Professional culvert design and hydraulic analysis for roadway, driveway, and drainage infrastructure projects across Texas. Our licensed civil engineers design culverts for stream crossings, roadway drainage, and site development, performing hydraulic analysis to size culverts that safely convey stormwater while meeting TxDOT and local jurisdiction requirements throughout the Houston metropolitan area.
Our Culvert Design Services
Culvert Sizing & Hydraulic Analysis
Hydraulic analysis to size culverts for design storm events, including inlet control and outlet control calculations.
Driveway Culvert Design
Design of driveway culverts for residential and commercial access, including pipe sizing, end treatments, and grade considerations.
Roadway Culvert Design
Design of roadway culverts for street and highway drainage, including TxDOT compliance and hydraulic capacity verification.
Box Culvert Design
Design of reinforced concrete box culverts for larger drainage applications, including structural design and hydraulic analysis.
Culvert End Treatment Design
Design of culvert end treatments including headwalls, wingwalls, aprons, and energy dissipators for erosion protection.
Bridge Culvert Design
Design of bridge culverts and low-water crossings for roadway stream crossings, including hydraulic and structural analysis.
Culvert Replacement Design
Design of culvert replacements for existing infrastructure, including hydraulic upsizing and scour analysis.
Culvert Permitting
Preparation and submittal of culvert construction plans and permit applications to TxDOT, local jurisdictions, and drainage districts.
When culvert design may be needed
Culvert design may be needed for roadway, driveway, and drainage crossings — including new crossings, replacements, and capacity upgrades. ALFA's licensed civil engineers perform hydraulic sizing, structural design, and manufactured culvert selection for culvert projects across Texas.
Culvert design can involve three related but distinct tasks: hydraulic sizing (sizing the culvert to convey the design storm), structural design (engineering the culvert and end treatments for the applied loads), and manufactured culvert selection (selecting a manufactured product that meets the design requirements). Not every project needs all three; the scope depends on site conditions, loading, drainage criteria, and the reviewing authority.
Project steps
- 1Site & data review — ALFA reviews survey, topographic, drainage, and loading information against the crossing purpose and the reviewing authority's criteria.
- 2Hydraulic sizing — the culvert is sized to convey the design storm under inlet and outlet control, per the applicable drainage criteria.
- 3Structural design & selection — the culvert and end treatments are engineered for the applied loads, and a manufactured product is selected where appropriate.
- 4Submittal & comments — ALFA coordinates the submittal with the reviewing authority (TxDOT, county, or local jurisdiction) and responds to comments; the authority makes the final permit decision.
Culvert scope depends on site conditions, loading, drainage criteria, and the reviewing-authority requirements. ALFA does not publish generic culvert sizes or capacities as suitable for every project. Sizing and design for your project are confirmed against the applicable criteria. ALFA does not guarantee permit approval — the authority having jurisdiction makes the final determination.
Information needed for a quote
- Property address
- Crossing purpose (driveway, roadway, drainage, etc.)
- Survey or topographic information (if available)
- Drainage area (if known)
- Existing culvert information (size, material, condition — for replacements)
- Proposed loading (traffic, etc.)
- Agency or reviewer comments (if available)
You don't need all of these to start the conversation. Share what you have and ALFA will help identify what else is needed for your proposal.
Availability: Culvert design is available statewide. On-site visits, when needed, are scheduled based on project location.
How to Request a Proposal
Use the button below to request a proposal. Describe your project, site address, and any specific concerns or requirements.
Related Engineering Services
Hydrology & Hydraulic Analysis
HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS modeling for drainage and flood studies.
Drainage Design
Site drainage, stormwater conveyance, and detention design.
Storm Sewer Design
Storm drain collection, inlets, and outfall design.
Erosion & Sediment Control
Outlet protection and erosion control for culvert outfalls.