Concrete driveway removal in Kirkland
We are a Seattle concrete removal referral service. Tell us what needs to go and we'll connect you with one local concrete removal company — not five.
Kirkland puts its driveway rules on one page: Public Works Policy R-1, last revised January 2025. It sets which permit a driveway job needs, depending on how far the work reaches into the street, and lists the materials the new driveway can be built from. Read it before anyone quotes you, because it decides both the paperwork and how deep the removal has to go at the street end.
Kirkland's general permit page also says a building permit is usually not needed for a driveway 30 inches or less above grade. That exemption does not cover the street end. The same page says a Public Works permit is required for driveway replacement or any work in the public right of way.
Local facts for Kirkland
- Permit level depends on what you touch
- Kirkland Policy R-1 (revised January 2025) uses a No Fee PUB permit for in-kind replacement within the existing limits, a Basic PUB permit for ramp and curb changes, and a Standard PUB permit when sidewalk, road or drainage is affected. Source: City of Kirkland Policy R-1: Private Driveway Paving Material Requirements
- Concrete thickness
- Concrete driveways must be 4 inches thick on private property and 6 inches in the right of way, on a 4-inch crushed rock base, with at least 4,000 psi strength. Source: City of Kirkland Policy R-1: Private Driveway Paving Material Requirements
- No concrete at the street without a curb
- Concrete, pervious concrete and permeable pavers are not allowed in the right of way where the abutting street has no concrete curb and gutter. Source: City of Kirkland Policy R-1: Private Driveway Paving Material Requirements
- Public Works permit for replacement
- Kirkland says a permit from the Public Works Department is required for driveway replacement or any work in the public right of way, even where no building permit is needed. Source: City of Kirkland: Do you need a permit?
- Utility locates
- Washington's Call Before You Dig law, RCW 19.122, requires a locate request through 811 at least two business days before digging. Source: Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission: Call before you dig
Three Public Works permits, set by how far the work reaches
R-1 sorts driveway paving into three permit levels. The deciding question is what else in the right of way the job touches: the curb, the sidewalk, the road surface or the drainage.
- No Fee Public Works (PUB) Permit: replacing in kind, or upgrading the material, within the same limits as the existing driveway, with no impact on curb and gutter, sidewalk, road pavement or drainage.
- Basic PUB Permit: work that changes the driveway ramp and curb only, with no impact on the sidewalk, road pavement or drainage. A right-of-way restoration security is required.
- Standard PUB Permit: work with significant impacts on public street improvements, including the sidewalk, road pavement or drainage pipes, culverts, ditches or catch basins. A restoration security is required and Public Works may ask for a larger one.
What the new driveway can be made of
The approved materials are hot mixed asphalt, porous asphalt, concrete, pervious concrete and permeable pavers. Grasscrete is only allowed where vehicle access is limited, such as fire or maintenance access.
For concrete, R-1 gives the spec: 4 inches thick on private property and 6 inches thick in the right of way, on a 4-inch crushed rock base, at a minimum strength of 4,000 psi. In practice the street end of a concrete replacement sits on a deeper section than the rest of the driveway, so the removal and the base prep there have to go deeper too.
Two restrictions catch people out. Concrete, pervious concrete and permeable pavers are not allowed in the right of way if the street next to the driveway has no concrete curb and gutter. And wheel-strip driveways are only allowed for single-family homes with a long driveway, never for a lot that could serve more than one home, including one with an ADU or DADU.
When a driveway replacement triggers drainage review
R-1 says drainage review may be required depending on how much new or replaced impervious surface the project creates, and points to storm drainage policies D-2 and D-3 for the thresholds. The policy also says grind-and-overlay projects, which don't disturb the crushed rock base or subgrade, will not trigger drainage review.
A full break-out goes down through the base, so it is not the grind-and-overlay case. If you're also widening the driveway or adding parking, ask Public Works at 425-587-3800 whether the new area pushes you into review before the old slab comes out. Switching to a permeable material has its own soil requirements under Policy D-8.
Steep or sensitive lots, utilities, and access
Kirkland's permit page says its exemptions do not apply in flood hazard areas, wetlands, steep slopes, shoreline areas or other critical areas. If your lot has any of these, the driveway that needed no building permit next door may need one at your house. The city's Property Search Tool produces a parcel report that shows whether any of them apply.
Before any digging, Washington's dig law (RCW 19.122) requires a utility locate request through 811 at least two business days ahead. Then plan where the broken concrete will go as it comes out. Kirkland allows a construction dumpster in the right of way for up to one week with a permit from Public Works, but storage containers like PODS are not allowed there at all.
How it works
- 1
Walk the job and confirm thickness, reinforcement and truck access
- 2
Saw-cut the perimeter and any control joints that define the removal area
- 3
Break the slab into pieces sized for the equipment and the access route
- 4
Separate rebar, wire mesh and any embedded steel
- 5
Load out and haul to a concrete recycling facility
- 6
Grade and compact the exposed subgrade, and sweep the street
Concrete Driveway Removal pricing in Kirkland
Custom quote
Priced per square foot once thickness, reinforcement and access are known.
*Indicative only. The price is confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Get a price for KirklandConcrete Driveway Removal in Kirkland: questions
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in Kirkland?
Yes, from Public Works. Kirkland says a Public Works permit is required for driveway replacement or any work in the right of way. Under Policy R-1, an in-kind replacement within the existing limits that doesn't touch the curb, sidewalk, road or drainage uses the No Fee PUB permit. Changing the ramp or curb, or affecting the sidewalk or road, moves you up to a Basic or Standard permit.
Can I replace a concrete driveway with pavers in Kirkland?
Permeable pavers are on Kirkland's approved list. They can't be used in the right of way if the street next to the driveway has no concrete curb and gutter, and permeable materials bring soil requirements under Policy D-8.
Are wheel-strip driveways allowed in Kirkland?
Only for a single-family home with a long driveway. Policy R-1 does not allow them where the property could serve more than one home, including one with an ADU or DADU. If the strips are permeable, the whole driveway area still counts toward the impervious surface calculation.
Do I have to call 811 before removing a driveway?
Yes. Washington's dig law, RCW 19.122, requires a locate request through 811 at least two business days before digging. The state utilities commission warns that skipping it can bring monetary penalties and liability for any damage.
For the wider permit and street rules in Kirkland, see our Kirkland area page.
Near Kirkland
Sources
Get a price for concrete driveway removal in Kirkland
Send a few details and photos if you have them. We come back with a price range, then pass your details to one local concrete removal company. It costs you nothing.