Driveways · Fort Worth
Fort Worth driveway and sidewalk permits
A driveway on your own lot takes no permit in Fort Worth. The part at the street does: a new or repaired driveway approach or sidewalk sits in the City’s parkway, and it takes a parkway permit pulled by a bonded contractor.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the City of Fort Worth’s Residential Permitting, Infrastructure Division and Contractor Registration pages, its parkway standards and its sidewalk waiver form, read November 6, 2026.
The parkway
Do you need a permit for a driveway in Fort Worth?
Only for the part at the street. The City says driveway flatwork on your own property takes no permit. The driveway approach, the sidewalk and the curb and gutter sit in the parkway, the City’s part of the right-of-way along the street, and building or repairing any of them takes a parkway permit.
- Your driveway · No permit
- Property line
- Sidewalk · Parkway permit
- Driveway approach · Parkway permit
- Curb and gutter · Parkway permit
- Street
| Work | What the City asks for |
|---|---|
| A driveway on your own lot | No permit |
| Flatwork on a private or public access easement | No parkway permit |
| A new or repaired driveway approach | A parkway permit |
| A new or repaired sidewalk | A parkway permit |
| Curb and gutter | A parkway permit |
| A curb ramp | A parkway permit |
| Alley access | A parkway permit |
| A culvert pipe under a driveway approach | A parkway permit |
| Parkway work over $20,000, or a retaining wall in the right-of-way | IPRC, the City’s Infrastructure Plan Review Center (not a parkway permit) |
| Work on TxDOT right-of-way | A TxDOT permit |
| Closing the parkway or a lane while you work | A street use permit |
Not sure where your lot ends? Your survey shows the property line.
Building a new house? The street side goes in the plan.
The contractor
Who can pull a parkway permit in Fort Worth?
A contractor registered with the City as a parkway contractor. The City’s line on driveways and sidewalks says the permit is pulled by a bonded contractor, and to work in the right-of-way, contractors must be licensed and bonded.
$10,000
the parkway contractor’s bond the City asks for on residential work
What the City asks of a residential parkway contractor
- A $10,000 parkway contractor’s bond
- A certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Fort Worth as an additional insured
- A registration that expires one year from the day it’s issued
The owner-occupant route on the City’s Residential Permitting page, where you pull a permit for the house you live in, is written for building permits. For work in the parkway, ask the City before you plan to pull it yourself.
Three questions to ask before you hire anyone for the street side
- Is your company registered with the City of Fort Worth as a parkway contractor?
- Is your bond current?
- Will you pull the parkway permit in your company’s name?
Building a new house? Talk it through with us before the plan is drawn.
At the curb
Fort Worth’s rules for a driveway approach and sidewalk
The City’s parkway standards set how wide an approach can be, how thick the concrete is, and where it can sit on a corner lot. The City’s parkway inspection team inspects public sidewalks, curb ramps, drive approaches, and curb and gutter.
- No garage or a one-car garage
- An approach 11 to 15 feet wide
- A two-car garage
- 18 to 24 feet
- Three cars or more
- 28 feet at most
- A corner lot
- The approach at least 30 feet from the intersecting street’s curb face, and a curb ramp where there isn’t one
- Concrete
- At least 6 inches across the whole approach, the sidewalk section included; at least 4 inches for a sidewalk
- Slope
- No more than 2% cross slope on a sidewalk or the walk section of an approach
- Work that misses them
- Removed and replaced by the permit holder
New construction
A new house in Fort Worth comes with an approach and a sidewalk
The City’s parkway standards say all new construction requires a driveway approach and a sidewalk. Where the lot sits decides how the approach is reviewed.
- A lot in a new subdivision
- An approach and a 5-foot sidewalk on every lot. The approach skips site plan review unless it has alley or side entry.
- An infill or redeveloped lot
- The approach goes through site plan review, which the City says may take 7 to 10 business days. The sidewalk and the back of the approach line up with the others on the block.
- A house with alley access
- The alley is paved from the farthest property line to the nearest street or existing alley paving, on a stamped engineered plan.
A tree or a power pole in the sidewalk’s path is one reason the City lists on its sidewalk waiver form, and the form says there should be no presumption the waiver will be granted. See Fort Worth’s tree ordinance.
The parkway permit for the approach and sidewalk is pulled by a bonded contractor, as the City requires. On a new house we build, our drafting team draws it, and we price it, permit it and build it. New construction homes in Fort Worth · How the lot drains
Before you pour
How to get a parkway permit in Fort Worth
Find your property line, hire a registered parkway contractor, and let them apply online, by phone or by email.
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Find your line. Your survey shows where your lot ends. The approach and sidewalk past it are the City’s parkway.
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Hire a registered parkway contractor. Ask the three questions above. The permit goes in the contractor’s name.
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Apply, and allow for review. Through the City’s Accela Citizen Access portal, by phone at 817-392-2222, option 9, or by email to devcustomerservice@
fortworthtexas.gov with “parkway” in the subject line. On an infill lot, site plan review comes first, which the City says may take 7 to 10 business days.
The City asks you not to call, fax or email the parkway inspector. Inspectors don’t issue permits or schedule inspections.
Building a new house with us? Start with the walk-through.
Questions
Fort Worth driveway and sidewalk permit questions
Planning a new house? Bring these questions to us.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in Fort Worth?
Not for the part on your own lot: the City says driveway flatwork on your own property takes no permit. Replacing or repairing the approach, the part between your property line and the street, takes a parkway permit pulled by a bonded contractor.
Do I need a permit to fix the sidewalk in front of my house in Fort Worth?
Yes. A new sidewalk and a sidewalk repair both take a parkway permit, pulled by a bonded contractor. The City’s parkway standards call for at least 4 inches of concrete.
Can a homeowner pull a parkway permit in Fort Worth?
The City’s line on driveways and sidewalks says the parkway permit is pulled by a bonded contractor, and its parkway registration asks for a bond, liability insurance naming the City, and a registration that expires a year after it’s issued. The owner-occupant route on its Residential Permitting page is written for building permits. Ask the City before you plan to do parkway work yourself.
How wide can a driveway approach be in Fort Worth?
11 to 15 feet with no garage or a one-car garage, 18 to 24 feet for a two-car garage, and no more than 28 feet for three cars or more, under the City’s parkway standards. On a corner lot, the approach sits at least 30 feet from the intersecting street’s curb face.
Does a new house in Fort Worth need a sidewalk?
Yes. The City’s parkway standards say all new construction requires an approach and a sidewalk. Its sidewalk waiver form covers a tree or a utility in the path, a sidewalk that would need much bigger infrastructure work, or one that can’t meet ADA rules, and it says there should be no presumption a waiver will be granted.
What happens if a driveway approach doesn’t meet the City’s standards?
The City’s parkway standards say failing them “will result in the removal and replacement of the sidewalk or approach by the permit holder.” The permit holder is the registered contractor, so ask how they build to the standards before the concrete goes in.
Every rule on this page is quoted or paraphrased from the City of Fort Worth’s Residential Permitting page, Infrastructure Division page (Parkway Inspection), Contractor Registration page, parkway standards and sidewalk waiver form, read November 6, 2026.
Your lot
Plan the street side with the house
On a new house, the City requires an approach and a sidewalk at the street, and on an infill lot the approach goes through site plan review. Walk your house with a designer and a builder first, and start with an honest estimate. No charge, no obligation.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803