Concrete in Carnes Crossroads — the ARB that writes the driveway spec
Carnes Crossroads spans Goose Creek and Summerville on 2,300 acres and won the NAHB's best master-planned community in 2025. Its architectural review board specifies the driveway down to the width in the right-of-way and the planting strip at the house.
Carnes Crossroads sits at the junction of US 17-A and US 176 on 2,300 acres split between the City of Goose Creek and the Town of Summerville in Berkeley County — traditional-neighborhood planning, alleys behind the houses, village greens, and an architectural review board whose guidelines are the most specific we work with. For driveways: one driveway per lot, no wider than 10 feet within the right-of-way and 22 feet at the garage, in plain or colored concrete, beige or gray pavers, pea-gravel or oyster-shell concrete, or brick; a 16-inch planting strip between the driveway and the house; 'track' drives as an apron plus two two-and-a-half-foot strips; walks at least four feet wide. Any change to the lot needs an ARB modification application and is expected to be finished within three months. Then the government permits: Berkeley County for the encroachment and the building permit on most of it, Goose Creek for the parts inside the city (which keeps corner-lot driveways 40 feet from the intersection and inspects the foundation before concrete), the Town of Summerville for its portion.
So Carnes Crossroads work starts with the guidelines open on the table. Driveway replacements and extensions drawn exactly to the 10-and-22 rule with the planting strip; oyster-shell exposed aggregate and pea-gravel finishes, which the ARB names and which suit the Lowcountry architecture; patios and pool decks behind the houses within the coverage and setback rules; track drives for the alley-loaded lots; and the permit from whichever of three governments the lot is in. The ground is the same Berkeley County timberland — Goldsboro and Lynchburg soils, water a foot or two down in winter, fill still settling under the newer phases — so base, steel and drainage go in under all of it.
What we do in Carnes Crossroads
Drawn to the ARB spec
Ten feet in the right-of-way, 22 at the garage, the 16-inch planting strip, approved materials — on the modification application.
ARB-named finishes
Oyster-shell and pea-gravel exposed aggregate, colored concrete, brick and paver borders.
Three permit offices
Berkeley County, the City of Goose Creek or the Town of Summerville, depending on which side of the line the lot is on.
Track drives and alley lots
Apron plus two strips for the traditional-neighborhood lots; alley parking kept pervious where required.
Patios and pool decks
Within the setbacks and coverage, on a base built for settling fill.
Three-month completion
Scheduled so the ARB's completion window is met.
Neighborhoods and areas we cover
- Carnes Crossroads (Summerville side)
- Carnes Crossroads (Goose Creek side)
- Village Green
- Carnes Crossroads Boulevard
- US 17-A corridor
- US 176 corridor
- Foxbank Plantation (nearby)
- Liberty Hall Road area
- Cane Bay border
- Nexton border
- Goose Creek line
- Moncks Corner side
Concrete services available in Carnes Crossroads
- Driveways, aprons, culverts & encroachment permits, builder driveway replacement
- Patios, pool decks, stamped concrete, pervious concrete
- Walkways, shed, RV & generator pads, foundations & additions
- Repair & leveling, removal
Questions from Carnes Crossroads homeowners
How wide can my driveway be?
Per the Carnes Crossroads ARB: 10 feet within the right-of-way and 22 feet at the garage, with a 16-inch planting strip at the house. We draw it exactly to that; the ARB has turned down wider ones.
What materials does the ARB allow?
Plain or colored concrete, beige or gray pavers, pea-gravel or oyster-shell exposed-aggregate concrete, and brick. Stamped slate patterns aren't on the list.
Which permit office do I use?
Depends on the lot: Berkeley County for most of the community, the City of Goose Creek inside its limits, the Town of Summerville for its portion. We check the parcel and file with the right one.
Can I add a second driveway for the alley?
The guidelines allow one driveway; alley-side parking on the traditional lots is typically a pervious pad, which keeps it inside the rules and off the coverage count.
Nearby: Nexton · Cane Bay · Goose Creek · Moncks Corner · full service area