Driveway aprons & curb cuts in Philadelphia

Your apron, your responsibility

The Streets Department lists driveways with sidewalks as private property the City does not maintain. Code § 11-505 says sidewalks, curbs and “driveways across sidewalks” must be laid to the Department’s regulations, and a contractor must get a permit stating the location and width of each driveway.

Shared driveways and alleys

Many Philadelphia homes share a rear driveway or alley. The Streets Department says owners with deed rights to an alley, driveway or retaining wall must share the cost of repairs. Under Code § 11-506, if the City paves a shared alley or driveway after an order to abate a nuisance, it can assess the cost against the properties that use it, and an unpaid bill can become a lien. Talk to your neighbors before the City gets involved.

New or wider curb cuts

A new curb cut is more than a concrete job:

• It needs a Curb and Footway Permit from the Streets Department Highway District, filed by a licensed curb setter with a plot plan
• Per the City’s Development Checklist, a curb cut or driveway wider than 24 feet gets an L&I refusal and needs a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The Streets standards call these “large driveways.”
• Zoning rules may also limit front driveways and parking, depending on your district. Check before you pay for a design.

Who is allowed to do the work

Work on a sidewalk or curb in the public right-of-way isn’t a handyman job in Philadelphia. The City’s rules say:

• Curb Setter License. L&I requires this license “to do work on curbs and sidewalks in the right-of-way.” It is renewed every year and comes with a $1,000 performance bond.
• Curb and Footway Permit. The City’s Development Checklist says this permit is required for “any alteration, reconstruction, or repair of sidewalks in the City of Philadelphia.” The application must come from a contractor with a valid Curb Setter License and include a plot plan.
• Lines and grades. Code § 11-505 requires the contractor to get the lines and grades from the district surveyor before starting. Jobs with 30 feet of curb or more also need the district survey office.

Ask any contractor for their Curb Setter License and proof of insurance before you sign. Under § 11-505, the Streets Department can tear out a sidewalk or curb that was built to the wrong specifications and file a lien for the cost of redoing it.

What it costs

An apron is priced much like sidewalk replacement, usually thicker. Angi’s Philadelphia sidewalk figures are $4–$14 per square foot. Ask for the apron, curb and any sidewalk as separate lines. Cost guide.