Permeable pavements are constructed from either a porous substance that allows water to pass through or nonporous blocks that are spaced out so that water flows through the gaps. Permeable paving may also comprise different surfacing techniques for parking areas, roads, and pedestrian paths. Permeable pavements can comprise pervious concrete or pavers, porous asphalt, and interlocking pavements. In contrast to traditional impervious paving materials, such as concrete or asphalt, permeable pavement systems permit stormwater to seep and percolate through the pavement before settling through the layer of aggregate or soil beneath. Apart from decreasing water runoff on the surface, permeable paving materials can also trap suspended solids which can filter pollutants out of stormwater.

Permeable solutions are constructed using porous asphalt as well as concrete surfaces, including concrete pavements (permeable interlocking concrete pavement systems (PICP)) or polymer-based grass geocells, grids, and pavers. Porous pavements like previous cement and pervious asphalt are more suitable for urban areas with a lot of vehicle traffic, whereas geocells and grids made of concrete and geocells are more suitable for areas with light traffic pathways for cyclists and pedestrians as well as overflow parking areas.

Pervious concrete pavers enable water to seep and penetrate through the pavers to the layers of aggregate or the soil beneath. Impervious concrete pavers that have plenty of void space between them function exactly the same way as pervious concrete pavers, as they permit stormwater to flow into the gaps between each paver, which are filled with coarse gravel or vegetation as well as a stone or soil base layer that can be used for infiltration and filtering. Polymer grass grids or cellular paver systems offer loads-bearing reinforcement on the unpaved surface made of turf or gravel.