In Dallas, permeable resin-bound surfacing can be part of a drainage design only as an engineered alternative pavement, normally on private property, approved by the Director under the city's September 2019 Drainage Design Manual. It needs a permeable base, and on most Dallas clays that means a liner or underdrain rather than free infiltration.
The manual gives permeable paving a modest hydrology credit for frequent storms, not a pass on detention for larger ones, and the stormwater fee on your utility bill is set from impervious area. Add the Trinity River corridor and the Escarpment Zone, and the engineering details below matter more than the color of the stone.
What the 2019 Drainage Design Manual says about permeable paving
The manual groups permeable pavement, permeable unit block systems and porous pavers as alternative pavements that may be considered upon approval by the Director. It also states that permeable pavement is not allowed in the public right-of-way unless the Director specifically approves it, and that it isn't intended as a public street surface. Resin-bound is not named, so it would come forward as an alternative system with its own data.
The hydrology credit is real but narrow. In rational method calculations, permeable pavement and pavers may be treated as park area, with a runoff coefficient of 0.4, and the SCS method allows a curve number of 40, in both cases for the 50 percent annual chance storm and smaller events only. Detention must still hold peak discharge and erosive velocity to existing levels for the larger design storms the manual lists.
The stormwater fee on Dallas utility bills is based on each property's impervious area, and the city's fee finder shows the charge for a given address. We found no published fee credit for permeable paving. Dallas is listed as an iSWM founding community at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, but private development review follows the Dallas manual.
Blackland clay, the Escarpment Zone and the Trinity: site factors for the engineer
Much of Dallas sits on Blackland Prairie clays that swell when wet and crack when dry, the opposite of what an infiltrating reservoir wants. The manual anticipates this. Over clay, an impermeable layer may go between subbase and subgrade to limit shrink-swell, geomembrane liners can contain the reservoir where soils won't infiltrate, and underdrains are required to protect infrastructure or utilities whenever clay or geomembrane liners are used. It also requires a geotechnical investigation and calls for an impermeable barrier next to structures and roadways.
Other limits are practical. The manual treats permeable pavement as suited to slopes of two percent or less, wants the design water quality volume to drain within 24 to 48 hours, keeps maximum ponding 6 inches below the top of the wearing course, and bars diverting runoff from other areas onto the pavement. A pre-development meeting is required for sites in the Escarpment Zone, within 100 feet of a stream or in a floodplain, for private projects over 5 acres, and for innovative design approaches, and work in the Trinity River Corridor can require a Corridor Development Certificate.
None of this applies to a resin-bound overlay on an existing driveway or patio slab. Rain passes through the resin layer and runs off the concrete, so that version is resurfacing, with no detention or water quality value.
Dallas projects where a porous surface earns its place
- Restaurant and retail patios in Deep Ellum and the Bishop Arts District, where a lined, underdrained section reduces puddling without pushing water toward foundations.
- Courtyards and plazas in Uptown and the Design District, as one part of a site's drainage approach.
- Residential walkways, patios and motor courts in Lakewood, Preston Hollow and Lake Highlands, designed for clay with an underdrain to the storm system.
- School, church and campus walkways where owners want a firm, accessible surface that drains.
- Tree surrounds and amenity areas in multifamily projects, where a permeable surface lets water reach root zones.
Getting it specified and approved in Dallas
Private development drainage goes through the Engineering Division of the city's Planning and Development Department, and alternative pavements need the Director's approval. Plan for a geotechnical report, the base and liner design, drawdown and overflow calculations, and an owner maintenance commitment, since the manual makes the property owner responsible for upkeep. If the site is near a stream, in a floodplain or in the Escarpment Zone, the pre-development meeting is required, so book it early.
Resin Rock manufactures and supplies the binder, aggregate blends, trims and Rock Crete permeable sub-base, with technical data sheets for your engineer. We don't install. We connect Dallas owners with an approved installer, usually within 24 hours, through find an installer. Homeowners who want a slab refresh rather than a drainage project can start with concrete resurfacing in Dallas.
Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Dallas
- Get the Director's view on a resin-bound alternative pavement before final design.
- Commission a geotechnical investigation covering clay swell, infiltration and groundwater.
- Design the liner, underdrain and an impermeable barrier next to buildings and paving.
- Keep surface slopes at two percent or less, or add check dams or interceptor trenches.
- Model detention for the full set of design storms, not just the frequent-storm credit.
- Check Escarpment Zone, floodplain and Trinity River Corridor status.
Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Dallas
Can permeable resin-bound go in a Dallas parkway or public sidewalk?
Generally not without specific approval. The 2019 Drainage Design Manual says permeable pavement is not allowed within public right-of-way unless the Director specifically approves it, and it isn't intended as a public street surface. Plan resin-bound for private patios, courtyards, walkways and site areas, where the owner also takes on maintenance.
Will it remove the need for detention on my site?
Unlikely. The manual lets designers treat permeable paving as park area, with a runoff coefficient of 0.4, or use a curve number of 40, but only for the 50 percent annual chance storm and smaller. Detention for the larger design storms is still evaluated, so permeable surfacing usually shrinks the problem rather than replacing a detention solution.
Will it lower my Dallas stormwater fee?
The fee is based on the impervious area of your property, and we haven't found a published credit for permeable paving. Whether a permeable resin-bound section on an open-graded base changes the measured area is up to the city. A resin-bound layer over an existing slab is still impervious underneath, so don't expect a change in that case.
Why does Dallas clay matter so much?
Blackland Prairie clays swell and shrink with moisture and drain slowly, so water stored under a pavement can soften the subgrade and affect nearby foundations. The city's manual allows impermeable layers or geomembrane liners over clay and requires underdrains when they're used, so most Dallas sections detain and release water rather than soak it in.
Official sources for Dallas
- City of Dallas Drainage Design Manual (September 2019)
- City of Dallas engineering forms and design manuals (incl. Escarpment ordinance)
- Dallas Water Utilities: Understanding your utility bill (stormwater fee)
- NCTCOG iSWM Technical Manual
Local rules change. We last checked these sources in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency before you design, and treat this page as a starting point, not engineering or permitting advice.