Brick Paver Driveway Contractor in Des Plaines, IL
3D Brick Paving Co. installs custom brick paver driveways built to Des Plaines soil conditions, city width and apron rules, CA-6 base requirements, and right-of-way approval. Founded in 1972 and operating from 1000 Lee Street, the company carries Unilock Authorized Contractor status, ICPI-certified installation staff, a lifetime manufacturer warranty on most products, and a 5-year unconditional labor guarantee.
Why Brick Pavers Outperform Concrete on Des Plaines Clay
Poured concrete behaves as one rigid slab. When the dense prairie clay and glacial till beneath a Des Plaines driveway expand, contract, or heave unevenly across a frost season, that slab has nowhere to go. Cracking at stress points, lifting near the apron, and fracturing around utility cuts follow.
Interlocking brick pavers transfer load differently. Each unit distributes pressure through compacted joint sand into the angular aggregate base below. The system flexes under seasonal soil movement without fracturing as a single surface. For a site that faces a 42-inch frost line depth, high moisture retention in dense clay, and repeated vehicle loading from turning tires, that flexibility is the deciding factor between a 5-year crack repair and a 30-year driveway.
The Des Plaines Right-of-Way: Apron Work and License Agreements
The apron is not part of your private driveway. It sits in the public right-of-way between your property line and the street curb, and the city controls what happens there.
Des Plaines allows one driveway per lot and one curb cut per driveway. If brick pavers extend into the right-of-way (including apron or sidewalk crossing work), the project requires a License Agreement from the Planning and Zoning Division. Contractors performing right-of-way work must be registered with the city and hold an original signed $20,000 surety bond.
Apron Geometry
The apron must match the driveway width at the property line, then flare straight out 3 ft on each side to meet the street curb. Aprons must stay at least 3 ft from the centerline of a hydrant, traffic signal, utility pole, or similar right-of-way fixture.
Required Drainage Pitch
The City of Des Plaines driveway guide sets binding requirements on base material, surface pitch, apron geometry, and driveway width. None of these are suggestions.
Driveway Width Limits by Garage Type
All driveways require a minimum width of 10 ft and must stay at least 2 ft from side and rear property lines.
Required Pitch
The finished driveway surface must slope away from the building at a minimum of 1/4 inch per foot (Slope = Δh / L ≥ 1/4 in/ft). At an 8-foot run, that means a 2-inch drop. At 20 feet, it’s a 5-inch drop. Surface water must leave the property toward the street or an approved drainage system without crossing onto neighboring private property.
CA-6 Base Requirement
Des Plaines mandates a minimum of 4 inches of CA-6 compactable gravel under any driveway surface. CA-6 contains angular stone and fines that interlock during compaction, resisting rutting from cars, delivery vehicles, and turning tire loads.
The city driveway guide explicitly states: NO PEA GRAVEL. Rounded pea gravel rolls under load instead of locking. Under a driveway, that movement produces low spots, tire ruts, border spread, and paver separation.
Hard surfaces must also sit at least 4 inches below the top of the building foundation and must not drain onto neighboring properties.
Des Plaines Driveway Permits
A driveway replacement or new installation requires a permit through the City of Des Plaines Customer Self Service (CSS) portal, filed under Concrete/Pavers/Asphalt (Residential). The submittal package requires a current Plat of Survey showing the driveway location, dimensions, and distances from property lines, buildings, and accessory structures. A signed contractor agreement is required when a contractor performs the work.
The baseline residential building permit fee is $100, though municipal fees can change. Confirm the current fee in the CSS portal before submitting.
Our Installation Process
1. Plat and site review
We check the Plat of Survey, driveway location, garage width, property line setbacks, utility conflicts, apron geometry, sidewalk crossing, right-of-way boundaries, and existing drainage direction before touching the site.
2. Existing surface removal
We demolish and remove failed asphalt, concrete, old pavers, unstable base material, and broken edge restraints. All heavy debris leaves through proper hauling.
3. Excavation and subgrade prep
We excavate for paver thickness, bedding layer, compacted aggregate, and finished elevation, accounting for the garage threshold, sidewalk, apron, and street approach.
4. CA-6 base installation
We install CA-6 angular aggregate and compact it in controlled lifts to stabilize against clay movement, tire load, and freeze-thaw pressure.
5. Bedding and paver setting
We prepare the bedding layer, set driveway-rated pavers, maintain joint alignment, and cut clean edges at borders, curves, garage transitions, walkways, and apron flares.
6. Edge restraint and compaction
We lock the perimeter and compact the paver field so the units interlock through joint sand. Edge restraint prevents spreading under tire movement and seasonal ground shifts.
7. Final drainage check
We verify pitch away from the structure, confirm the apron transition, review side-edge flow, and prepare for city inspection.
