Add clean, puddle-free parking on strict barrier-island parcels in North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and Pawleys Island without tripping impervious limits. We bring physical permeable paver swatches to your driveway, prepare complete municipal stormwater paperwork, protect your turf and sprinklers, and finish most installs in 3–5 days for $30–$36 per sq ft.
A common mistake along coastal South Carolina is assuming any paver driveway is "permeable." Standard pavers laid over ABC crusher run stone and sealed with polymeric sand behave nearly 100% impervious under building codes—meaning they can trigger permit rejection when building a new home, pool deck, or rental addition in Surfside Beach, North Myrtle Beach, or Pawleys Island.
Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement (PICP) eliminates every fine particle from the assembly. We excavate 12" to 18" deep, line the trench walls with permeable AASHTO M288 geotextile, and build a two-stage open-graded stone stormwater vault using washed angular #2 stone sub-base and #57 choker stone containing roughly 40% empty pore space capable of storing inches of coastal rainfall instantaneously.
We finish the bedding and wide paver joints exclusively with triple-washed #8 / #89 granite chip aggregate locked between 80mm spacer-lug ASTM C936 pavers. Rainwater passes straight between stones in seconds rather than sheeting onto neighboring streets or marsh tributaries.
Looking to clean clogged stone joints, stabilize traditional interlocking patios, or fix settled pavers? Visit our paver sealing and hardscape restoration programs.
Verify how North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Pawleys Island, and Horry County treat impervious limits before pouring concrete (250 sq ft minimum / $4,500 min project mobilization).
| Municipality / County | Base Impervious Cap | PICP Infiltration / Base Rule | Required Permitting & Verification | City Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Myrtle Beach (29582) | Strict coastal zoning lot-coverage maximums | ≥ 2 in/hr rate | Engineer/system spec prior to permit + post-install field inspection | NMB Specs → |
| Surfside Beach (29575) | 40% max in R-1 / 50% max in R-3 zones | Open-Graded #2/#57 | Mandatory Town Stormwater Worksheet & impervious survey sign-off | Surfside Specs → |
| Town of Pawleys Island (29585) | ~40% barrier-island impervious cap | Georgetown LID | Town architectural/stormwater review + Georgetown County LID credits | Pawleys Specs → |
| Horry County & Myrtle Beach | Varies by PUD/R-district & drainage basin | CMHA Tech Spec #18 | Encroachment permit + drainage retention calculation if near wetlands | Myrtle Beach → |
$30.00–$32.00 / sq ft
Adding extra bedroom capacity or boat parking in Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, or Surfside Beach? Replace impervious concrete with PICP to recover lot-coverage square footage.
$31.00–$34.00 / sq ft
When your custom house footprint plus pool deck already eats 35% of a Pawleys Island or Surfside parcel, a permeable driveway keeps the total site legally under 40% ($24,000–$28,800 per 800 sq ft).
$32.50–$36.00 / sq ft
Low-lying lots near marsh creeks in Murrells Inlet or Cherry Grove receive a perforated 4" PVC underdrain wrapped in geotextile sock inside the stone reservoir.
Engineered Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement (PICP) driveways cost $30 to $36 per square foot installed ($24,000 to $28,800 for an 800 sq ft two-car coastal rental driveway) across Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and Pawleys Island. Existing slab tear-out adds +$2.50 to +$4.00 per sq ft.
Yes, when built strictly to municipal open-graded PICP standards. North Myrtle Beach requires at least 2 inches per hour infiltration, engineering specifications, and post-installation inspection; Surfside Beach enforces 40% R-1 and 50% R-3 impervious caps via its Town Stormwater Worksheet; and the Town of Pawleys Island imposes a ~40% lot-coverage limit where Georgetown County LID stormwater credits apply.
Polymeric sand hardens into a waterproof binder and ABC crusher run contains fine stone dust that seals pores tight, destroying permeability within months. True PICP relies strictly on washed angular #8/#89 granite chips in the joints and clean open-graded #57 and #2 crushed stone below to preserve ~40% stormwater void space.
Keep lawn clippings and pine straw blown off the joints and schedule a periodic vacuum sweep or top-up of #89 granite joint chips every 3 to 5 years. Because surface fines trap in the upper 1/2 inch of chip stone, a quick regenerative air sweep restores full multi-inch-per-hour infiltration without removing pavers.
