The short version
- Every town here has a permit for work on the public part of a driveway, the strip between the road and your property line.
- Replacing a driveway can need one too. LaSalle, Amherstburg and Kingsville say so outright, and the Town of Essex lists repaving.
- In Tecumseh and Amherstburg, the curb has to be cut by an approved contractor.
- Windsor, Tecumseh, Lakeshore and the Town of Essex all inspect before the pour.
- County roads and provincial highways have their own permit process.
Driveway rules by town
| Town | Permit | Home driveway width | Fee and deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor | Driveway/access permit | At least 2.5 m. At the curb, 4.5 m, 7 m or 9 m by garage size, never over 50% of frontage | $298, plus an indemnity fee of at least $1,000 |
| LaSalle | Right-of-way permit | 3.7 m, up to 50% of frontage or 9.1 m | Ask the Town |
| Tecumseh | Public Works permit | Up to 7.62 m, or 40% of frontage up to 9.15 m | $170, plus a $1,015 indemnity |
| Lakeshore and Belle River | Public Works permit | Ask the Municipality | $510, plus a listed $2,550 indemnity deposit |
| Amherstburg | Driveway permit | At least 3 m. Up to 50% of frontage on lots under 15.24 m, 7.62 m on wider lots | Security set by the Town |
| Kingsville | Entrance or encroachment permit | Ask the Town | $250, plus a $1,000 deposit, or $2,000 with a building permit |
| Leamington | Encroachment permit | Ask the Municipality | $250, plus a $1,000 deposit |
| Essex and Harrow | Entrance permit | Single 3 to 4.3 m, double 6 to 7 m | Ask the Town |
| Chatham-Kent | Entrance (driveway) permit | Ask the Municipality | $180.84, plus $1,000 if the curb is cut |
We took these from each town's own website, permit forms and policies in November 2026. "Ask the Town" means the number wasn't on the permit pages we could find. This is a plain-language summary for homes, not legal advice. Fees change every year, so confirm with your town before you start.
Whose road is it?
Start here, because it decides who you apply to. Some roads in these towns belong to the County of Essex, and the County issues its own Entrance and Other Miscellaneous Works Permit under By-law 2481. It reviews your plans, emails you the fees and deposits, and sends a copy of the permit to your local municipality. The County's number is 519-776-6441.
Highways 3 and 77 in Leamington are under the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, not the Municipality.
The County of Essex entrance permit →
LaSalle
New and existing driveway construction needs a right-of-way permit and has to meet the Town's Driveway Standards, dated April 2023. A driveway has to be at least 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and can't be more than 50% of the frontage, up to 9.1 m (30 ft). The approach has to be straight, with no flares, and at least 1 m from what the Town calls municipal functions.
It also has to sit at least 15 m from the end of the radius of an intersection. On a corner lot, the driveway goes on the side of the house furthest from the intersection, on the lower-class road. A concrete lead walk up to 1.2 m wide can go beside the driveway if the curb isn't cut for it and the two together stay within 50% of the frontage. Public Works is at 519-969-4143.
LaSalle's right-of-way permits →
Tecumseh
You need a Public Works permit before any work in the Town's right-of-way, and that includes driveway aprons and curbs. The 2026 form lists $170 plus a $1,015 indemnity for a driveway approach, and $86 plus a $507.50 indemnity for a curb cut.
On municipal property, the form calls for 32 MPa concrete with no wire mesh, and 6 in of concrete or 4 in of asphalt, graded evenly to the property line. Only an approved contractor can cut the curb.
A driveway on a home lot can be 7.62 m wide or 40% of the frontage, whichever is greater, up to 9.15 m. It has to stay 0.5 m from the other lot lines and 9.15 m from an intersection, and a lot can have two driveways at most.
There are two inspections, booked 2 business days ahead at 519-735-2184 ext. 142. The first has to pass before the pour, with the base ready and the sewer clean-outs exposed and level with the forms. The second comes once the driveway is in, backfilled and the ground restored.
Tecumseh's 2026 permit form (PDF) →
Lakeshore, including Belle River
Lakeshore moved its Public Works permits online in 2026, through the Citywide portal. The Municipality lists driveway entrances, driveway alterations and culvert work among the jobs that may need one, and work can't begin until the permit is issued.
The User Fee By-law lists $510 for an encroachment or entrance permit, and a $2,550 indemnity deposit, refundable for up to 3 years. Driveway work needs a pre-pour inspection before concrete or asphalt goes down, and staff have up to five business days to attend, so leave room in the schedule. A failed inspection means a re-inspection fee. The number is 519-728-2700.
Lakeshore's Public Works permits →
Amherstburg
Amherstburg's Driveway Alteration or Installation policy, approved March 9, 2026, makes permits mandatory for any driveway installed or altered in the right-of-way. Altered includes removed, replaced, widened, narrowed or resurfaced.
