Driveway Extensions in Thornton, CO

Thornton Concrete Driveway widens and lengthens concrete driveways for homes across Thornton. We measure your lot, check the city's rules, and give you a written quote before we dig.

What an extension involves

We extend a driveway by adding a strip of new concrete along one side or at the end of the old slab. We cut a clean, straight edge on the old slab so the new part butts up against it neatly. Then we dig out the new area, lay a base and pack it down hard.

After that we set the wooden boards that hold the wet concrete in shape, pour the new strip and give it a finish that matches the old one as closely as we can. We slope it so rain runs toward the street, not toward your house or your neighbor's yard.

How wide Thornton lets you go

The City of Thornton lists its rules for driveway additions together with its rules for replacements, so we hold an extension to the same rules as a replacement.

We start with the side gap, because it decides how wide we can go. If your garage holds two cars or more, the city says the driveway has to stay at least 3 feet from the side property line in front of the house. With a one-car garage or no garage, the gap can be as small as 12 inches, but the city also wants a 6-inch curb or something like it to send water away from your neighbor's lot.

The city says no gap is needed behind the front plane of the house, which we read as the line of your front wall, so we have more room to work with beside the house than in front of it.

The city allows a walkway of 3 feet at most in front of the livable part of a home. That rule keeps us from widening a driveway across the front of the rooms you live in.

Checking for buried lines first

The City of Thornton says all requests to have buried utility lines marked should go through Colorado 811. The city marks its own lines, such as water, sewer and fiber, in the right-of-way, which we'd describe as the public land along the street.

The city also says private lines, the ones the property owner owns, will not be marked with the 811 request. It says the person digging has to get those located, at the property owner's expense. Before we dig the new strip, we ask you about any private lines, like one running out to a yard light or a sprinkler system.

Permits for an extension

The City of Thornton says residential driveway installations need a permit from Planning & Zoning. It takes driveway permit applications through its City View Portal. We draw your extension on a plan with its measurements before the application goes in.

What to get in writing

Ask for these in writing, whoever you hire:

• How wide and how long the new part will be, and how far it sits from the property line.
• How the new concrete will join the old slab.
• How thick the new concrete will be and what goes under it.
• How close the new finish and color will come to the old driveway.
• Who applies for the permit, and whether they hold a Thornton contractor license.
• The start date, and when you can park on the new part.

Questions about driveway extensions in Thornton

Get a quote for a driveway extension

Call us, or send the quote form with your ZIP code and how much wider or longer you want the driveway. We'll measure, go through the options with you, and give you a written quote. To see the other work we do, go to the Thornton Concrete Driveway home page.