In short
- The road in front of your lot decides who approves the entrance: Smith County for a county road, TxDOT for a state highway, the city inside city limits.
- On a county road, Smith County's policy sets a 15-inch minimum culvert, 20 to 40 feet long for a home. You buy the pipe.
- A 911 address comes from the Smith County 9-1-1 District in the county, or from the city inside some cities.
- Settle both before you clear or pour. A builder cannot schedule the slab around an entrance nobody has approved.
On this page
The driveway, culvert and 911 address for a barndominium lot in Smith County are the two items our other guides tell you to "ask the county" about. This page says which office to ask, what the county's written policy says, and what to have ready. We are a referral service, not a builder or an agency; confirm with each office named.
Related: permits in Smith County and the land checklist.
Who approves your entrance depends on the road
A driveway that meets a public road crosses the right-of-way, which the road's owner controls. The first question for any lot is which type of road it fronts. The county's appraisal records and your title work show the road and any easement; the road owner confirms it.
| Road in front of lot | Who approves the entrance | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| County road, unincorporated | Smith County Commissioners Court policy, run through Road & Bridge | Smith County Road & Bridge |
| US highway or farm-to-market road | Texas Department of Transportation | TxDOT Tyler District office |
| Street inside a city | The city | The city's public works or development office |
| Private road or shared easement | The road owner or association, by its documents | Your title company |
Watch out: a lot with a street name on the listing is not proof of a public road. Confirm the road is county-maintained, state-maintained or private before you rely on it. A private easement can carry its own maintenance cost and its own rules. Our deed restrictions and easements guide covers how to read it.
What Smith County's culvert order says
For a county road, the Commissioners Court adopted a driveway culvert order in March 2012. It is short and specific. The points below are from that order, listed in the county's policy library as item 20.02.
| Item | What the order says |
|---|---|
| Pipe size | At least 15 inches in diameter; may need to be larger depending on natural flow |
| Length, residential | At least 20 feet and not more than 40 feet |
| Design storm | Carry a ten-year storm, headwater depth not above one pipe diameter |
| Who pays for pipe | The property owner buys approved pipe |
| Who installs | County provides initial installation labor for a new culvert |
| Afterward | Owner is solely responsible for maintenance and repairs of culvert and driveway |
The order also directs Road & Bridge to inspect the site and tell an owner the correct culvert size on request. If a culvert does not meet the minimums, the county reserves the right to remove it. Inside a platted subdivision, the county's subdivision regulations override this policy.
Saves money: ask Road & Bridge for the pipe size before you order, and ask for it by email or letter. Pipe that is too small can be removed, and your builder's grading plan and the pad height both depend on where water leaves the lot.
If your lot is on a state highway
A lot on a US highway or farm-to-market road falls under TxDOT, not the county. TxDOT's Form 1058, the Permit to Construct Access Driveway Facilities on Highway Right of Way, is the application, and it is filed with the district office for the county. TxDOT's access management manual says no work may start in the right-of-way until the permit is issued. For a private residential driveway, the manual limits the width to 24 feet measured at right angles to the driveway centerline, and the radius joining the drive to the pavement to at least 15 feet.
- Proof of interest in the property, such as a deed or tax statement.
- A sketch or plan of the work in the right-of-way and a vicinity map.
- The owner's name, mailing address and telephone number, and the driveway location.
- A call to the Tyler District office before you buy, to learn if the spot you want is allowed.
How to get a 911 address
A 911 address matters for more than the mailbox. The utility, the septic and electric applications, the builder's permit paperwork and the lender can all ask for it. In Smith County outside the cities that run their own, the Smith County 9-1-1 Communications District assigns addresses. Its office takes requests from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, and requests after 3:00 pm go to the next business day.
- Find the right office
The district's page lists cities that assign their own addresses, including Tyler, Lindale and Whitehouse. A lot in a neighboring county has a different office.
- Gather the details
The road the property is on, subdivision name, street, lot and block if any, the owner's information or the Smith County Appraisal District PIN, and the address of the nearest neighbor.
- Ask what the office needs at the site
Ask whether it needs the driveway location staked or the driveway built before it assigns a number. Some Texas counties tie the address to the driveway; Smith County's page does not say, so ask.
- Post the number and give it to everyone
Give it to the utility, the septic designer, the lender and the builder, and mark it where emergency crews can see it from the road.
The order that avoids a stuck job
- Before you close:
Identify the road type and ask the road owner whether an entrance is allowed where you plan one.
- After closing:
Request the 911 address and send it to the electric utility and your septic designer.
- Before clearing:
Get the entrance approval and the culvert size in writing.
- Before the pad:
Have the culvert and construction entrance in place, so concrete and steel trucks can reach the site. See the build timeline for where site work fits.
Questions to put to the builder
- Are the entrance, culvert pipe and driveway base in your price, in an allowance, or excluded?
- Who applies for the entrance approval, and will I get a copy?
- Can concrete, steel and delivery trucks reach the pad on the driveway as planned, and in wet weather?
- Whose name is on the 911 address request, and has it been sent to the utility?
- If the county or TxDOT requires a larger culvert or a different location, who pays the change? See how to choose a builder.
Driveway length and base are part of the clearing, pad and driveway budget in our cost guide.
Official sources
- Smith County: Codification Library of ordinances and policies (item 20.02, Driveway Culvert Policy, PDF)
- Smith County 9-1-1 Communications District: Addresses (phone 903-566-8911)
- TxDOT Access Management Manual: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials
Policies and fees change; confirm with each office before you rely on any detail here. To meet independent barndominium builders near Tyler who price site work and driveways on their bids, use the form below.
Frequently asked questions
What size culvert does Smith County require for a driveway?
The county's driveway culvert order sets a minimum pipe diameter of 15 inches, and says larger may be needed depending on the natural flow. For residential property the pipe must be at least 20 feet and no more than 40 feet long. Smith County Road & Bridge will inspect and tell you the size needed on request. Confirm the current policy with them before you buy pipe.
Does Smith County install the culvert for free?
Not entirely. Under the 2012 order, the property owner pays for the approved pipe, and the county provides the initial installation labor for a new culvert in the county right-of-way. After that, the owner is responsible for maintenance and repairs of the culvert and the driveway. Ask Road & Bridge whether that policy still applies to your road.
How do I get a 911 address for land outside the city?
In unincorporated Smith County, the Smith County 9-1-1 Communications District assigns addresses. Its site lists the road the property is on, the subdivision name, street, lot and block if any, the owner or the Smith County Appraisal District PIN, and a nearby neighbor's address as useful details. Some cities, such as Tyler, Lindale and Whitehouse, assign their own.
Do I need a TxDOT permit for a driveway on a farm-to-market road?
If your lot fronts a state highway or farm-to-market road, driveway work in the state right-of-way needs a TxDOT permit, applied for through the district office that covers the county. TxDOT's access management manual says no construction may start on the right-of-way until the permit is issued. Call the Tyler District office before you clear.
Can a driveway affect my builder's price?
Yes. The entrance, culvert pipe, base material and length of the drive are separate site-work items, and many bids exclude them. Ask your builder whether they are in the price or an allowance.