allotment access
- BSD-2022 – Vehicle crossing (driveway) – single dwelling
- BSD-2024 – Vehicle crossing (driveway) – grades 3.75-metre verge
- BSD-2025 – Vehicle crossing (driveway) – grades 4.25-metre verge
- BSD-5201 – Concrete footpath
- BSD-5202 – Concrete footpath – full width.
Applying for a residential driveway permit
Before you can build a new driveway, you’ll need a permit to carry out the work.
Self-assessment driveway permits in QLD
A Self-assessment permit allows you to perform your own assessment of compliance with council requirements. This makes it the property owner’s responsibility to ensure the driveway meets all local council regulations. You can apply for this permit online and at the time of writing, it’ll cost you $88.80
You won’t be able to apply for a self-assessment permit if you:
- can’t comply with the council’s standard drawings.
- want to build a driveway with ten metres of a minor intersection or 20 metres of a major intersection.
- Are planning a second driveway.
- need a driveway wider than five metres larger lots.
- require a driveway wider than three metres on small lots.
- are planning to build a driveway that requires the removal or relocation of any council assets. This includes parking metres, traffic islands, bus stops or water metres.
- are planning to build within one metre of a street tree or a canopy drip line.
Full assessment driveway permits in QLD (including onsite inspection)
If you need assistance in designing a driveway that will meet all standard conditions and regulations, or is looking to get permission to get an exception, or can’t get a self-assessment permit for any of the above-listed reasons, you’ll need a full assessment from a council officer. To apply, you’ll need to:
- prepare a site plan that details the location of your proposed driveway.
- Complete an application form online that includes any requested supporting documents. You’ll also need to pay a fee of $205.80
A council officer will inspect your site within 20 days.
How long does a driveway permit in QLD last?
A driveway permit lasts for 12 months from the issue date. If your permit expires before construction starts or finishes, you’ll need to apply for another application.
Need help with approvals and the little details during your home build? Buildi is here to help!
Building a home is a big project full of many little tasks. The whole thing can seem overwhelming, especially to newbies. Buildi knows the building game, from every step you’ll need to take, to the red flags and common mistakes you should avoid. As a building broker, we can help you find the perfect builder for your project and ensure everything runs smoothly throughout the process.
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