Zoning, Rear Yard Coverage, and Patio Separation Rules
A driveway expansion doesn’t exist in isolation on an R-1 residential lot. Des Plaines caps rear yard coverage at 60%, calculated from the rear-most elevation of the principal building to the rear lot line. Any combination of driveway, patio, detached garage, walkway, or sports court counts toward that limit, so the layout has to be designed as a whole.
Patios and driveways also can’t connect directly. Des Plaines code requires a minimum 3-foot separation between a patio and any driveway or parking area. A patio may join another hard surface only through a residential walkway that diverges from both surfaces.
Drainage in Low-Lying Des Plaines Areas
Properties near the Des Plaines River corridor, Cumberland, Craig Manor, or Homerican Villas may fall within FEMA-designated floodway or floodplain zones. The city permits at-grade driveways in those areas, but Title 14 requirements apply, and flood hazard review can affect elevation, drainage direction, and apron design.
For drainage-sensitive sites, driveway planning may require a garage threshold review, controlled sheet flow routing, channel drain placement, catch basin coordination, and a formal flood zone determination from the city’s Engineering department.
Heated Driveway Planning
A heated paver driveway requires all the standard site planning plus electrical coordination and snowmelt runoff routing before excavation begins. Radiant heating coils can’t be retrofitted into a base that’s already compacted. 3D Brick Paving has documented this type of installation through a residential project in Winnetka: asphalt removal, heating coil installation, Belgard Brooklyn Midnight pavers, Eden Tumbled Cobble border, 8-day installation, $60,000 total project cost. That project is not a Des Plaines pricing benchmark, but it documents the full scope of this work.
For a heated Des Plaines driveway, the same rules apply: 1/4 in/ft pitch away from the structure, correct apron flare geometry, CA-6 base, License Agreement for right-of-way pavers, and a snowmelt runoff path that stays on-site or enters an approved drainage system.
Heavy Debris Hauling After Driveway Removal
A full driveway tear-out generates asphalt, concrete, gravel, clay, and compacted fill. Des Plaines allows up to 1 cubic yard of construction debris per week through LRS curbside service, but bulk pickup excludes concrete, stone, masonry, dirt, and tree stumps. A full replacement can’t go out with regular trash.
We remove, haul, and route legacy material through proper disposal or recycling, including Vulcan Materials of Elk Grove for asphalt, brick, and concrete. No rejected debris at the parkway.
Warranties
The manufacturer warranty on installed paver products is lifetime coverage on color, structural integrity, and dimensional stability under normal freeze-thaw cycling. It transfers with the property at sale. The 3D Brick Paving labor and craftsmanship guarantee runs 5 years, unconditional: if a paver sinks, a pattern fails, or base settlement occurs within that window, we excavate, correct, and reinstall at no charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. All driveway replacements and new installations require a permit through the CSS portal under Concrete/Pavers/Asphalt (Residential). The submittal requires a Plat of Survey with driveway dimensions and a signed contractor agreement.
The baseline residential fee is $100. Confirm the current amount in the CSS portal before submitting, as municipal fees can change.
Yes, but only with city approval. Brick pavers in the public right-of-way (including the apron) require a License Agreement from the Planning and Zoning Division. The contractor must also be city-registered and hold a $20,000 surety bond.
Width at the property line depends on your garage: 20 ft for no garage or a single-car garage, 23 ft for a two-car garage, and 26 ft for a three-car garage. A minimum width of 10 ft applies to all driveways, and the driveway must stay at least 2 ft from side and rear property lines.
Rounded pea gravel doesn’t compact into a locked structural base. Under vehicle load, it shifts and creates settlement, ruts, and paver separation. The city requires CA-6 angular aggregate and specifically states NO PEA GRAVEL in its driveway guide.
The apron must match the driveway width at your property line, then flare straight out 3 ft on each side to the curb. A 20-foot driveway at the property line becomes wider at the street because of this required flare.
No. Des Plaines requires at least 3 ft of separation between a patio and any driveway or parking area. Connection between two hard surfaces is only allowed through a residential walkway that diverges from both.
At-grade driveways are permitted in Des Plaines floodway and floodplain areas, but Title 14 requirements still apply. If your flood status is unclear, the city’s CED department can route your application to Engineering for a formal flood zone determination.
Not for a full replacement. Des Plaines allows up to 1 cubic yard of construction debris per week through curbside pickup, but that service excludes concrete, stone, masonry, and dirt. Full tear-outs require contractor hauling.
A standard residential driveway runs 3 to 5 days for excavation, base installation, paver setting, edge restraint, and finish work. Heated driveway systems, heated apron extensions, or permits requiring city inspection can extend that timeline. We confirm scheduling and any hold points before work starts.
Contact 3D Brick Paving Co.
3D Brick Paving Co. 1000 Lee Street, Des Plaines, Illinois 60016 Phone: 847-297-7966
We serve Des Plaines, Unincorporated Maine Township, and surrounding Cook County communities. Every consultation includes a site visit, permit jurisdiction review, and a 3D design rendering at no charge.