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Driveway Apron in New Jersey: Who Pays, Which Permit, What Material

Randy Seal Coating & Striping•

A driveway apron is the strip of driveway between the street and the sidewalk or property line. Most of the 13 New Jersey town codes read for this guide place that strip in the public street or right-of-way. Where the code says who pays, it is the homeowner. A town permit comes first, and the code often calls for 6 inch concrete.

Quick Answer

  • Who pays: the abutting property owner, in every code here that addresses it.
  • Permit: all 13 codes tie work at the curb line to a permit or a town official's approval. The office changes from town to town.
  • Material: concrete in most towns. Asphalt is written into the code in Union Township, Montclair, Woodbridge and, where there is no concrete sidewalk, Hawthorne.
  • County road or state highway: the county or NJDOT has its own permit.
  • Date read: every code below was read on September 20, 2026. Ordinances change, so confirm with the office named before you sign a contract.

Randy Seal Coating & Striping is an asphalt contractor. If your town allows an asphalt apron, or the damage is on the asphalt side of the sidewalk, start with asphalt driveway paving. If your town requires a concrete apron, that part of the job belongs to a concrete or masonry contractor. This guide shows you how to tell which one you need.

Where the Apron Starts and Whose Land It Is On

Two New Jersey codes define the apron in plain words:

In these towns that puts the apron inside the public right-of-way. Cranford's engineering office says each street has a right-of-way that "can vary between 10ft and 20ft from the edge of the curb to the property line." It adds that the area is public property, but "the property owners are responsible to maintain" (Cranford Engineering permits page). Morris Township says its right-of-way generally extends 10 feet beyond the edge of the roadway (Morris Township road opening permit page).

What this means for you: in these towns the apron sits in the public right-of-way, yet the repair bill goes to the owner. Your property survey shows where your line falls. Clifton asks for a survey and plan with the permit when the driveway is 10 feet or wider.

Who Pays and What the Code Requires in 13 North and Central Jersey Towns

Each row records only what the linked code or town page says. Where the text is silent, the table says so. Every source was read on September 20, 2026. Ordinances change, so call the office named before work starts.

