Road / Access Requirements

Private Bridges

Bridges on private roads need to hold the load of a fire truck. If you are designing a bridge for your driveway the bridge will need to be engineered to meet Federal Highway Standards - HS20 load requirements.

Turnarounds

Fire engine need a designated place to turnaround within 150 feet of a structure. Turnarounds can come in several forms including a loop, a cul-de-sac, or a hammerhead. The minimum size shall be 20 feet wide by 45 feet deep. View a turnaround diagram for a visual. 

Turnouts

 A turnout is a spot where the road widens out to 20 feet wide for approximately 60 feet long to allow two vehicles to pass. If your driveway is only 12 feet wide and longer than 600 feet you may be required to put in a turnout. See a guide for Turnout requirements here

Grade & Surface

The Fire Marshal's office also reviews for any site specific conditions that make passage of fire apparatus and emergency response vehicles impractical, difficult, and/or hazardous.

12% Grade - Any portion of a fire apparatus access road or driveway at 12% grade or greater is required to have a hard surface, i.e. asphalt or concrete.

An automatic sprinkler system, which meets the requirement of NFPA 13D and includes a fire department connection located within a fire department staging area, shall be provided for all buildings. The automatic sprinkler system(s) shall be monitored.

 15% Grade - Any portion of a fire apparatus access road or driveway at 15% grade or greater is required to have a hard, grooved surface of Portland cement per the Whatcom County Development Standards (Chapter 5, Road Standards, Section 505, Tables 1 and 2, Footnote 3).

An automatic sprinkler system, which meets the requirement of NFPA 13D and includes a fire department connection located within a fire department staging area, shall be provided for all buildings. The automatic sprinkler system(s) shall be monitored. 

Road Width

The minimum driveway width for a single house is 12 feet of drivable surface. If you share your driveway (or private roadway) with other homes your driveway width will increase depending on the number of users (homes) on the driveway or roadway.

Current driveway width requirements: