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Privately Funded Road Improvements

Learn about how you can improve gravel roads through private funding.
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Cooperative Agreement | Local Improvement District | Private Contractor | Maintenance Local Improvement District

You and your neighbors may be able to privately pay for road improvements that we are not able to.

Through Cooperative Agreements (Co-ops) or Local Improvement Districts (LIDs), property owners can fund a paving project and the county can do the work. You can also hire private contractor and apply for a Right-of-Way Permit.

These funding methods are commonly used by people who wish to improve Local Access Roads or pave gravel roads. We do not have the funds to pave the gravel roads within our jurisdiction.

Cooperative Agreement

A Co-op is created when only a few property owners have interest in improving the road. Depending on the size of the project, we may be able to help with certain construction activities. We can’t pay for the project, nor can we pay a contractor to do the work.

One property owner acts as the point of contact with us when creating a Co-op. After you contact us, we see what work we would have to do and prepare cost estimates.

Co-op members must deposit the full estimated cost before construction begins. If the project costs less than expected, we will issue a refund. If it costs more than expected, we will send an invoice for the remaining balance to the point of contact.

We recommend property owners also form a Maintenance Local Improvement District (MLID) so we can develop an ongoing maintenance strategy. That way, revenue for road maintenance is collected annually. MLID money can only be used for road maintenance.

Local Improvement District

Local Improvement Districts (LIDs) require all benefitting property owners along the road to pay for the one-time road improvement.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners votes to create an LID through this process:

1. Neighborhood Meeting

You can work with us to arrange a neighborhood meeting. The meeting can be in-person or virtual. We mail invitations to all the property owners who would be in the LID.

During the meeting, we explain the work needed, give a cost estimate and present other funding options. Then you and your neighbors decide if you want to move forward. If you don’t move forward, the road can’t be considered for an LID for another five years.

2. Petition

You will circulate a petition in your neighborhood. We will create a required information sheet with details about the proposed improvements. At least 51% of affected property owners need to sign the petition to move forward. Only one person from each property is allowed to sign. Even if a person owns several properties, they can only sign once.

3. District Formation

If you get enough signatures, the Board will hold a public hearing. We also present the Board with a feasibility report showing details on the improvements.

We will also develop per parcel cost estimates. Usually, the Board assigns cost shares based on the benefits to each parcel. If you benefit more, you will pay more than others. People who own multiple properties pay a share for each property.

After the hearing, the Board votes on the formation of the LID. This process needs to be finished by December if you want paving to be done the following summer.

4. Construction

Construction usually happens over two or more weeks in July or August. We guarantee the work for one year.

5. Payment

After construction, we will ask the Board to decide on assessments for each parcel. Invoices are then sent to each property owner.

All property owners need to pay their share, even if they oppose the LID. The assessment becomes a lien on the property. If you sell the property before you pay off the lien it will transfer. You can pay in full or with a 10-year payment plan.

6. Ongoing Maintenance

If your road is a County road, we will provide ongoing maintenance based on our Road Maintenance Priority Matrix.

If your road is a public dedicated or local access road, ongoing maintenance is up to the property owners. We recommend you form a Maintenance Local Improvement District (MLID).

Private Contractor

Private contractors can work on projects that meet our requirements if they get a Right-of-Way Permit.

Permits include specifications, general conditions and other requirements. We encourage you to contact us for requirements before you get a quote from a contractor.

We are not involved with contracts between property owners and contractors. However, when applying for a permit, contractors do need to provide us with proof of insurance, a one-year warranty on all work and a cash or surety bond. The bond is based on our estimate of the full amount of the work. Once the contractor addresses issues and the warranty period ends, we will release the bond.

Our inspectors check in before, during and after construction. We require a deposit for inspections before issuing a permit.

Maintenance Local Improvement District

Maintenance Local Improvement Districts (MLIDs) are recommended when making improvements to a Public Dedicated or Local Access Road. These types of roads are not County roads and require property owners along the road to pay for ongoing maintenance. The procedure to create an MLID is the same as an LID and can be done at the same time.

With an MLID, property owners pay annually to build a fund for road maintenance. The advantage of creating an MLID is that the fund is built steadily over time. When the road needs repair, money is already available and property owners don’t need to try to come up with it all at once.

FAQs

Payment

  • LID: Everyone who benefits pays for improvements, even if they oppose them.
  • Co-op: Only people who volunteer pay for improvements.
  • Private contractor: Property owners hire and pay for their own private contractor. We need a deposit for the inspection work and a bond guaranteeing the work.

Process

  • LID: A formal process involving the Board, which approves or denies the LID.
  • Co-op: A semi-formal process involving us and some property owners.
  • Private contractor: Contractors perform the work to our requirements and permit conditions.

Work

  • LID: Construction work is done or hired by us.
  • Co-op: Construction work is done by us.
  • Private contractor: Construction work is done by contractors hired by property owners.

LID advantages:

  • All benefiting property owners pay for the LID.
  • Payment can be made over a 10-year period.

LID disadvantages:

  • It's a long process, including five BOC meetings.
  • The process must be completed by December for the work to be completed in spring or summer.
  • Neighbors opposing the improvements still must pay for them.
  • The project may alienate neighbors who oppose the work.

Co-op advantages:

  • It is simpler because it only involves one or more property owners.
  • If agreed on by March, improvements can usually be made the spring or summer of the same year.

Co-op disadvantages:

  • The estimated costs are collected before work begins.
  • The individual costs are usually higher since fewer people are paying for the work.

Private contractor advantages:

  • Property owners decide who performs the work.
  • Property owners control the schedule.

Private contractor disadvantages

  • Property owners manage the project.
  • The project may alienate neighbors who are not in favor of the work.
  • We will not warranty the work.

We do not promote gravel road upgrades or any other privately funded improvements. Our staff attends LID neighborhood meetings to share information if property owners ask.

We do not have the funds to pave and maintain our more than 250 miles of gravel roads.

Our Transportation Plan prioritizes road maintenance funding. Major roads are the highest priority and local roads are the lowest. Even small improvements to major roads are higher priority than general maintenance of local roads. Our Road Maintenance Program shows our current priorities.

No. When people ask about road upgrades our staff checks minimum requirements, like road width and geography. Public Dedicated or Local Access Roads are not eligible for the LID or Co-op options.

The finished road will usually be 20 feet wide. There is 18 feet of paved surface, and one-foot-wide gravel shoulders on both sides. The road base will be at least six inches thick and pavement will be at least three inches thick. The rock or asphalt may need to be increased for commercial truck traffic.

We use a hot mix asphalt treatment.

Speeds may increase once a road is upgraded to a hard surface. These roads are usually subject to Oregon's Basic Speed Rule. You can contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office and file a Traffic Complaint if you believe motorists are violating the Basic Speed Rule.

Property owners can submit road service requests for gravel road maintenance.

Dust abatement is a fairly low-cost treatment applied by a contractor. You must fill out a Dust Control Agreement annually. Rain and lots of traffic make dust abatement less effective

Contact Us

Road Maintenance

Email

[email protected]

Phone

503-846-7623