Do I need a permit to pave or replace my driveway in Lee, Charlotte or Sarasota County, and what will the whole job cost?

Usually, yes. The part of your driveway nearest the street is the apron. The apron, the swale and any culvert pipe often sit in the public right-of-way. Work there needs approval from whoever maintains the road.

Charlotte County

Charlotte County requires a permit for any work in its rights-of-way and easements. That includes installing, reinstalling or resurfacing a driveway, plus any culvert pipe work.

The county lists two jobs that each get their own right-of-way permit:

• Widening an existing driveway
• Replacing a swale drive with a culvert

Lee County

You need a Residential Driveway Permit for any work other than mowing inside the right-of-way of a county-maintained road. This applies even if your home is inside a city. If the road is not county-maintained, your city handles it.

Sarasota County

Check with the county or your city before work starts. A new state law, HB 803, starts July 1, 2026. It lets single-family homeowners skip the building permit for some work under $7,500.

Cape Coral handles driveways itself. The city has a residential permit for adding to or replacing a driveway. It goes through the city's stormwater review, because a driveway changes how water runs off your lot and into the swale.

You apply online through the city's Citizen Self Service portal. The city no longer takes paper applications. The packet includes a stormwater permit application for driveway replacement or addition. It also includes a burrowing owl and gopher tortoise affidavit. That matters in Cape Coral, where burrowing owls nest in many yards.

If your driveway crosses a city easement, the city's code says the owner may have to agree to cover costs if that driveway ever has to be removed for utility work. Read that part of the application before you sign.

The point for homeowners is simple. Living in Lee County does not mean the county issues your driveway permit. Cape Coral, Fort Myers and other cities have their own rules. Check which office covers your address first.

It can be either one. Lee County's right-of-way rules say a permit can only go to the property owner, an authorized contractor or a utility. Charlotte County allows owner-builders to pull a right-of-way permit for projects under a set cost. But you cannot rent or sell the home within one year after the permit is finished.

If you pull the permit yourself, you take on the job of meeting the rules and passing inspections. If something fails, it is on you to fix it.

Our advice: settle this before work starts. Ask who files the application, who pays the fees and who schedules inspections. Get the answer in your written quote.

Plan for the county's side too. Lee County's driveway worksheet says a stakeout or evaluation request can take up to two weeks. That wait happens before the permit is ready. So do not book a pour date until you know where the permit stands.

Your total is built from a few pieces. Look at each one so nothing surprises you.

The new surface. A concrete driveway (see our price below) includes excavation, a compacted base, 4" concrete with rebar or mesh, pouring, finishing, curing and cleanup. A paver driveway (see our price below) includes excavation, a compacted aggregate base, pavers in your style and color, bedding and polymeric joint sand, installation and cleanup. Both are priced per square foot, so measure your driveway and apron.

Taking out the old one. Removing old concrete or asphalt is a separate demolition line (see our price below), also per square foot. It covers prep, demo, load-out, dumpster haul-away and a broom-clean.

Permits. Permit fees are not part of our listed driveway prices. The county or city sets those fees, and they can change with the work. In Charlotte County, for example, the fee depends on which inspections the job needs, such as a pipe inspection.

Extras. A wider apron, a new culvert or swale regrading can add work. Ask for these as separate lines in your quote.