Driveway Culverts for New Construction – District Roads

Palm Beach County issues permits for driveway culvert installations for new construction. The District is responsible for preparing the area for the culvert to ensure proper elevations for drainage. Landowners should call the District office at 561-747-0550 to schedule this service. Please allow sufficient time for the District to schedule this service around normal District maintenance operations. The homeowner is then responsible for the purchase and installation of the culvert. The District requires installation of a concrete header for the ends of the culvert to protect it from being crushed. This can be accomplished with cast-in-place concrete or rip-rap bags. Sod should be installed around the culvert to prevent erosion and sediment build up in or around the culvert.

The District does not install any additional culvert installations but will perform a courtesy culvert “cut-out” to bring the swale to the proper grade and elevation. Please complete a Service Request Ticket to request a culvert “cut-out” via our Service Request Form. You may only request a culvert “cut-out” once you have the new culvert pipe on site along with any backfill material to cover the new culvert. Your contractor will need to be on site with their equipment for our culvert crew to watch them roll the pipe in the swale and backfill after we’ve completed the culvert “cut-out”. Once you’ve completed your Service Request Ticket, we will then reach out to you to schedule the culvert “cut-out” and schedule it around our normal maintenance operations.

After installation, the District will come out and inspect the site to ensure it was properly constructed and issue a final inspection sticker that can be provided to Palm Beach County.

For Driveway Culverts on Palm Beach County roads, please contact the County.

Note: There are only two culverts per parcel allowed per Palm Beach County Ordinance 2007-013, “Lots located on local or residential access streets shall have a maximum of two access connections.”

Temporary Culverts

When a landowner is building a new home or doing extensive remodeling or renovation of their property within South Indian River Water Control District, they must ensure that their contractor installs a temporary culvert to prevent blockages in the swales that could impact their ability to handle stormwater runoff and cause flooding in that area.

All construction entrances must have at least an 18" x 20' temporary culvert. We do not recommend installing a permanent culvert during construction due to the risk of damage by heavy vehicles accessing the site.

Any construction entrances that do not have a temporary culvert in place will be dug out without notice to allow for proper drainage.

Hard Surface Covering Over Culverts

If landowners wish to install in the future, or have already installed, a hard surface covering such as concrete, asphalt, pavers or brick over their culvert as part of their driveway, please be aware that when replacement of the culvert becomes necessary, the District is not responsible for the cost of replacement or repair of the hard surfacing. This is a landowner expense. A permit is also required by Palm Beach County for this type of project – please contact them at 561-233-5000 to apply.