Town (county)Who is responsiblePermit and feesMaterial ruleSource
Union TownshipUnion CountyThe apron article does not say who maintains it. The permit holder must restore any damage to the sidewalk, curb or street.Department of Public Works. $10 fee, $100 deposit, and $5 for each of three inspections (initial, form, final).Residential zones: concrete or bituminous concrete (asphalt). Business and industrial zones: concrete. Width caps of 12, 18 or 24 feet by garage size.Union Township Code, Ch. 530, Art. VI
CranfordUnion CountyThe property owner must replace a damaged or broken sidewalk, curb or driveway apron.Engineering permit for new or replacement aprons on municipal and county roads. $100 per install.Not stated on the permits page.Cranford Engineering permits page
WestfieldUnion CountySidewalks and curbs in the right-of-way are built and repaired at the abutting landowner's expense. The section does not name aprons.Town Engineer permit for sidewalk and curb work, $1 application fee. The Town Engineer approves the apron.New curbs: granite block or concrete. No apron material in the sections read.Westfield Code, Sidewalks, Curbs and GuttersWestfield Land Use, Art. 10
MontclairEssex CountyThe abutting owner repairs broken sidewalk or curb. A hazardous sidewalk notice gives 45 calendar days.Township Engineer. The contractor applies. $20 for a new or repaired apron, plus a $2,000 bond or letter of credit.Concrete at least 7 inches on 4 inches of crushed stone, or bituminous concrete (asphalt) 5 inches in two courses. The sidewalk crossing stays 7 inch concrete.Montclair Code, Ch. 297, Art. I
West OrangeEssex CountyNot stated in the sections read.Written permit from the Director of Public Works for sidewalk or curb work. Fees are set by council resolution.Where a driveway crosses the sidewalk, it matches the sidewalk material. The township detail sheet shows a 6 inch concrete apron at driveways.West Orange Code, Ch. 20West Orange Engineering standard details (PDF)
CliftonPassaic CountyCurbs and sidewalks are at the abutting owner's expense. The owner keeps up the strip between the property line and the curb. Repair notices give at least 90 days.City Engineer. $25 where the driveway is 10 feet or wider, with a survey and plan. Forms are inspected before any pour.6 inch concrete at driveways and aprons. Concrete paver aprons are allowed to the city's specification. No pavers in the sidewalk. A driveway crossing is capped at 20 feet wide.Clifton Code, Ch. 395, Art. I
HawthornePassaic CountyThe abutting owner maintains the sidewalk at their own cost and keeps the strip between sidewalk and curb in repair.Borough Construction Code Official. The Director of Public Works inspects the forms before the pour.At least 6 inches thick. Concrete where the apron adjoins a concrete sidewalk. Macadam (asphalt) is allowed where the driveway reaches the street without crossing a concrete sidewalk.Hawthorne Code, Sidewalks, Curbs and Driveway Aprons
TeaneckBergen CountyThe owner or occupant maintains the abutting sidewalk.Township Engineer.All driveway aprons are concrete, 6 inches deep, 3,500 pounds per square inch.Teaneck Code, Ch. 32, Art. III
ParamusBergen CountyNot stated in the article read.Curb cut permit. The Borough Engineer inspects before concrete is poured.Concrete aprons between curbs and sidewalks. A residential curb cut is capped at 20 feet.Paramus Code, residential district regulations
WoodbridgeMiddlesex CountyThe owner maintains the sidewalk, driveway and curb in the right-of-way at their own expense. After a 30 day notice the Township can do the work and assess it.Written permit from the Director. The code lists $50 for homeowners, $300 if work starts first. The Engineering page lists a $100 road opening permit and a $2,000 escrow unless the contractor already has a bond on file.6 inch concrete with welded wire fabric, or at least 2 inches of bituminous surfacing over 4 inches of crushed stone. The part shared with the sidewalk is 6 inch concrete.Woodbridge Code, Ch. 25Woodbridge road opening permit page
MetuchenMiddlesex CountyThe adjacent owner maintains the curb and sidewalk.Zoning Official. $150 for a partial permit, $550 for a full replacement ($500 of it is inspection escrow).Concrete, at least 6 inches, reinforced with wire mesh, between the curb and the sidewalk.Metuchen Code, Construction and Maintenance of Sidewalks
Parsippany-Troy HillsMorris CountySidewalk upkeep is the abutting landowner's duty. After at least 30 days notice the Township can do the work, and the cost becomes a lien.Director of Public Works. $50 for up to 100 square feet, then $1 per square foot. Give 24 hours notice before pouring or laying.Township specifications on file with Public Works. A concrete sidewalk may not be replaced or covered with blacktop.Parsippany-Troy Hills Code, Ch. 360, Art. IV
Rockaway TownshipMorris CountyThe owner keeps up the strip between the property line and the curb.Driveway permit, $50.Concrete where sidewalks exist or will be built. An existing apron only has to become concrete when the adjacent sidewalk is replaced.Rockaway Township Code, Ch. 16

Woodbridge shows two sets of numbers. The code lists a $50 homeowner permit fee. The Division of Engineering page lists a $100 road opening permit and a $2,000 escrow. Both are shown above. Ask the Division of Engineering which applies to your job.

