Concrete vs. Asphalt Driveway in Spokane: Freeze-Thaw, City and County Approach Rules, Paving Season and Upkeep (2026)

Concrete or asphalt is the first question on almost every new driveway in Spokane. Both work here, and plenty of homes have one or the other. The differences that matter in our climate are freeze-thaw, what the City or County lets you put in the right-of-way, when each one can be placed, and how much upkeep you're signing up for. Here's how they compare, with the local rules that decide part of it for you.

The short answer

• Concrete: a rigid slab that doesn't soften in summer heat, isn't dissolved by oil or fuel drips, and needs no regular sealcoating. It needs air-entrained concrete, a good base and proper control joints to handle Spokane's freeze-thaw cycles
• Asphalt: a flexible pavement that can go down and be driven on quickly, but it's a petroleum-based material that softens in heat, is damaged by fuel and oil, and is usually resealed periodically
• The rules: inside the City of Spokane, the approach in the right-of-way is concrete regardless of what you pick for the rest. On a rural Spokane County road, it's the reverse: concrete has to stop short of the road

What the City of Spokane requires at the street

If your driveway connects to a City street, the piece between the street and your property (the approach) is built to the City's standard plans, not your preference:

• Permit first: Spokane Municipal Code 17H.010.220 requires an approach permit for building or changing any driveway onto public right-of-way
• Concrete approach: the City's standard plans (Section F) call for the approach to be air-entrained, 6-sack concrete at least 6 inches thick
• Width limits: the City's driveway approach application limits approaches to 40% of the street frontage, up to 30 feet
• Who builds it: the approach has to be built by a contractor qualified to work in the right-of-way, under a separate street obstruction permit, and the approach permit review can take up to 5 working days

So in the city, the real choice is what goes behind the approach, between the sidewalk and your garage. The City of Spokane Valley also requires an approach permit for driveway work onto its streets.

What Spokane County requires on rural roads

Unincorporated Spokane County works differently. The County's rural residential approach brochure (E-3) says:

• A permit is required for every approach onto a County road, including paving or widening an existing one
• Keep concrete back: concrete can't run to the edge of a County road. It has to stop 5 feet back and tie into the road with asphalt or gravel, because concrete at the edge is a hazard to maintenance equipment and crews
• Gravel size: crushed rock in the right-of-way can be no bigger than 5/8-inch minus
• Grades: approach grades in the right-of-way can't exceed 2% in rural areas (8% in urban areas), and the driveway can't exceed 10% within 10 feet of the right-of-way
• Sight distance: the County wants sight distance of about 10 times the posted speed limit in feet each way, so 450 feet on a 45 mph road

That means a rural concrete driveway in the County often ends with a short asphalt or gravel apron at the road. Our driveway width guide covers the City and County width rules in more detail.

Freeze-thaw: Spokane's real test

Spokane driveways freeze and thaw many times a winter, and both materials have weak points:

• Concrete's defense is air entrainment. Tiny air bubbles mixed into the concrete give freezing water room to expand. That's why the City's approach spec calls for air-entrained concrete. Without it, or with deicers on a young slab, the surface can flake. Our concrete scaling guide explains what causes it
• Concrete cracks are controlled, not prevented. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so control joints tell it where to crack. See our driveway cracking guide
• Asphalt flexes, but water is its enemy. Water that gets into cracks and the base freezes, expands and breaks the pavement up, which is how potholes start. Keeping asphalt sealed and its cracks filled matters more here than in milder climates
• Both depend on the base. Neither holds up over soft or poorly drained soil. A compacted gravel base and drainage away from the slab matter more than the surface you pick

Heat, oil and snow shovels

• Summer heat: asphalt's binder is petroleum-based and softens on hot days, so trailer jacks, kickstands and turning tires can dent or scuff it. Concrete doesn't soften
• Oil and fuel: gasoline and oil drips soften asphalt. On concrete they stain, but don't dissolve the surface

When each one can be placed

• Asphalt is weather-limited. WSDOT's standard specifications don't allow hot mix asphalt on a wet surface, and set minimum surface temperatures for paving, from 35 to 55 degrees F depending on lift thickness and type. For thin wearing courses, the minimum is 55 degrees F. Residential paving in Eastern Washington generally follows the warm season for the same reason
• Concrete can be poured in cold weather with the right steps: heated or accelerated mixes, blankets, and no pouring on frozen ground. Our winter concrete guide explains what we do differently
• Driving on it: asphalt is ready sooner. A new concrete driveway needs to cure before vehicles go on it. See our guide to when you can drive on new concrete

Maintenance

• Concrete: keep deicers off it the first winter, consider a penetrating sealer, and seal joints and cracks as needed. Our sealing guide covers sealers and deicers
• Asphalt: periodic sealcoating and crack filling to keep water and oxidation out

What about cost?

Price depends on size, thickness, base work, access and your approach requirements, so we quote each driveway from the site rather than a per-foot guess. Request a free quote and we'll walk the driveway with you. Our guides to driveway thickness and concrete strength (PSI) explain what goes into a driveway built for Spokane.

Which one should you pick?

• Pick concrete if you want low upkeep, park heavy trucks, RVs or trailers, work on vehicles in the driveway, or want it to match a concrete approach, walkway or patio
• Pick asphalt if you need to drive on it right away, it's a long rural drive where flexibility over moving ground matters, or you're tying into an asphalt road apron anyway
• Mix them where the rules push you that way, such as a concrete driveway with an asphalt or gravel apron at a rural County road

Get a Spokane driveway quote

Raven Buildings pours concrete driveways, approaches and slabs across Spokane, Spokane Valley and the surrounding towns. Call 509-350-2016 or request a free quote, and see our concrete driveway services in Spokane.

Sources

• Spokane Municipal Code 17H.010.220, Driveways
• City of Spokane Driveway Approach Application (PDF)
• City of Spokane Standard Plans, Section F (2025, PDF)
• Spokane County Rural Residential Approaches packet (E-3)
• Spokane County Public Works Permits and brochures
• WSDOT Standard Specifications, Section 5-04 Hot Mix Asphalt (weather limitations)
• City of Spokane Valley Approach Permits