Savannah at a glance
Savannah is an unincorporated Census community in Denton County with Aubrey mailing addresses, roughly 22 minutes by road from The Colony. We also pour in nearby Paloma Creek, Prosper and Little Elm.
Half the sampled ground is Wilson clay loam at a gentle 2.8% surface shrink-swell. The rest, Heiden, Sanger, Branyon and Ferris-Heiden clays, measures 8.4% to 17%. FEMA lists 29 of 30 sample points as minimal-hazard Zone X.
Permit office: Denton County Development Services · official page Development Permit for development including paving; Culvert Permit and Right-of-Way Use permit for work along Fishtrap Rd or other county-maintained roads; Civic Access portal.
A concrete contractor in Savannah answers to the county, not a city
The mail says Aubrey, TX 76227, but that tells you nothing about who regulates a pour. Denton County's GIS finds none of 30 sample points inside a city limit and 29 of 30 outside any city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Paloma Creek sits next door and every one of its sample points lands in the Little Elm ETJ. Savannah is different, and any concrete contractor in Savannah answers to the county alone.
Denton County Development Services requires a Development Permit for any development in unincorporated Denton County, and it counts "paving," filling, grading and excavation as development. Whether your patio or a driveway replacement on an existing lot qualifies is something to ask Development Services before the job starts. Its fee schedule lists a residential development permit at $100 outside the floodplain and $250 inside. You apply through the county's Civic Access portal with a site plan that shows new and existing improvements and their distance to at least two property lines.
For a comparison with the incorporated towns around you, read our permit guide.

Fishtrap Rd driveways need a culvert and right-of-way permit
On the county's maintained-road map, exactly one county road touches the Savannah CDP: Fishtrap Rd, asphalt and active. A lot that connects to it falls under the full set of county road rules.
- Culvert Permit. A new driveway on a county-maintained road needs one, and so does new development that keeps an existing driveway. The fee schedule lists $300, plus a $75 driveway inspection.
- Culvert specs. The county's culvert instructions accept only galvanized corrugated steel pipe, 20 feet at the shortest and 60 feet at the longest, not counting the 4:1 sloped safety ends. You stake the location, the county sets grade stakes within 10 working days, and you call for an inspection of the pipe once it is set and of the safety ends once they are formed.
- Right-of-Way Use permit. Any work over, under or along a county-maintained road needs one, filed in Civic Access.
The streets inside the subdivisions did not appear on the county's maintained list. If your curb cut is on one of them, ask the county which office covers it. Plan the culvert and the pour as one schedule with your concrete contractor in Savannah. For what goes on your own lot, see our concrete driveway page on thickness, steel and joints.

What It Costs
Here are our DFW ranges for common Savannah jobs.
| Job | Per sq ft | Typical project | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway, 24 by 30 (720 sq ft) | $7 to $12 | $5,040 to $8,640 | Tear-out, base on Heiden or Sanger clay, culvert work |
| Back patio, reinforced | $7 to $12 | $2,000 to $5,000 | Size, slope away from the house |
| Stamped patio | $12 to $20 | $4,000 to $8,000 | Pattern, color, sealer |
| Shed pad, 10 by 12 | $7 to $12 | $1,000 to $1,700 | Back-yard access, thickness |
County permit, culvert and inspection fees are extra. Each job gets a free written estimate once we have seen the site.
Wilson clay loam leads the soil, with Heiden and Sanger close behind
Wilson clay loam on 1 to 3% slopes made up half of Savannah's 30 NRCS sample points. Its surface shrink-swell (linear extensibility) value is just 2.8%, climbing to 7.5% lower in the profile. Among the soils sampled in Savannah, that is the gentle end.
The other half of the sample looks nothing like it. Heiden clay took 10% of points at 12.1 to 12.2%, Navo clay loam another 10%, and Burleson, Sanger, Branyon and Ferris-Heiden clay 7% apiece. Ferris-Heiden measures 17%, Branyon 9.9 to 13% and Sanger 8.4 to 9.1%. NRCS's Texas interpretation rates Heiden, Sanger, Branyon and Ferris-Heiden all "Very limited" for dwellings on concrete slab.
So two Savannah neighbors can need different base work under patios of the same size. At the estimate visit your concrete contractor in Savannah checks the ground and set base, steel and joint spacing to match. Our expansive clay guide covers how the shrink-swell scale works.

Flood exposure is low, but check your own address
Savannah fares better on flooding than the lakeside towns. FEMA's map put 29 of 30 Savannah sample points in Zone X, minimal flood hazard, and none in Zone A or AE; the last point returned no value. Paloma Creek, by contrast, had 7% to 10% of its points in Zone AE.
A sample says nothing final about one parcel, so look up your address on the FEMA map before you commit to a large slab. Should part of the work fall in a flood zone, the county requires a permit for excavation or filling and charges the $250 floodplain fee. A structure inside a Special Flood Hazard Area also needs a finished-floor elevation certificate from a Texas registered surveyor, engineer or architect.
Low flood risk still leaves drainage to deal with. On Heiden and Sanger clay, water that stands beside a slab soaks in slowly and swells the soil beneath it. That is why we slope every patio and walk away from the house and point downspouts away from fresh flatwork.
Elm Ridge WCID, Mustang SUD and the Savannah Boulevard clubhouse
Special districts run Savannah's infrastructure. The TCEQ water districts database shows Elm Ridge Water Control and Improvement District of Denton County as active, covering 1,413.135 acres under five directors. It lists two water systems: the inactive Denton County FWSD 10 and the active Elm Ridge WCID. County GIS puts 28 of 30 Savannah sample points inside the district polygon and names Mustang SUD as the water utility area. Before any tear-out we find the water meter and service line.
A 2017 PUC filing by Denton County FWSD No. 10 records a board meeting at the Savannah Clubhouse on Savannah Boulevard, which is also where the Paloma Creek districts meet.
Census ACS data gives Savannah a median year built of 2008 and 72% owner-occupied homes. If your home from that era needs a patio replaced, a driveway widened or new concrete slabs for a shed, a concrete contractor in Savannah should price each one against the clay found on your lot. If your subdivision has an architectural review, our HOA approval guide lists what to include.
Common Questions
Is Savannah inside Little Elm's ETJ?
What permits does a concrete contractor in Savannah need for a Fishtrap Rd driveway?
Why do Savannah addresses say Aubrey?
Does Savannah soil treat concrete better than Paloma Creek's?
Will my Savannah patio involve flood insurance paperwork?
Who owns the water lines beneath my Savannah driveway?
Sources
- Development Services (Denton County)
- Applying for Development Permits (Denton County)
- Denton County Development Services Fee Schedule (Denton County)
- Culvert Installation Instructions (Denton County)
- Right-of-Way User Guide (Denton County Development Services)
- Elm Ridge WCID of Denton County (TCEQ Water Districts Database)
- PUC Docket 48569, DCFWSD No. 10 rate order filing (Public Utility Commission of Texas)
- FAQ (Texas811)