What the 13 Codes Have in Common

  • ✓Approval comes first everywhere. The engineer signs off in Montclair, Teaneck, Clifton and Westfield. Public works does it in Union Township, Parsippany-Troy Hills and West Orange. Hawthorne uses the construction code official. Metuchen uses the zoning official. Paramus and Rockaway Township frame it as a curb cut or driveway permit, so ask whether a like for like apron replacement is covered.
  • ✓No code here makes the town pay for a worn apron. Where the text says who pays, it is the abutting owner.
  • ✓Towns can do the work and bill you. Notice periods run at least 30 days in Woodbridge and Parsippany-Troy Hills, 45 days in Montclair, and 90 days in Clifton and Westfield. Most of these rules are written for sidewalks and curbs. Woodbridge's also names the driveway.
  • ✓Six inches of concrete is the most common rule. Clifton, Hawthorne, Teaneck, Woodbridge and Metuchen state it. West Orange's detail sheet shows it. Montclair asks for 7.
  • ✓Asphalt is written into four codes. Union Township, Montclair and Woodbridge allow it outright. Hawthorne allows it only where the driveway does not cross a concrete sidewalk.
  • ✗Concrete only: Teaneck, Metuchen and Paramus. Rockaway Township requires concrete where sidewalks exist.
  • ✓The sidewalk crossing stays concrete. Montclair and Woodbridge both say so, even with an asphalt apron.
  • ✓Apron permit fees ran from $10 to $550. Union Township charges $10. Metuchen charges $550 for a full replacement. Montclair adds a $2,000 bond. Woodbridge's page lists a $2,000 escrow.

Hackensack goes further in its site design standards. That section says asphalt "shall not be used for the driveway apron" and shall not extend past the sidewalk edge or, with no sidewalk, the property line (Hackensack Code, Ch. 175, Art. XIII). Its driveway table starts at three family buildings, so ask the city whether it applies to a one family home.

Does Any Town Help Pay?

None of the 13 codes above describes a cost share for aprons. Two nearby programs show what one looks like:

  • ✓Livingston (Essex County) reimburses eligible owners half the cost of a sidewalk replacement. The article describes sidewalks and does not mention aprons (Livingston Code, Cost Share Sidewalk Repair Program).
  • ✓Freehold Township (Monmouth County) is outside our service area. Its program pays 50% of a maximum of $16 per square foot for a 6 inch reinforced concrete apron. It replaces the curb along the apron at the Township's expense (Freehold Township replacement program).

One call to your engineering office will tell you whether your town runs anything similar this year.

County Roads, State Highways and the 811 Call

If your driveway opens onto a county road or a state highway, the town is not the only office involved. Cranford puts it plainly: permits along county and state roads are under the jurisdiction of Union County and NJDOT. Here is what each county office says:

On a state highway, the rule is the State Highway Access Management Code, N.J.A.C. 16:47. NJDOT says property owners seeking access to state roadways must submit an application to the department. Applications with fewer than 500 daily trips are treated as minor (NJDOT highway access permits).

Before anyone digs: New Jersey One Call says the law requires a call to 811 at least three full business days before work begins, not counting weekends and holidays. That covers homeowners and their contractors (New Jersey One Call). Cranford adds that the call should be made no more than ten business days ahead.

What a New Jersey Winter Does to an Apron

  • ✗Frost heave. Pavement Interactive defines it as an upward movement of the subgrade as accumulated soil moisture freezes and expands (Pavement Interactive, Frost Action).
  • ✗Thaw weakening. The same reference describes a weakened subgrade from soil saturation as ice in the soil melts.
  • ✗Lost base support. Poor drainage or spring thaw leaves a less stiff base. Pavement Interactive lists that as a cause of alligator cracking in asphalt (Pavement Interactive, Fatigue Cracking).

Winter also limits the fix. Montclair does not permit concrete work from November 15 to March 21 without the Township Engineer's written permission. Woodbridge wants an approved salt protection plan before concrete is placed between November 1 and March 15. In Montclair, a concrete fix ordered in January waits for spring unless the Township Engineer allows it in writing. Montclair's notice rule allows a different deadline "depending upon the season of the year." Ask for yours in writing.

For the asphalt side of the driveway, see the winter asphalt maintenance guide for New Jersey.

Patch It or Replace It: How to Tell

Start with the notice, if you have one. Montclair's code says a notice must specify in sufficient detail the character of the repair. Then look at the surface itself.

