Quick question: is the city/county responsible for driveway culverts?

[cjeanean]

We have a gravel driveway that has eroded significatly where it meets the road. We do not have a drainage ditch along our property or a driveway culvert. I'm trying to find out who exactly is responsible for installing a culvert if one is needed.

I decided to be dumb and called the county to find out, and the oh-so-helpful lady pretty much freaked me out horribly. She made a comment about how our property may have fallen through the cracks as far as the culvert installation, and that we might have to pay to have one installed (but she's not sure, so I'll have to leave a message with someone else). I thought the city/county was responsible for drainage, and that they had just forgotten about installing one on our property. Now, I'm pretty sure that if it's a new construction house that we would have to pay to have one installed, but this home has been here for a long time. Does anyone know??? Thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It probably depends on where your property line falls, and whether there is a utility easement for drainage and such on your property. I know that where I live it is MY responsibility to keep all rain that falls on my property on my property--if it flows into the street, or onto another property, I am liable for any associated damages. However, we do not have drainage systems such as are in place in much of the country, due to being in a desert with very little rainfall (don't tell my chickens that--right now they won't believe you as they are currently rather soggy due to our ongoing winter storm).

Also, this might better be posted in the Laws & Ordinances section.

 

[Lu King]

The county is responsible for the culverts in my county. They said because most people don't install them correctly, so it is wiser to let the county do it...and it is free. However, we have a relative next county over who has to pay a private contractor to have culverts done. He did so and the contractor was suppose to know everything about it...how far away from property line ...size of pipe and things of that nature. He didn't, and refuses to do them correctly. There goes another $5,000.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

The law is probably different from place to place. We live on a farm in a rural area with quite a bit of road frontage on a state highway and we were responsible for purchasing and installing the culvert that was needed when we put our driveway in.

 

[TipsyDog]

We are responsible here and liable for any water run-off into the roadway from our driveway. In this area, it is generally an ice issue. Too bad it doesn't seem to be enforced enough. Many people have driveways that cause heavy ice build-up and aren't responsible enough to address it. It's very frustrating.

 

[MandyH]

We have a main drive that is the MDOT's resposibility because it comes off the highway. We have a back drive that is the county's responsibility because it is on a county road.

 

[cjeanean]

Hmmm, that sucks...I talked to a guy at the bridge and road maintanence for the county and he mentioned something about us having to buy the culvert and the county installs it. I'm just so hoping I didn't open a huge can of worms by even asking about it, cause we can't afford to pay out who knows how much for a freakin culvert!!! I don't even know where to start with how much they cost, they sound so expensive (although I'm sure the labor/materials would be even more so....).

 

[Baymen Moe]

Depending on the layout of the road and your property, you could request having an asphalt berm put in front of your driveway to divert the water. To me culvert means lot's of water, so maybe a berm is not the solution.

Bill

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Quote:
We are responsible for it here too, and we are responsible for any water that runs onto the road. Well, there is a traveling spring that pops up in different spots all of the time! Unfortunately for us it sometimes turns up in an area where it runs down the driveway...... We paid $7,000 for a culvert and drainage system because the county made us ---- and the spring moved.

This winter it is twenty feet from where it was last winter and the water and ice are horrible. We have been hacking at it for days trying to keep ice from forming on the road, then the county decided the water was coming onto the road from the next property up and fined them. Then the county-installed culvert clogged, and ice formed there, and another neighbor yelled at me that we weren't taking care of the ice.....

I think if they hadn't made us pave the final 50 feet of the driveway we wouldn't have run off in the first place!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Over here in Kansas the county used to install (one) culvert to a new homeowner. Now I believe the homeowner pays for the culvert and the county installs it. The county also maintains the ditch/drainage. Which can bite you in the butt. They cleaned out our ditch (we live on a the upside of a hill) and made it so steep that I cannot mow it. If you live in the county, I can almost guarantee that you will get several different answers. We just happen to know our road foreman in our district which is a plus on getting answers whether we like them or not. Good luck to you.