Waco, TX Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- City engineer permit for sidewalk, curb, driveway work
- Late-start penalty
- Fee doubles if work starts before permit issued
- Permit expiration
- Cancelled if work not started within 60 days
- Contractor bond
- Bond required, 12-month maintenance obligation after work
- Fee authority
- Set annually by city council in the budget
Summary
Anyone who wants to build, repair, or replace a sidewalk, curb, gutter, driveway or other concrete work on public property in Waco needs a permit from the city engineer first. The permit fee doubles if work starts before the permit is issued, and an unused permit is cancelled if work has not begun within 60 days.
No person shall construct, reconstruct, alter or repair, remove or replace any sidewalk curb, gutter, driveway or other concrete work on any public property within the city without first obtaining a permit from the city engineer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 22-66 requires a permit from the city engineer before anyone constructs, reconstructs, alters, repairs, removes or replaces a sidewalk, curb, gutter, driveway or other concrete work on public property within the city, which covers a homeowner cutting a new driveway apron or repairing a broken section of public sidewalk. Sec. 22-68 adds that where the work could affect present or future traffic engineering, the city engineer's approval is required before the permit can even be issued. Under Sec. 22-69, the applicant pays an inspection and engineering-services fee set by the city council in the annual budget, due at the time of application; no fee applies when a cement contractor is ordered back to fix defective work of his own making, but if work starts before a permit is obtained, the fee is doubled and full compliance with the permit requirements is still owed on top of that.
Sec. 22-70 cancels any issued permit, with the fees forfeited to the city, if active work has not started within 60 days of issuance. Sec. 22-71 further requires that the permitted work be performed under the city engineer's supervision and to the specifications in Chapter 22 or any additional specifications the engineer prepares, and Sec. 22-72 requires a bond from any contractor doing the work, covering workmanship and a 12-month maintenance obligation after completion.
Violations & Fines
Doing sidewalk, curb, gutter or driveway concrete work on public property without first getting a Sec. 22-66 permit exposes the property owner or contractor to code enforcement and a doubled permit fee once the missing permit is discovered, on top of having to fully comply with the article's requirements anyway. A permit that sits unused for 60 days is automatically cancelled and its fees are kept by the city, so the work has to be re-permitted and re-paid for before it can start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to redo my driveway apron in Waco?
What happens if I start the concrete work before getting the permit?
How long is a Waco sidewalk permit good for before I have to start work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco to another location·View the Texas sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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