If the apron is asphalt

  • ✗Alligator pattern cracking: Pavement Interactive says that once the pattern shows, repair by crack sealing is generally ineffective. It calls the pattern an indicator of structural failure that lets moisture in.
  • ✓Small, localized area: remove the cracked pavement, dig out and replace the poor subgrade, improve the drainage if needed, then patch. See asphalt patching.
  • ✗Large cracked area: the same reference treats it as general structural failure. The old pavement "most likely contributes little or no strength." Its fix for that case is a structural overlay of the whole surface, not a patch.

If the apron is concrete

  • •Angi describes concrete as durable but "susceptible to damage from cold weather" and "difficult to repair" (Angi driveway apron cost guide).
  • •Montclair counts replacing one or more sections as construction, so even a partial fix needs the permit.
  • •Concrete apron work belongs to a concrete or masonry contractor. Randy does not pour concrete.

If the damage runs from the apron up into an asphalt driveway, see asphalt driveway repairs and the asphalt driveway repair cost guide.

Asphalt, Concrete or Belgian Block at the Street

Concrete

The default in these codes. Expect 6 inches, or 7 in Montclair. Hawthorne and Teaneck set the strength at 3,500 pounds per square inch. Angi puts the usual national thickness at four to seven inches.

Asphalt

Allowed by the text in Union Township, Montclair and Woodbridge, and in Hawthorne where no concrete sidewalk is crossed. Montclair asks for 5 inches in two courses. Woodbridge asks for at least 2 inches over 4 inches of crushed stone. Angi calls asphalt a common choice, often used to match an existing asphalt driveway.

Belgian block and pavers

In the codes read here, Belgian or granite block appears as a curb material, not an apron surface. Montclair and Westfield both list it for curbs. Clifton is the one code here that writes a specification for concrete paver aprons, and it bars pavers in the sidewalk. If you want block or pavers in the apron, get the town engineer's answer in writing before you order stone. That work needs a masonry contractor.

This section covers only what town codes allow at the street. For the whole driveway, see asphalt versus concrete driveways.

What a National Source Says an Apron Costs

Randy does not publish apron prices. These are Angi's national figures, from a page Angi updated on September 18, 2026 (Angi driveway apron cost guide):

  • •National average to install an apron in 2026: $4,400.
  • •Most homeowners spend $1,300 to $7,800.
  • •Asphalt: $7 to $12 per square foot, or $1,300 to $5,200.
  • •Concrete: $8 to $18 per square foot.
  • •Permits: $50 to $200 in Angi's national range. The New Jersey apron fees found above ran from $10 to $550, before any bond or escrow.

For the asphalt driveway behind the apron, see the asphalt paving cost guide and the New Jersey driveway resurfacing cost guide.

Seven Questions to Ask Before Anyone Touches the Apron

  1. 1Who pulls the permit, and is the fee in the quote? In Montclair the contractor must apply. An owner can only get the permit when doing the work personally.
  2. 2Is there a bond, deposit or escrow, and who posts it? Montclair asks for $2,000. Woodbridge's page lists $2,000. Union Township asks for $100.
  3. 3What does the town inspect, and when? Clifton inspects the forms before any pour. Parsippany-Troy Hills wants 24 hours notice. Union Township lists an initial, a form and a final inspection.
  4. 4What material and thickness does the code require at my address? Get the section number in the quote.
  5. 5Is my street a county road or a state highway? If so, ask which county or NJDOT permit applies.
  6. 6Who calls 811, and on what date? The call must come at least three full business days before digging.
  7. 7How will the driveway tie in at the sidewalk and the apron? Montclair and Woodbridge keep the sidewalk crossing in concrete. Ask where the asphalt ends and what joint goes between the two.

