Do You Need a Permit for Concrete Work?
Often not a building permit. The model IRC 2021 (R105.2) exempts sidewalks and driveways, and Seattle exempts patios and slabs poured on grade. Cities can still require a zoning permit, such as the $49 one Shoreview, MN charges for a new or rebuilt driveway, and in Denver a new curb cut triggers right-of-way review. Before you pour a concrete slab, ask your building department.
"Permit" can mean three different things for concrete: a building permit, a zoning permit, and a right-of-way permit for anything that touches the street. A driveway can be exempt from the first and still need the other two.
Which concrete projects need which permit
The IRC 2021 model code is the starting point; your city decides what it adopts and adds, so treat each row as a question to ask locally.
| Project | Building permit (model IRC 2021) | What cities add |
|---|---|---|
| New or replaced driveway | Exempt: R105.2 lists "Sidewalks and driveways" | Often a zoning permit (Shoreview, MN: $49) or right-of-way review for a new or changed curb cut (Denver) |
| Walkway on your own lot | Exempt | Hayward, CA: Planning approval for walks up to 30 in above grade |
| Public sidewalk, curb or curb cut | Outside your lot | Encroachment or right-of-way permit (Hayward, Denver) |
| Uncovered patio or slab on grade | Not listed; Seattle exempts on-grade slabs | Setbacks and impervious-coverage caps (Shoreview: 40% of the lot) |
| Covered patio, porch or carport | Required in Denver | Denver also requires a zoning permit |
| Raised platform, walk or driveway | Seattle exempts them under 18 in above grade | Above that, ask your city |
| Slab under a detached shed | Exempt for one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 ft² | Zoning setbacks still apply |
| Footings and foundations | Required | Inspections before the pour |
Repairs and like-for-like resurfacing rarely appear on permit lists, but ask if the work changes the footprint or drainage. Some cities go the other way and permit all flatwork.
The IRC also says an exemption does not authorize work "in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction." So an exempt patio still has to meet setbacks, drainage rules and any local thickness spec.
In the high band of the SlabCalc Soil Risk Index (180 cities, USDA NRCS SSURGO, Oct 2026), which includes Dallas at 8.7% swell, the index's guidance calls for a site-specific geotechnical report, and that report can be what pulls a slab or footing into engineering review.
How to check your local requirements
- Search "[your city or county] building permits" and open the official .gov site. Outside city limits, the county is your building department.
- Look for an exempt-work list or a project guide. Seattle and Hayward publish exempt lists and Denver has a patio and porch guide, and they disagree on patios, height limits and curb work.
- If it is unclear, call and ask whether your project needs a permit, which inspections apply and what the fee is.
- If the answer is "no permit" and your project is borderline, get it in writing. That email matters when you sell the house.
We would call even if your project is on an exempt list: every exemption on this page is a local choice, and your city may have chosen differently.
What a permit commits you to
You agree to build to code (reinforcement, setbacks, drainage), to let an inspector check the work at set stages, and to leave a public record on the property. For driveway thickness, your city's adopted code or public-works spec is the source to check.
The permit process
- Submit the application with dimensions, location on the lot and materials, and pay the fee.
- Wait for approval, which can take days or weeks.
- Schedule a pre-pour inspection if required.
- Pour per the approved plans, then schedule the final inspection and keep the sign-off.
Is the permit in your contractor's quote?
In the SlabCalc Contractor Quote Fairness Study, which coded 291 Reddit posts from 10 subreddits written between September 2016 and March 2026, 43% raised doubts about whether a quote was fair, and the median questioned quote was $1,500. One recurring complaint was fees that surfaced only on the final bill. A permit fee and inspection visits are that kind of line, so get them written into the quote before you sign.
Ask whether the contractor will pull the permit, whether the fee is in the quote, and who schedules the inspections. On a hired job the contractor pulling the permit is the normal arrangement. A contractor who suggests skipping it to "save money" is one to avoid: if the city finds the work, the problem sits with you as the owner. Our guide on how to hire a concrete contractor covers what else to check.
What happens if you skip a permit
An inspector who notices unpermitted work can halt it with a stop work order. Most codes then add an investigation fee on top of the normal permit fee (IRC R108.6), set locally. In the worst case you remove the work.
When you sell:
- a buyer's permit search or home inspection can reveal it;
- your state may require you to disclose it;
- the buyer may demand a retroactive permit or walk away.
Some jurisdictions issue permits after the fact, at a higher fee and with an inspection that may mean cutting into the concrete. Others don't offer them at all, so ask before you assume the work can be legalized.
HOA approval is a separate step
An HOA's approval sits on top of the city's permit and doesn't replace it, and its rules can be stricter, so submit to the HOA first.
After the permit is approved
Our concrete inspection checklist covers what an inspector looks at before and after the pour. For the volume on your application, use the concrete calculator, and for the full sequence see the complete concrete guide.
Sources
- ICC, IRC 2021 Chapter 1 (R105.2, R108.6), Colorado adoption; accessed Oct 2026.
- Seattle SDCI, Do You Need a Permit?; accessed Oct 2026.
- Denver CPD, Residential Decks, Porches, Patios; accessed Oct 2026.
- City of Hayward, Do I need a building permit; 2015.
- City of Shoreview, Permit Essentials: Driveways/Patios; 2025.