Design Rules🚦 Site Access

Driveway Minimum Width — Residential

Minimum width of vehicular driveway at residential plot entry
See also📖 NBC 2016🔗 NBC 2016🧮 RCC Design📒 Handbook Topic
3.0
m
(one-way; 5.5 m two-way)
3.0 / 5.5mone-way / two-way drivewayDRIVEWAY WIDTH
Primary value3.0 m ((one-way; 5.5 m two-way))
Applies toResidential plot entries · Internal driveways within group housing
ExceptionsTwo-way driveway5.5 m
Driveway serving > 8 dwellingsTreat as access road
Turning radius (passenger car)5.0-6.0 m inside radius
Fire Tender Access Path (Mandatory for buildings >15m height)6.0 m min. clear width
Turning Radius for Fire Tender9.0 m outer radius / 6.0 m inner radius
Basement Ramp (One-way)3.5 m min. width
Basement Ramp (Two-way)7.0 m min. width
Measured asClear paved driveway width measured between curbs / boundary walls.
SourceNBC 2016NBC 2016, Part 3, Annex C (Parking Geometry) & Part 4, Clause 4.6 (Fire Tender Access)
✓ Verified
Why this matters

The 3.0 m width accommodates a standard car (~2.0 m) plus clearance for door opening and maneuvering without scraping walls. For two-way traffic, a 5.5-6.0 m width is necessary to allow two vehicles to pass safely, a standard derived from parking aisle design in the NBC.

Typical practice

In group housing and apartment complexes, internal roads are typically 6.0 m wide to accommodate two-way traffic and serve as mandatory fire tender access paths. For individual low-rise plots, where fire tender access is provided from the main road, a 3.0 m driveway is a common minimum.

← All Thumbrules