If a new driveway meets a state or US highway in Alabama, you need an ALDOT permit, applied for through the district office on Form BM-111, and the pipe under the drive has to be at least 15 inches. If it meets a county road, the county engineer's office sets the rules. Inside a town, ask the city. Settle the permit and the pipe size before anything goes in the ditch.
Why the road owner gets a say
The ditch along a road is part of the road. Water off the pavement and the land above it runs down that ditch, and a driveway built across it without a pipe, or with one too small, backs water onto the road or washes out the drive. ALDOT's permit manual says a permit is required for a turnout because turnouts affect the drainage and safety of the highway. Counties and cities look at their own roads the same way, which is why the first call is to whoever owns the road.
State and US highways: ALDOT
ALDOT's permit manual says all permit applications start at the local district office, and that an applicant who wants to build a turnout on state right-of-way submits Form BM-111. A simple turnout into a residence or a farm field does not need an engineer's stamped plans, but ALDOT asks at least for a simple drawing. The manual also says all costs of the turnout are paid by the applicant, that ALDOT requires security for performance on permit requests, and that the property owner replaces the original installation when it wears out or is damaged.
Around Fayette, Northport and Tuscaloosa that covers drives onto roads such as US-43, US-82 and Highways 18, 69, 96 and 171. If you are not sure whether your road is a state route, the district office can tell you.
ALDOT's pipe rules
The manual sets a 15-inch minimum for any side drain pipe, which is the pipe under a drive that runs along the highway ditch, and it lets regions require 18-inch pipe. Only standard manufactured pipe meeting ALDOT specifications is allowed, and sloped end sections or sloped paved headwalls are required for pipes under drives. Ask the district which size and end treatment it wants at your spot before the pipe is bought.
County roads: the county engineer
Off the state system, the road belongs to the county, and each county runs its own process through its engineer's or public works office. In Tuscaloosa County that is Tuscaloosa County Public Works. In Fayette, Walker, Marion, Lamar, Pickens, Cullman or Winston County, call the county engineer's office with the road name and ask three things: is a permit needed, what pipe size and material they want, and whether the county sets the pipe or you do.
Inside city limits
Cities have their own say over drives that meet city streets. The City of Tuscaloosa lists a land development permit for expanding a residential driveway, and a right-of-way use permit can apply. In Northport, ask the Planning and Inspections Department. In Jasper, Fayette, Winfield and the smaller towns, ask City Hall.
Culverts on your own land
Past the road ditch, a culvert under your own drive or field road is your call, but the water still decides. A pipe too small for what comes down the branch or the ditch in a hard rain backs water up and washes the drive out around it. It should sit on bedded, firm ground at the grade of the ditch, with enough cover over it for the trucks that will cross. Work in a stream can also come under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, so ask before a pipe goes in a creek. Our culvert installation page covers how we set them.
The order to do it in
Find out who owns the road. Call that office and ask about the permit, the pipe size and the end treatment. Stake where the drive will meet the road. Have Alabama 811 mark buried lines before anything is dug. Then the pipe goes in, the drive is built across it with a crown and ditches, and the base and surface gravel go on. See driveways and access roads and the gravel driveway cost guide.
Common Questions
Do I need a permit to put in a driveway culvert in Alabama?
On a state or US highway, yes. ALDOT's permit manual says a permit is required for a turnout, applied for through the district office on Form BM-111. On a county road, ask the county engineer's office. Inside a city, ask the city. Each road owner sets the rules for its own ditch.
What size culvert pipe does ALDOT require under a driveway?
ALDOT's permit manual sets a 15-inch minimum for any side drain pipe and lets regions require 18-inch pipe. It also calls for standard manufactured pipe meeting ALDOT specifications and sloped end sections or sloped paved headwalls under drives. Ask your district office which applies at your spot.
Who pays for a driveway culvert on a state highway in Alabama?
ALDOT's permit manual says all costs associated with the turnout are paid by the applicant, and that the property owner is responsible for replacing the original installation when it deteriorates or is damaged. Plan for the pipe, the end treatment and the work, and keep the permit with your property papers.
Do I need engineered plans for a home driveway onto a state road?
Usually not. ALDOT's permit manual exempts a simple turnout into a residence or a farm field from the stamped plan set requirement, but asks at least for a simple drawing of the entrance. Commercial entrances are a different case with more requirements.
What to Do Next
Call the office that owns your road this week and ask the three questions above. Then call or text (205) 535-6376 with the road name and what will drive on it, and we will walk the route and give you a free estimate for the drive and the pipe.
See our culvert installation page or call or text (205) 535-6376.