Driveways and Curbs

Driveways

Consider the following before making changes to your driveway:

• Parking must be on private property, not the boulevard, as per the Boulevard By-law.
• The minimum length of a parking space is 5.75 m.
• Driveways cannot be more than 50% of the front yard area to ensure that 50% landscaped area is maintained.
• Must be 1 m away from any above ground utilities or boulevard trees.

• Forestry Services will inspect and assess any request that is either within 2 metres of OR within the dripline of a City tree.

 *The drip line is defined as the area beneath the outer most branch tips of a tree.

• The City requires a minimum of 10 business days to review the application for access to property/curb cut request once submitted.
• All applications require a site visit before approval. The City will contact the applicant if any issues prevent the approval of an application.
• Curb Cut reviews will be completed between April 1 and November 30. Applications received outside these dates will kept until the following season. Applications submitted close to the end of the season may be deferred at the City's discretion.
• Please note that the City is not responsible for curb cut requests within a Regional Road allowance. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify the road jurisdiction before submitting a request.
• A third party contractor performs the curb cuts, and the City cannot guarantee timelines.
• To ensure the inspection able to proceed, the location of the proposed curb cut must be staked/marked out and visible for inspection.
• Curb cuts are done using a horizontal curb cutting machine to provide an even and uniform cut through the entire thickness of the curb; however, 100% matching with the existing depressed curb is not guaranteed.
• Under the Site Alteration by-law the elevation of the land within 0.6 m of the property line must not be changed unless approved under a Site Alteration Permit. There can be no change in the location, direction or elevation of any swale or ditch used to drain land. Visit our Landscaping and Grading webpage for more information regarding the grading and drainage of your property.
• Driveways must meet all requirements set out in the Zoning By-law. 

Curbs and Curb cuts

If repaving your driveway and you have questions about of the curb or sidewalk in front of your driveway, contact Service Oshawa. City staff will assess the condition of the curb to determine if it requires replacement.

The City of Oshawa regulates curb cuts, which are breaks in the curb to allow you to widen the driveway. Contact Service Oshawa to request a curb cut adjacent to your property. If the request is approved, you will need to get a permit and pay a fee at Service Oshawa. Once complete, we will send out a contractor to cut the curb.