Homes get one driveway, with an exception for some R1A lots with 30 m of frontage. The minimum width is 3 m. On a lot with under 15.24 m of frontage, the maximum is 50% of the frontage, and on a wider lot it's 7.62 m. A driveway has to stay 8 m from the point where the street lines meet, meet the road at 60 degrees or more, and slope between 1% and 8% in the right-of-way.
In the right-of-way, concrete has to be 5 in thick with no wire mesh, on at least 6 in of Granular A. Asphalt has to be at least 3 in. Curb cuts need an approved curb cutting contractor, a contractor has to give the Town an insurance certificate naming it as additionally insured, and the work has to be finished within 2 years of the permit.
Amherstburg's driveway policy (PDF) →
Kingsville
The Town requires an Entrance/Encroachment permit from its Engineering Department for driveway entrances, new or replacement. You apply online with a sketch of the work, and work can't start until the permit is issued.
The Town's fee list shows $250 plus a damage deposit: $1,000, or $2,000 with a building permit. A re-inspection after a failed first inspection is $95. The list also has a $2,000 charge for not hard surfacing a driveway apron, so ask what your apron needs. The number is 519-733-2305.
Kingsville's entrance permit form →
Leamington
Leamington calls it an Encroachment Permit. The 2026 fee is $250 plus a $1,000 deposit, or a $5,000 deposit if a road crossing is involved. No work can start in the right-of-way until the permit is issued. When the job is done, you ask for an inspection, and the deposit comes back if the site is returned to its pre-construction condition.
Urban driveways, on public or private property, have to be hard surfaced with concrete, asphalt or brick pavers. On public property, a home driveway needs 125 mm of concrete on a 125 mm granular base, 75 mm of asphalt on 250 mm, or 100 mm brick pavers on 250 mm. Patio slabs don't count as brick pavers. Engineering Services is at 519-326-5761 ext. 1315.
Leamington's entrance and driveway page →
Town of Essex, including Harrow
The Town requires an entrance permit for changes to the boulevard or driveway: a new entrance, widening or repaving one, changing its design or location, or cutting the curb. Its form says plainly that an application is not a permit, so don't start until it's approved.
The Town's urban residential drawing shows a single driveway at 3 to 4.3 m wide and a double at 6 to 7 m, with a maximum upgrade of 10% and downgrade of 8%.
Inspections are required, each booked at least 72 hours ahead: a layout meeting before the curb is cut, and a pre-pour inspection once the base is in and compacted. A final inspection comes after grading and grass. Skipping the first two can mean removing the work and losing the deposit. Deposits are held for 5 years, then they're gone, so ask for yours back. The number is 519-776-7336 ext. 1145.
The Town of Essex roadway permits →
Chatham-Kent
Chatham is outside Essex County. Chatham-Kent requires an Entrance (Driveway) Permit for a new driveway or a change to an existing one. The fee is $180.84, plus a $1,000 damage deposit if the curb is cut, refunded once the Municipality confirms there's no damage. Contractors have to supply insurance listing the Municipality as additional insured, and permits can take up to 10 business days. The number is 519-360-1998.
Chatham-Kent's Public Works permits →
What catches people out
Replacing counts
It's easy to assume a permit is only for a new driveway. In LaSalle, Amherstburg and Kingsville, replacing one is covered too, and the Town of Essex lists repaving. If the work touches the public part, ask first.
The concrete spec can change at the property line
Public land can have its own rules. Tecumseh and Amherstburg don't allow wire mesh there. Amherstburg and Leamington ask for 125 mm (5 in) of concrete, and Tecumseh asks for 6 in. What's fine in one town can fail in the next.
Clean-outs and water valves
Anything in the driveway has to come up to the new grade. Tecumseh checks sewer clean-outs at the first inspection, and the Town of Essex wants services and water valves at grade before the pour.
Ditches and culverts
On a road with a ditch, the culvert is part of the job. Amherstburg requires a new corrugated steel or HDPE culvert, sized on your permit, with at least 100 mm of Granular A under it and 150 mm over it. Lakeshore lists culvert work as a permit item. In the Town of Essex, you mark the driveway with location stakes and the Town sets the grade stakes.
Call before you dig
Ontario requires a utility locate before any excavation, and that includes homeowners. Book it through Ontario One Call, and do it early.
Planning a new driveway?
We pour concrete driveways across Windsor-Essex: old one out, solid base, clean pour. We'll measure at the free estimate, look at the approach and the curb with you, and go over what your town requires. You'll get a written quote the same day.
What a concrete driveway costs in Windsor →
Planning a new driveway?
Free on-site estimate anywhere in Windsor-Essex, with a written quote the same day. One-year warranty, fully insured and WSIB covered. Call or text 519-567-4724.
