Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis treats driveway and curb cut work as right-of-way construction, and the rules are stricter than most surrounding suburbs. The most important rule to know up front: you cannot do the work yourself. The city requires that all curb cut and sidewalk construction inside the public right-of-way be performed by a sidewalk contractor licensed in Minneapolis. Homeowners are not permitted to pour or remove their own apron unless they personally hold that license.

Getting a curb cut installed or modified is a two-step process. First, you (or your contractor) submit plans for Curb Cut Plan Approval. Plans go in through the city's ProjectDox electronic plan-review system; you'll receive an email from ProjectDox within about 48 hours of your initial request, with upload instructions. Once the plan is approved, you apply for the second permit — a Sidewalk Inspection Permit — through the ROWay right-of-way permitting portal at minneapolis.mn.roway.net. You'll attach the approved curb cut plan from ProjectDox when you apply, pay the fees that come back from the city's Finance team (fees are based on scope of work and aren't published as a fixed schedule), and schedule a pre-construction meeting before any digging starts. All right-of-way work in Minneapolis carries a 2-year warranty.

The design rules narrow what's possible on a typical residential lot. Minneapolis allows one driveway per home (1–3 unit buildings) — and if your home has alley access, you generally cannot have a street-side driveway at all. Curb cuts must be 8–16 feet wide, set back at least 5 feet from the side property line, and located at least 20 feet from an intersection (30 feet if the intersection is signalized). The Sidewalk Inspections Office maintains the bonded contractor list and answers detailed questions; their office is at 1901 E. 26th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404, reachable at 612-673-2420. For general permitting questions or to find a licensed contractor, call City Services at 612-673-3000 (or dial 311).

Construction noise rules apply to the work itself. Without an after-hours permit, contractor construction or demolition noise is allowed Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–6 p.m., not including federal holidays. Homeowners doing their own non-contracted work get a wider window — weekdays 7 a.m.–8 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m.–6 p.m. — but this exception does not apply to right-of-way concrete work, which still must be done by a licensed contractor. Any contractor work on Saturday or Sunday requires an after-hours work permit, with fees set in the public works director's fee schedule.