Whether you live on a busy street with little parking, or you just want a designated spot for your car, extending your driveway to accommodate more parking space is common. It isn’t as easy as just slapping down some pavement on your lawn, though. There are a few things you should consider before adding that parking space you need.
Check Your Local Zoning Laws
Depending on state, county, or even neighborhood regulations, your zoning laws may limit exactly how many parking spots you can add on to your home. Some states also require specific things, such as minimum width or curve radius and a maximum grade (slope). When making these laws, things like traffic flow is considered—this might not be a concern to you, but it can affect an entire neighborhood. You don’t want the entrance to your parking spot to be going into a highly congested intersection or a stop sign.
Explore Materials & Their Cost
As with anything, the materials you use for the project will determine the cost. Typical materials used are asphalt, grey concrete, and oil and stone mixtures, which will come in at about $1-5 per square foot, $3-10 per square foot, and $1.05 per square foot, respectively. Asphalt will give the smooth, blacktop look of a driveway and can hold for about 10 years. Concrete is one of the most common materials, as it will last the longest out of the three mentioned and requires little maintenance due to its durability. Oil and stone are great if you’re budget-considerate. This material gives the appearance of gravel but with a sturdier base, but it doesn’t last as long as the other two options.
Depending on where you live, you’ll also want to consider using a porous material -- such as gravel, permeable asphalt, or block paving -- to ensure proper drainage.
Plan Out Spacing
Once you lay the material down, you can’t really go back. Space out the area that you’ll need when adding the parking space first to get an idea of how much of your yard you’ll likely lose. As a guide, the average one-car driveway will be between 10-12 feet in width and about 18 feet in length, while a two-car driveway will be about 18-20 feet.
If you’re adding onto your driveway, consider hiring a contractor instead of doing the project yourself. When expanding a previously existing driveway, you need to take color, material, strength, and slope degree into consideration -- all things a professional will consider, please reach out to www.Rayloveshomes.com if in need of a professional
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