Adding onto driveway with side entry garage

4 years ago

We recently built our house and need to change our driveway. It is not wide enough for what we need, so we are going to bite the bullet and add on to it.

Our problem comes when we have more than 3 cars at home. We need to be able to allow cars to park in the driveway and still have other cars get in and out. Right now, the driveway off of the street (before you turn to go into the garage) is not wide enough for two cars to be there at the same time, so if someone is parked, even on the very edge, no one can get by.

If we just have 3 cars, there, the third car can park right by the walk-in door and the cars can still get in and out of the garage.

We are thinking of adding on to the left side to widen it, but just wanted to make sure we're not missing anything. You guys always have good ideas and suggestions that I would never think of! So, thank you for any advice / opinions!

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Comments (5)

3onthetree
4 years ago
A side-load garage works best with a backup area, which can also be used as a parking area. So instead of backing all the way down your driveway, you back into a pulloff, and turn and go forward down the drive. Where that can occur depends on how much room you have on the side before your property line, or how much retaining wall it looks like you would have in back (and a odd slope to an extension there).
skimom97
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you - we do have plenty of room on the section just to the left of the garage to back into the pulloff and then drive forward out of the driveway. Even when the third car is parked butting up to the walkout door, we can still back by them and the pull forward out of the driveway.

Our main issue is being able to pass another car in the long part of the driveway that goes from the street to the pull-off area.

Thanks so much for your feedback!
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3onthetree
4 years ago
Looks tight to even get a car parked in front of the man door, and tight to turn forward without running past the curve of the drive. But, pictures can skew perspectives. If you did have a 2 stall pull-off, then maybe there will be no daily-use cars parked in the driveway anyway. Also, if you did widen the driveway, it may look funky to not extend that width to the street, and if extended to street, to not sawcut the widened apron off. If your driveway is 16' wide already though, that should be enough to slide a car by.
Stacey
4 years ago
Rather than pouring new concrete, are you open to dark gray pavers or bricks on each side or just the left?
Yvonne Martin
4 years ago
Be sure that your city allows you to add more concrete to your lot. It looks as if this won't be a problem, but it's better to be sure.