Garland Driveway, Approach and Sidewalk Permits

Sidewalk permits and the sidewalk bond

Any repair to the public sidewalk needs a permit in Garland; the private walk up to your front door does not. A Sidewalk Bond must be on file for whoever does the work. Garland's Code of Ordinances counts driveways and head-in parking as "sidewalk" for these rules, and only the permit holder may do the permitted work. Anyone building or repairing sidewalks must post a $2,000 bond with the City, which obliges them to maintain the work for two years, at no extra cost to the customer, to the satisfaction of the Streets Department, whose decision on sidewalk work is final.

The City's sidewalk standard

For a concrete sidewalk in the right-of-way, Building Inspection's spec is 4 inches of concrete with Number 3 rebar placed 24 inches on center on rebar chairs, kept at least 3 inches from each edge. The City's standard drawing adds the rest: 4 feet wide on residential streets and 6 feet on commercial ones, Class "C" concrete sloped 1% toward the street, ½-inch full-depth redwood expansion joints no more than 24 feet apart, tooled joints at least ½ inch deep, a white-pigmented curing compound to TxDOT's spec, and no more than 2 inches of cushion sand beneath.

When a sidewalk has to be fixed

Homeowners are responsible for the sidewalk, parkway and driveway next to their property. The code treats a sidewalk as hazardous when adjoining sections or the edges of a crack differ in height by 2 inches or more, or a crack has opened a gap of 1½ inches or more, and an owner who gets a repair notice from the Streets Department has 30 days to fix it, with exceptions along certain thoroughfares. The City's standard construction details set a tighter test for existing sidewalks, driveways and gutters: cracks or joints ¾ inch out of line vertically, or ¾ inch apart, mean that section is replaced, and tree roots causing the problem are cut out.

Inspections, utility locates and right-of-way work

Garland's general construction notes say the Engineering Department must be told 24 hours before any construction starts, and that work won't be accepted without a permit and a City inspection. Building Inspection is at 800 Main Street, 1st floor, and takes inspection requests on a 24-hour line at 972-205-2300; requests made before midnight are inspected the next business day. Before digging, contractors must call Texas811 and wait until the utilities are marked on the ground.

Work in the right-of-way needs one more permit. Garland's Technical Standards Manual says the sidewalk and driveway approach permit comes from Building Inspection, while a separate right-of-way work permit comes from Engineering's Field Operations Group, and those contractors must register with the City. Registration with the Right-of-Way Management Department costs $400 a year and requires a certificate of insurance naming the City; since January 1, 2025, a General Repair Bond is no longer accepted in place of insurance.

Other concrete jobs that need a permit

A foundation repair needs a permit whenever the repairs cost $2,000 or more; the permit costs $45 ($30 plus a $15 processing fee), and the application needs an engineer's letter. A retaining wall needs a permit, issued as an $88 fence permit, if any part reaches 4 feet or it holds a surcharge such as a building, vehicles or added soil, and a wall holding a surcharge also needs an engineer's report. A patio or porch cover needs a building permit at $0.52 per square foot (minimum $100) plus a 25% processing fee (minimum $25). The City's pages don't list a separate permit for a plain patio slab, so call Building Inspection before you pour one.