Define how the driveway works
Record everyday vehicles, trailers, service access, delivery movements, parking and turning. A long acreage drive and a compact urban approach may have similar area but very different access and edge questions.
- Daily vehicle mix
- Turning and backing zones
- Snow or maintenance access
- Narrow points and overhead limits
Measure the geometry
Approximate length and width help establish scale. Also record garage, road, gate and walkway transitions, widenings, slopes and any location where equipment movement may be constrained.
- Entry and garage elevations
- Widenings and parking pads
- Steep grade changes
- Landscape and structure clearances
Trace drainage before finish
Photograph low points after rain and note roof discharge, ditches, culverts and downhill flow. Do not assume a private driveway project can modify a ditch, culvert or public connection without confirmation. Review the drainage, edges and base guide.
- Water entry points
- Low shoulders
- Ditch and culvert context
- Public-edge check boundary
Define base and edge questions
The existing material, soft areas, shoulder confinement, excavation access and restoration should appear in the scope discussion. Exact section design requires on-site and qualified review.
- Current gravel or asphalt depth unknowns
- Edge support and drop-offs
- Soft zones or pumping
- Restoration outside the paved edge
Maple Ridge lists driveway relocation or decommissioning among development activities that may require a Highway Use Permit when the public right-of-way is affected. Its water-protection guidance also covers erosion, rainwater and stormwater management. Verify what applies to the property and proposed work.
City of Maple Ridge — Highway Use Permit · City of Maple Ridge — Water Protection & Management
Sources reviewed September 22, 2026. Confirm current requirements for the exact address and scope.