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Guide

Permeable pavers and the 50 percent impervious limit

When the lot is at the cap, the driveway that lets water through is the one the county allows.

Cap
50% of the lot, RSF districts (Sarasota County App. A § 6.5)
Counts
Roofs, pool decks, concrete, asphalt, pavers
Doesn't
Grass, shell, pervious surfaces
Solution
Permeable interlocking concrete pavement

What is Sarasota County's 50 percent impervious cap, and how do permeable pavers get around it?

In unincorporated Sarasota County's RSF single-family districts, impervious coverage is capped at 50 percent of the lot, and the code counts roofs, swimming pools and pool decks, concrete, asphalt, pavers and any surface that substantially prevents water penetrating the ground, while excluding grass, shell and surfaces that let water through. Permeable interlocking concrete pavement on an open-graded stone base is designed to let water through and is the driveway or patio answer on a lot at the cap.

Cities inside the county (Sarasota, Venice, North Port) have their own coverage rules, and associations sometimes count turf and permeable pavers as impervious in their own guidelines even when the county doesn't.

How a permeable driveway is built

  1. Subgrade excavated deeper than a standard driveway and left uncompacted at the bottom where infiltration is wanted, or lined and underdrained where the water table is too high.
  2. Open-graded stone base: 8 to 12 inches of washed No. 2 or No. 57 stone with no fines, in lifts.
  3. Bedding of washed No. 8 stone, 2 inches.
  4. Permeable pavers with spacer bars, joints 3/8 inch or wider, filled with No. 8 or No. 9 stone.
  5. Edge restraint, compaction, and a maintenance note: joints are vacuumed, never sanded.

Cost and where it makes sense

Planning range $18 to $30 per square foot installed (September 10, 2026) versus $14 to $22 for standard pavers, for the deeper washed-stone base. It makes sense when the lot is at the cap, when the county's stormwater review needs the credit, and on flat lots where a standard driveway would send water at the neighbor. On lots with a wet-season water table within a foot, the design includes an underdrain.

Questions we get about this

Does the 50 percent impervious-coverage limit stop my driveway extension?

It can. Sarasota County's zoning code (Appendix A, § 6.5) caps impervious coverage at 50 percent of the lot in RSF districts, and roofs, pool decks, concrete, asphalt and pavers count while grass, shell and pervious surfaces don't. A small lot with a large house and a pool cage can be at the cap before the driveway grows; the county's zoning review checks it.

Do permeable pavers count as impervious in Sarasota County?

The code excludes surfaces that allow water to substantially penetrate into the ground, and permeable interlocking concrete pavement on an open-graded stone base is designed to do exactly that; the county's Low Impact Development guidance recognizes pervious pavement systems. Confirm the credit with zoning for your parcel before designing to it.

Are permeable pavers strong enough for a driveway?

Yes. Permeable interlocking concrete pavement is designed for vehicle loads on an open-graded base per ICPI practice; the joints are wider and filled with small clean stone instead of sand, and the base is deeper.

Last reviewed September 10, 2026 by the Sarasota Concrete editorial team (author name pending owner input).