Driveway Culvert Installation

What's Included

A culvert does its job quietly for years when it is installed right. Here is what goes into that.

• Driveway Culverts

  We install culverts where your driveway crosses a ditch so water passes under the drive instead of over it.

• Culvert Sizing

  The pipe has to be big enough for the water that actually comes through during a heavy rain. We look at the ditch and the area that drains into it before choosing a size.

• Correct Grade

  The pipe is set so water flows through at a steady slope, not uphill and not so steep it scours the outlet.

• Proper Cover

  Enough compacted fill goes over the pipe to protect it from the weight of trucks and trailers crossing above.

• Culvert Replacement

  Crushed, rusted, or undersized culverts get dug out and replaced with pipe that fits the job.

• Headwalls and Rock Protection

  Where water flow is strong, rock or headwalls at the ends help keep the pipe from washing out.

Before You Install: Check With Your County

Many counties require a permit for any culvert placed in the road right of way, and some specify pipe size or material. Landowners should check with their county road department before a culvert goes in along a county road. We are happy to talk through what they tell you.

Problems We Fix

"Water runs over my driveway every time it storms." "The culvert is crushed flat." "The old pipe is too small and the ditch backs up." "Every heavy rain washes the dirt off the top of the culvert."

Most culvert failures come down to the wrong size, the wrong grade, or not enough cover. We fix all three.

Central Texas Ground Conditions

In the expansive clay around Waco, Hillsboro, and Temple, the fill around a culvert can shrink away from the pipe in dry weather and let water wash along its sides. Good bedding and backfill compacted in layers keep the pipe locked in place.

In Bosque and Coryell counties, runoff off rocky, cedar-covered hills moves fast and hard, and shallow limestone can make it tough to set a pipe at the right depth. Those sites often call for larger pipe, rock cutting, and armor at the outlet.

What Affects the Cost

Culvert cost depends on pipe size, length, and material, excavation depth, rock, removal of an old culvert, the amount of fill and cover needed, end protection, and any county requirements.