Planning a Wider Driveway as Part of Driveway Replacement in Mundelein, IL

This article explains how to plan a wider driveway as part of driveway replacement in Mundelein, IL. It covers village width limits, layout, drainage, and what to settle before the crew starts. Replacement is the best time to add width because the old surface is already coming out.

Replacement Is the Easiest Time to Add Width

Driveway replacement is the easiest time to add width because the old surface is already coming out. When the old driveway is removed, widening is mostly a matter of extending the same base and surface. Adding width later means cutting into finished pavement and matching a new section to an old one.

Common reasons to widen include:

•  Room for a second car without blocking the first.
• Easier turning and backing out.
• Space beside the garage for bikes, trash bins, or a basketball hoop.
• A wider approach where the driveway meets the street.

  Check the Village Width Limit First

Mundelein limits the width of single-family driveways. The village's project information packet sets a limit of 20 feet, unless the garage is wider than 20 feet.

Before you design a wider layout, confirm with the Village Building Department how width is measured on your lot. The village also provides a driveway dimension form on its Building Department page.

Decide Where the Extra Width Goes

Where you add width matters as much as how much. Options include:

   1. Widening along one side of the existing driveway.

   2. Adding a parking pad near the garage.

   3. Extending the driveway toward a detached garage or the backyard.

   4. Widening only near the street for easier turning.

Walk the property with the crew and mark the edges. A simple layout on the ground is easier to judge than a sketch.

Drainage Comes Before Width

A wider driveway sheds more water, so the slope has to move it somewhere safe. Water that drains toward the house or pools beside the new section will wear the surface out early.

Lake County's clay-heavy soils hold moisture, and trapped water expands as it freezes. Ask how the crew will grade the wider area and where the water will go. If your current driveway already collects water, this is the time to fix it.

Match the Base, Not Just the Surface

A driveway replacement that includes widening needs the same support under the new section as under the rest of the driveway. That means a compacted stone base under the added width, not just a layer of asphalt on top.

If the old base is failing, widening on top of it only spreads the problem. Cracking across large areas, sinking, and recurring potholes are signs the base needs attention during replacement.

How Widening Fits Into the Replacement Process

A replacement with added width follows the same steps as any other replacement, with the new footprint included from the start:

•  An on-site assessment of the existing surface, base, and drainage.
• Removal of the old driveway and disposal of the material.
• Grading and compaction of the base across the full new width.
• Hot-mix asphalt placed in compacted layers.
• A final inspection of the edges, slope, and finish.

The new width is part of the plan from day one. The crew can grade the whole driveway as one surface instead of patching a new strip onto an old one.



Added width does add material and labor, so expect it to be part of the quote. Ask for the widened section to be listed on its own line so you can see its effect on the scope.

Plan the Edges and Landscaping

Widening changes the line where pavement meets the lawn. Think about what sits along the edge before work starts:

•  Sprinkler heads and lines.
• Mailboxes, lampposts, and downspout extensions.
• Trees and shrubs close to the new edge.
• Garden beds that need to move.

Settling these details early keeps the project on schedule and avoids damage to your landscaping.