Concrete Driveway Aprons & Approaches

Quick Verdict

A concrete driveway apron (or approach) is the section that connects your driveway to the street, and in Oregon it usually sits in the public right-of-way — which means a city permit and a build that meets the city's spec. Because it carries the weight of every vehicle entering and crossing the gutter, an apron needs to be thicker and better reinforced than the rest of the driveway. The two things people miss are the permit (the apron is partly the city's, even though you pay for it) and the transition to the street (it has to match grade and drainage). This guide covers the permit, the thickness, and the transition.

What an Apron Is — and Who Owns It

The apron is the transition zone between the public street and your private driveway. It typically spans from the edge of the street or the gutter up to the property line or sidewalk. The tricky part: even though you pay for it and use it, the apron usually lies in the public right-of-way, so the city sets the rules for how it is built and has to approve it. This is why an apron is not just "the end of the driveway" — it is a permitted piece of work. For where it fits with the rest of your concrete, see the concrete services overview.

The Permit and City Spec

Replacing or installing an apron almost always requires a city right-of-way permit. The city specifies:

• Thickness — usually thicker than a residential driveway because it carries crossing traffic.
• Width and flare — how wide the approach is and how it flares to the street.
• Slope and grade — so water drains correctly and vehicles do not bottom out.
• Materials and reinforcement — often a specified mix and rebar.
• Connection to sidewalk — where the apron meets the sidewalk, it has to maintain the accessible pedestrian path.

A licensed contractor pulls the permit and builds to the city's standard so the work passes inspection. Skipping the permit risks a stop-work order or a tear-out.

Thickness and Reinforcement

The apron sees more abuse than your driveway: every vehicle entering crosses it, including delivery trucks and garbage trucks at the curb. That is why cities spec a thicker, reinforced apron — commonly thicker than the four-inch standard for a residential driveway, with rebar rather than just wire mesh. Under-building the apron is how it cracks and settles at the gutter within a few years. The thickness logic for the rest of the drive is covered in concrete driveway thickness; the apron is the heaviest-duty part of it.

The Transition to the Street

The connection to the street is where a lot of aprons go wrong. It has to:

• Match the street grade so vehicles cross smoothly and do not scrape.
• Tie into the gutter so water flows along the curb line, not into your driveway.
• Handle drainage so runoff does not pond at the transition or run back toward the garage.

On Oregon's wet clay, getting the drainage right at the apron matters — a low spot at the gutter collects water that freezes east of the mountains and undermines the slab. A good apron sheds water to the gutter and away from your property.

Cost Drivers

Driver	Effect
Permit and inspection	City fee and required contractor
Thickness and rebar	Heavier spec than the driveway
Demolition of old apron	Haul-off and gutter cuts
Width and flare	Larger approaches cost more
Curb and gutter ties	Sawcutting and matching grade

Industry Baseline Range: a concrete driveway apron commonly runs in the range of $1,200 to $3,500-plus depending on size, thickness, permit, and demolition+. These are industry baseline ranges for planning only — actual pricing depends on lot size, access, condition, and current market conditions. Get a site-specific quote.

Current Market Reality

Apron work involves a permit, often a saw-cut into existing curb and gutter, and a heavier concrete spec, so it costs more per square foot than plain driveway flatwork. Bundling the apron with a full driveway replacement spreads the mobilization. Whether you go concrete or asphalt for the driveway itself, the apron is commonly concrete for durability at the gutter — see concrete vs. asphalt driveway.

The Bottom Line

An apron is the heaviest-duty, most regulated part of your driveway. Build it to the city spec with the right permit, make it thicker and reinforced for the traffic it carries, and get the street transition and drainage right so it does not crack at the gutter. For the broader concrete picture, start at our concrete services overview.

Cojo is CCB Licensed and Insured, based in Hood River, and builds permitted driveway aprons across the valley, the Gorge, and the I-5 corridor. Explore our concrete services and request a quote — we will handle the right-of-way permit and build an apron that meets your city's spec.