Grades explained
A grade is rise over run. A driveway that climbs 1m over 4m of length is 1 in 4, or 25%, which is about 14 degrees. That's steep, and it's the limit generally applied to domestic driveways:
NSW-wide
- Driveway grades follow AS/NZS 2890.1: generally no steeper than 25% (1 in 4) within the property, and any change in grade over 12.5% (1 in 8) needs a transition, usually about 2m long, so cars don't scrape.Source: AS/NZS 2890.1, as applied in Hunters Hill Council's driveway specification
| Ratio | Percent | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in 100 | 1% | Looks flat; CCAA's minimum fall for paving to drain |
| 1 in 20 | 5% | Gentle; CCAA's usual maximum across the footpath |
| 1 in 8 | 12.5% | Noticeable; steeper sections need transitions |
| 1 in 4 | 25% | Very steep; the usual maximum inside a property |
Transitions stop scraping
Cars scrape where the grade changes suddenly. At a crest the underside catches; at a sag the front bumper or tow bar hits. A transition is a short section at an in-between grade that eases the change. CCAA recommends transitions at either end of a section steeper than 12.5%, or wherever low-clearance cars will use the driveway.
The tightest spots are usually at the boundary, where your driveway has to meet the council crossing at a level you don't control, and at the garage door. That's why the council levels need to be in hand before the driveway is designed.
Council levels and limits
Councils set the levels at your boundary and the grade across the footpath, and some add their own limits on sloping sites:
Bayside Council
All Bayside Council rules →- Domestic driveways are at least 3.0m wide inside the property (3.6m where there are high walls either side), and the grade over the footpath is set by council when you lodge a Vehicular Entrance / Driveway Application.Source: Bayside Traffic, Parking and Access Spec, 3.1.4(a)–(c)
- Maximum driveway grade is 1 in 4 (25%). On steep driveways, cars must be able to enter and leave forwards, using a turning bay or turntable.Source: Bayside Traffic, Parking and Access Spec, 3.1.4(d)
Willoughby City Council
All Willoughby City Council rules →- The footpath section must fall no more than 2.5% away from the boundary; where there's no footpath, that grade is kept where one would be built (1.2m wide, 600mm off the boundary). Grades are checked with council's scrape template.Source: Willoughby Vehicle Crossing Guidelines, Grades
Sutherland Shire Council
All Sutherland Shire Council rules →- Before designing or building a driveway, apply to council for Property Alignment Levels, which set the ground levels in the verge and road your driveway must meet. Allow about 4–6 weeks, and ideally get them before lodging a DA.Source: Sutherland Shire: Property Alignment Levels Application
Fairfield City Council
All Fairfield City Council rules →- Where there's no footpath, the nature strip either side of a cut-in driveway must be battered no steeper than 1 in 14, and the footpath slope can't exceed 5% along its length. Moving pits, hydrants or stormwater outlets is at the owner's cost.Source: Fairfield Policy 0-088, requirements
Ku-ring-gai Council
All Ku-ring-gai Council rules →- Driveways and crossings must minimise disturbance, including changed soil levels, in the tree protection zones of protected trees. Porous driveways, runoff onto garden beds and planting strips down the centre are encouraged.Source: Ku-ring-gai DCP Part 4, 4B.2 Driveways (6), (8)
- Basement garages are only allowed on sloping land, and only where the driveway needs no more than 1m of excavation.Source: Ku-ring-gai DCP Part 4, 4B.3 (7)
Finishes that grip on a slope
Smooth finishes are a hazard on a steep driveway, especially once sealed. CCAA's guidance is that steel-trowelled, polished, stamped and smooth aggregate finishes may be unsuitable on steep pavements, and that coarse broom, tyned (grooved) or stencilled finishes work better. If you want exposed aggregate on a slope, use crushed, angular stone in place of round river pebble, and skip the gloss sealer.
Drainage at the bottom
On a driveway that falls towards the house or garage, all the water off the slab heads for your door. CCAA's advice is a drain against the building wherever paving can't fall away from it. In practice that's a grated strip drain across the driveway in front of the garage, connected to the stormwater system. Some councils specify where it goes: Georges River requires any strip drain to sit inside your boundary, not in the road reserve.
Check, too, that the garage floor sits above the driveway at the door, and that water from the street gutter can't run up the crossing in a storm.
Cuts, retaining walls and cost
Getting a driveway down to a garage on a steep block usually means cutting into the slope, and the soil either side then needs holding back with retaining walls. Deep cuts may need an engineer, and some councils add conditions: Canterbury-Bankstown requires cut or fill deeper than 500mm to be supervised by a NATA-registered geotechnical consultant.
| 40m² broom driveway | Total incl. GST |
|---|---|
| Level site | $8,100–$8,800 |
| 100–300mm cut | $10,350–$12,750 |
| Deep cut or sloping block (over 300mm) | $12,550–$17,700 |
| Deep cut, mini-machine access only | $14,550–$21,450 |
The ranges widen as the slope increases because nobody can price a deep cut accurately without seeing it: rock, fill and access all change the answer. That's why our calculator asks about excavation.
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Common questions
What is the maximum gradient for a driveway in NSW?
AS/NZS 2890.1, which NSW councils apply, generally limits a domestic driveway to 1 in 4 (25%) inside the property, with transitions where the grade changes by more than 1 in 8. The section across the footpath is much flatter and is set by council.
How do I stop my car scraping on the driveway?
Scraping happens at sudden changes of grade. The fix is a transition: roughly 2m at an in-between grade at the top or bottom of the steep section. On an existing driveway that usually means replacing the section where the scrape happens.
Related services
Sources
- Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia, Residential Concrete Driveways and Paths data sheet (2026)
- AS/NZS 2890.1, as applied in Hunters Hill Council's driveway specification
Prices in this guide come from our concrete price calculator and update when its rates are reviewed. They are estimates, not fixed quotes: the final price is confirmed at a free site inspection. Council rules were checked against each council's published policy and can change, so confirm with your council before you build.
