Concrete Contractors in Eagan, MN

Eagan more than doubled in a decade. The city had 20,700 residents in 1980 and 47,409 in 1990, after Highway 77 was expanded, a six-lane bridge over the Minnesota River opened in 1980 and the last section of I-35E was finished in the mid-1980s. For concrete contractors, that means a city full of driveways and patios that are now around 35 to 45 years old.

Eagan's driveway handout

Eagan's handout is direct: a zoning permit is required with all driveway replacements and expansions. A few more points from it:

• Width in the right-of-way: limited to 22 feet by City Code
• Where the right-of-way is: typically 10 to 15 feet behind the curb, into what looks like your front yard
• Up to the curb: work in the right-of-way up to the back of the curb is allowed without a separate right-of-way permit
• Curb and gutter: removing or replacing curb and gutter, such as widening a curb cut where the curb is not a surmountable design, needs a right-of-way permit as well
• Side lines: you may build up to the side property line, but the city strongly recommends leaving at least a 5-foot turf strip for drainage and snow storage
• Shoreland: properties in the Shoreland Overlay District are capped at 25 percent impervious surface across the parcel

The Planning Department handles the zoning permit at 651-675-5685. The handout notes it is not a complete set of requirements, so we confirm details with the city on each job.

Why that 5-foot turf strip matters

It is tempting to pave right to the lot line for extra parking. The city's recommendation to keep a strip of grass is sound practice. Snow has to go somewhere, and a driveway that runs to the line leaves nowhere to pile it except on your neighbor's side. Grass also absorbs runoff that would otherwise sheet across both properties. We plan expansions to leave room for both.

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1980s concrete, today

Slabs poured during the boom years often share the same problems: surface scaling from decades of salt, settled garage aprons, cracked walks lifted by trees planted when the houses were new, and small back patios that have tipped toward the house. When the base is sound, we replace failed panels. When it is not, we take the slab out, rebuild the base and pour new.

Eagan also counted 28,383 housing units in 2020, and about 67.7 percent of homes are owner-occupied according to Census estimates. We work with both owners and rental property owners.

Onion fields to subdivisions

Eagan was established in 1860 and settled as an Irish farming community, later known as the Onion Capital of the United States. Most of that farmland turned into neighborhoods within a couple of decades. Whatever the age of the house, our first step on every Eagan project is the same: find where the water goes. Low spots, downspouts that empty beside a slab and soil that slopes back toward the garage are the most common reasons a driveway or walk settles.

What we pour

• Driveways, replacements and expansions, with the zoning permit handled
• Patios and stamped concrete
• Sidewalks and steps
• Garage and shed slabs
• Repair and replacement of sections and joints

Shoreland lots and right-of-way permits

Eagan's handout flags two cases that change the paperwork. Properties in the Shoreland Overlay District are capped at 25 percent impervious surface across the whole parcel, so a driveway expansion near a lake has to fit that number, and the handout says to check with Planning first. Second, if existing curb and gutter must be removed or replaced, a right-of-way permit is required in addition to the zoning permit. Widening a curb cut where the curb is not a surmountable design is the common example. Utility locates go through Gopher State One Call before any digging.

Call (952) 209-8658 or ask for a free estimate. We confirm the permit path and give you a written price.