Where an Asphalt Contractor Fits, and Where One Does Not

Randy Seal Coating & Striping has been in business since 2009 and does asphalt work. Here is the honest split:

  • ✓Asphalt work: an asphalt apron where your town's code allows one, such as Union Township, Montclair or Woodbridge.
  • ✓Asphalt work: the asphalt driveway from the sidewalk or property line up to the house, tied into a concrete apron.
  • ✓Asphalt work: a driveway extension. Check the apron width cap first. Union Township caps a two car apron at 24 feet. Clifton caps a driveway crossing at 20 feet.
  • ✗Another trade: a concrete apron, the concrete sidewalk crossing, curb work, Belgian block and pavers. Hire a concrete or masonry contractor for those.

If new asphalt goes in behind the apron, read how long asphalt takes to cure in New Jersey before you park on it. More guides are in the Learning Center.

Driveway Apron Questions New Jersey Homeowners Ask

Who is responsible for the driveway apron in New Jersey?

It depends on the town. In the 13 North and Central Jersey codes read for this guide, none makes the town pay for a worn apron. Cranford says the property owner must replace a damaged or broken driveway apron. Woodbridge requires owners to maintain the sidewalk, driveway and curb in the right-of-way at their own expense. Confirm the rule with your own town.

Who owns a driveway apron?

In the towns read for this guide, it sits in the public right-of-way. Cranford describes the strip from the curb edge to the property line as public property that the owner must maintain, and says it can run 10 to 20 feet. Morris Township says its right-of-way generally extends 10 feet beyond the edge of the roadway. Your property survey shows where your line falls.

Do I need a permit to replace a driveway apron in NJ?

Plan on one. All 13 codes covered here tie work at the curb line to a permit or a town official's approval. The office differs: the Township Engineer in Montclair and Teaneck, the Department of Public Works in Union Township, the Zoning Official in Metuchen. Montclair counts replacing even one section as construction. A county road or state highway can also need a county or NJDOT permit.

Can a driveway apron be asphalt in New Jersey?

In some towns. Union Township allows concrete or bituminous concrete for residential aprons. Montclair allows a 5 inch, two course asphalt apron but keeps the sidewalk crossing in concrete. Woodbridge allows at least 2 inches of asphalt over 4 inches of crushed stone. Teaneck, Metuchen and Paramus require concrete.

How thick does a concrete driveway apron have to be?

Six inches is the most common rule in the codes read here. Clifton, Hawthorne, Teaneck, Woodbridge and Metuchen all state it. Montclair requires at least 7 inches over 4 inches of crushed stone. Angi puts the usual national range at four to seven inches. Your town's number controls.

How much does a driveway apron cost?

Angi, a national home services site, puts the 2026 national average at $4,400, with most homeowners spending $1,300 to $7,800. Angi lists asphalt aprons at $7 to $12 per square foot and concrete at $8 to $18. Those are Angi's numbers, not Randy's. Town apron permit fees found for this guide ran from $10 to $550.

What are common driveway apron problems?

Alligator cracking, frost heave and thaw weakening are the ones pavement references describe. Pavement Interactive, a pavement engineering reference, ties alligator cracking to lost base support from poor drainage or spring thaw. It defines frost heave as the subgrade moving up as soil moisture freezes. Thaw weakening follows when ice in the soil melts and leaves the subgrade saturated.

What happens if I ignore a repair notice from the town?

The town can do the work and bill the property. Montclair gives 45 calendar days after a hazardous sidewalk notice. Woodbridge, whose rule covers the sidewalk, driveway and curb in the right-of-way, gives 30 days and then assesses the cost. In Parsippany-Troy Hills the cost becomes a lien on the abutting land. If winter weather blocks the repair, ask the town for the deadline in writing.

Sources

Every source below was read on September 20, 2026. This guide reports what the text says. It is not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your town, because ordinances change.

Asphalt Apron or Driveway? Ask for a Written Estimate.

Randy Seal Coating & Striping serves Union, Essex, Passaic, Middlesex, Bergen and Morris counties. If your town allows an asphalt apron, or your asphalt driveway needs work up to a concrete apron, we will look at it and give you a written estimate. You can also reach us through the contact page.

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