How to Read Driveway Plans

Look over the site plan to find the property owner's name, phone number, site address, parcel number and any other contact information on the sheet. These are typically located at the top or bottom of the sheet. Verify that the site plan shows the proposed driveway in relation to the larger parcel of land on which the property is located.

Find the "north" arrow and orient the driveway in relation to true north. Find the scale indicator, which typically uses an engineer's scale. An engineer's scale is a measuring instrument, similar to a ruler, which equates 1 inch to some multiple of 10 or 100, for example, 1:100 means 1 inch equals 100 feet.

Look for a symbol legend, which shows the materials used. These may include asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, pavers, crushed rock, gravel or pervious paving block.

Check that the driveway lies within the legal property lines. Identify any legal conditions or restrictions on the property noted on the plan. Locate adjacent streets, existing and future right-of-ways and utility easements.

Read notes or dimensions drawn on or near the proposed driveway. These should indicate finish and drainage materials, reinforcement and stabilization bases and other subsurface preparation requirements.

Measure the driveway dimensions, using the engineer's scale. Verify the dimensions against those indicated on the drawing. Single car driveways should be 10 to 12 feet wide, twenty feet long per vehicle and allow 6 to 12 feet at the entry for pedestrian traffic. Double-wide driveways should be 20 to 24 feet wide.

Measure any turning radii. These are 15 to 17 feet for small to midsized cars. Large driveways require a turning radius of at least 50 feet to comply with local fire codes.

Locate driveway connections to existing and proposed roads. Look at the driveway's location in relation to any fixed objects, existing and proposed structures on the site, including buildings, patios, porches, fences, gates, retaining walls, rockeries and other landscaping elements. Make sure there are no potential obstructions.

Check that the driveway does not conflict with other physical site features, including walks, buffer areas, critical areas and critical area buffers, shorelines, water features, drainage patterns, swales and buffers, bulkheads, septic system components, sewer service, water service, wells, propane, gas, diesel or heating oil tanks.

Measure the distance between driveway contour lines along the driveway length to calculate the grade. Measure the distance across its width to calculate its cross slope. Contour lines are lines on the plan that indicate topography and elevations on the site, typically occurring at 2-foot, vertical intervals.