Internet advice on Seattle concrete permits swings from “no permit ever” to “every driveway needs Street Use.” This guide explains the difference between private flatwork and driveway approach / right-of-way work for homeowners planning overlay, patio, walk, or driveway projects—when resurfacing usually stays on your lot, when curb or apron work brings in SDOT, and why Olsen doesn’t publish a permit fee table. Send photos for a complimentary review, then a free on-site assessment if a visit is needed. Call (425) 215-2560.
Permit needs are job-specific: property line vs curb/sidewalk/apron, overlay vs new or expanded paving, grading or drainage changes, structural vs cosmetic work, and whether the lot sits in a mapped environmentally critical area (ECA). The same driveway can be “private flatwork” for a like-for-like overlay on the slab inside the line—and “Street Use territory” the moment the pour rebuilds curb, sidewalk, or the approach apron. Competitor blogs often publish fee bands and week-count charts—treat those as general planning guidance, not Olsen’s price list or a guaranteed city timeline.
Olsen does not publish one-size permit fees or review-week guarantees online. Confirm current rules with SDCI / SDOT Street Use for your address, and with Olsen on assessment. Start with a complimentary phone/photo review, then a free on-site assessment if a visit is needed. Call (425) 215-2560.
SDCI (Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections) generally handles private-property construction, grading, and related reviews. Structural slabs or foundations, retaining walls, new parking, large new or replaced paving, and drainage changes can still matter even when the pour sits “on your lot.” Resurfacing existing paving is often treated differently from adding or replacing large areas of new paving—confirm live SDCI paving notes for your address. We don’t publish square-footage thresholds or fees from memory.
SDOT (Seattle Department of Transportation) generally handles right-of-way and Street Use work: curb cuts, sidewalk crossings, gutters, and the apron / approach between the property line and the street. A private slab that stops at the property line is a different conversation than rebuilding the approach. Official how-to context: Seattle Services Portal curb cut / driveway guidance and SDCI curb cut overview. Olsen does not publish Street Use dollar amounts or “X-week” claims as company facts.
Existing patio, walk, or driveway slab; work stays inside the property line; no curb, sidewalk, or apron touch; no major grading or footprint expansion. That is the classic restore-first moment many Seattle homeowners actually have—surface wear, scaling, or light stable cracks—not a brand-new parking pad. Host quality still matters—confirm the slab qualifies for restore on concrete overlays and the restore-vs-replace decision on overlay vs replacement. Selling a full Street Use package on a private-lot overlay candidate is the expensive choice; so is ignoring an approach that clearly sits in the ROW.
New or expanded paving, new parking, structural change, retaining walls, drainage redirection, or work in or near a mapped ECA can still trigger SDCI review. Hillside / critical-area lots → ask SDCI for your address; a separate ECA explainer may follow.
Any pour or replace that crosses into the public right-of-way changes the decision. Garage apron / threshold jobs that meet the sidewalk or curb need an honest boundary read—see garage apron overlay vs replace. Front walks that stop on private property differ from walks that rebuild public sidewalk segments—see front walkway concrete overlay and, for lip liability framing, sidewalk trip hazard repair (no ADA municipal how-to here).
ECA review (steep-slope / SMC 25.09 companion) is a separate board topic. Driveway demolition & replacement is the path when restore fails → driveway demo & replacement. For a garage apron or front walkway, see our garage apron overlay and front walkway overlay services (linked above). Related: concrete driveway repair Seattle.
Weather and water still belong in the same screen: ponding or runoff before restore → fix drainage before resurfacing; wet-season pour windows → winter rain concrete overlay Seattle.
What to send for complimentary phone/photo review:
Expect honesty—including “this looks private-lot overlay candidacy” or “this approach needs city confirmation before we pour.” Olsen advises on the typical private-flatwork vs approach decision and can help you understand what documentation the city may ask for when a job needs permits; we do not publish “we always pull every SDOT permit” claims or publish one-size fee schedules. If a site visit is needed, we’ll schedule a free on-site assessment. Licensed, bonded, and insured. Serving King County, Skagit County, and Snohomish County from a Lake Stevens service-area base. Hours: Mon–Sat 7:00 AM–6:00 PM. Call (425) 215-2560. For current official rules, use seattle.gov / SDCI / SDOT—not a stale blog fee table.
More candidacy answers live on our concrete repair FAQ.
Related resources:
Often like-for-like overlay or resurfacing on an existing private patio, walk, or driveway slab that stays inside your property line is a lighter path than work that touches the curb, sidewalk, apron, or anything between the property line and the street. Treat competitor fee tables and week-count charts as general planning guidance—not a bid or current official fee. Olsen does not publish one-size permit fees online. New or expanded paving, grading, new parking, structural work, retaining walls, drainage changes, or mapped ECA can still require SDCI review even on private lots—confirm with the city for your address. Call (425) 215-2560 for a complimentary phone/photo review, then a free on-site assessment if a visit is needed. Lake Stevens–based; King, Snohomish & Skagit. Hours Mon–Sat 7:00 AM–6:00 PM.
SDCI generally handles private-property construction, grading, and related reviews. SDOT generally handles right-of-way / Street Use work—curb cuts, sidewalk crossings, driveway approaches, and other work in the public right-of-way. Many driveway projects need a clear property-line read before anyone assumes “no permit.” Confirm current rules on seattle.gov; Olsen scopes the concrete work and advises on the decision during assessment. (425) 215-2560.
Published fee bands go stale and skip the variables that change real jobs: property line vs approach, overlay vs new paving, grading/drainage, structural vs cosmetic, ECA, and city review path. A neat table can scare homeowners into unnecessary paperwork—or into pouring an apron without Street Use clearance. Send photos for a complimentary review, then schedule the free on-site assessment. Check seattle.gov / SDCI / SDOT for current official fees. (425) 215-2560.
Often private patio and front-walk work that stays on your lot is a different conversation than rebuilding a public sidewalk, curb, or driveway approach in the right-of-way. If the scope stops at the property line and doesn’t touch curb/sidewalk/apron, SDOT Street Use may not apply—but SDCI triggers (new paving, grading, ECA, etc.) can still matter. Send photos that show where the walk or patio meets the street or sidewalk so assessment can flag the decision. (425) 215-2560.
Wide shots of the slab, close-ups of the curb/sidewalk/apron transition, after-rain ponding, approximate size, whether work must touch the approach, and property-line notes if known. Complimentary phone/photo review first; free on-site assessment. (425) 215-2560 · Mon–Sat 7:00 AM–6:00 PM.
Send driveway, patio, or walk photos—including the curb/apron transition—for a complimentary phone review. If a site visit is needed, we’ll schedule a free on-site assessment. Hours: Mon–Sat 7:00 AM–6:00 PM.
Or call (425) 215-2560. Licensed, bonded & insured · Lake Stevens service-area base · King, Snohomish & Skagit.