What a culvert costs in Lehigh Acres
Culverts run about $80 to $100 a foot, depending on the size of the culvert. The length is set by the driveway width and the swale, and the pipe size is set by the city or county permit.
Those are Chop's own ranges. Your exact price comes after he sees the lot, and the quote is free: call or text (239) 560-2996.
The Lee County DOT permit, step by step
Residential driveway permits are applied for online through Lee County's eConnect system. Lee County DOT lists the permit fee at $95 for a single driveway and $120 for a double. Inspections are requested at 239-533-8997 with these codes: 750 Stakeout/Evaluation, 751 Culvert, 752 Form, 753 Finish Limerock and 754 Final. AC-11-12 says no one may install culvert pipe, other drainage structures or even sod in county right-of-way without first getting the county driveway permit.
Stakeout matters most to us. That is where the county sets the pipe and the grade the swale needs. We set the pipe to that grade and have it ready for the 751 culvert inspection, then keep going toward the form and limerock inspections once it passes.
Concrete or asphalt from the road to the property line
AC-11-12 says all driveways, residential and commercial, shall be concrete or asphalt, and the county's driveway worksheet calls for a poured concrete or asphalt apron from the edge of the road to the right-of-way line. A shell or gravel surface over the pipe in county right-of-way will not pass. Past the property line, the rest of the drive is between you and your builder. We can lay the base under the apron and the drive; see driveways and base rock.
Swale grade and the LA-MSID
AC-11-12 calls for swales designed with a 0.2 percent longitudinal slope. That is a small fall, and it only works when every pipe on the street sits at the right height. A culvert set a couple of inches high dams water for every lot upstream of it. We check the pipe against the stakeout numbers before anything gets backfilled.
Lehigh's bigger drainage system belongs to the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District, which reported 3,260 culvert crossings in a 2017 state bill analysis. If your driveway or pipe crosses or connects to a district canal or easement rather than a county swale, the district requires its own permit; call the LA-MSID at (239) 368-0044 first. Everything else we do in town is on our Lehigh Acres page.
Replacing an old or crushed culvert
Plenty of older Lehigh homes have a rusted metal pipe or one crushed at the ends. Replacing it in county right-of-way still takes the driveway permit and the same rules: 15-inch minimum, approved material, mitered ends. We pull the old pipe, re-dig to grade, set the new one and rebuild the swale. If the apron has to be cut out, the new apron goes back in concrete or asphalt.
