Frequently Asked Questions

For homes, a dense-graded hot-mix surface course, the fine-textured mix most driveways use, placed 2 to 3 inches thick over a well-compacted stone base. HomeGuide recommends 3 to 4 inches for heavier vehicles. The mix matters less than the base, the compaction and the drainage; a premium mix on a soft base still fails.

National figures from HomeGuide run $5 to $12 or more per square foot, or $2,000 to $4,800 for 400 square feet and $3,000 to $7,200 for 600. Angi puts removal and replacement at $8 to $15 per square foot. Local soil, tear-out and access move the price; your written quote is the number that counts.

Often. HomeGuide puts it at $2 to $5 per square foot, about 30 to 40 percent less than asphalt, with better wet traction. It lasts 7 to 10 years for a single layer versus 15 to 30 for asphalt, and snowplow blades need to be raised slightly. For long lanes we quote both.

Not by itself. Water needs somewhere to go. We regrade so the surface sheds water to a lawn, ditch or swale, add base depth on soft ground, and check any culvert under the driveway. Then we pave.

Hot mix is placed from spring through fall, when the ground is warm and dry enough for proper compaction. Sealcoating needs dry days between about 50 and 95 degrees. Winter repairs are limited to temporary cold patch.

Yes. We serve nearby Illinois towns such as Marshall and Paris, and we check local requirements on that side of the line the same way we do in Indiana.

For cars and light trucks, 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt on 6 to 8 inches of compacted stone, per HomeGuide. If a camper, loaded trailer or work truck parks on it, go to 3 to 4 inches of asphalt and 8 to 10 inches of stone.

HomeGuide gives 15 to 30 years. On wet Wabash Valley soil, a good base and drainage decide which end you get, along with sealing every few years.

No. Hot mix has to be placed on dry ground and compacted while hot. We reschedule rather than pave on wet or cold ground.

Repaving on your own lot usually does not. Changing where the driveway meets a city street, county road or state highway may. Angi puts typical driveway permits at $50 to $200. We find out who controls your road and what they require.

No. Hot-mix asphalt is a pre-mixed blend laid and rolled 2 inches or more thick. Tar and chip is a sprayed asphalt layer with stone pressed into it, much thinner and cheaper, with a rougher surface.

For a few weeks, some. Excess chips are swept up after the surface sets, and a few more work loose under traffic early on.

Usually, once it is regraded, topped up and compacted. Muddy, rutted stone has to be fixed first.

HomeGuide says 7 to 10 years for a single layer and 12 to 15 for a double. A fresh chip layer can extend it.

HomeAdvisor gives asphalt lots 20 to 30 years, with repaving every 15 to 20 and sealcoating every few years. Poor drainage and thin sections under truck routes shorten that.

Where practical, yes. Many businesses prefer it, and we plan phases around your hours.

Yes. We can phase repairs over more than one season to fit a budget and schedule around tenant move-ins.

Cutting out a failed area down through the base, fixing the subgrade, rebuilding the stone base and paving new asphalt. It is the lasting fix where potholes keep coming back.

HomeGuide says every 2 to 10 years for driveways; HomeAdvisor says every 2 to 5 for lots. Reseal when the surface fades to gray.

Wait 3 to 6 months so the asphalt can cure first.

Usually 12 to 72 hours, depending on heat, humidity and shade. Foot traffic is often fine after 1 to 3 hours.

No. Cracks are filled first; sealer is too thin to fill them.

Yes. Lots are usually sprayed in sections so part stays open, then restriped after the sealer cures.

Late summer into fall, before the first hard freeze. Spring is the next-best time.

It is a temporary fix for winter. We replace it with hot mix when the weather allows.

The base under it is wet or soft, or water is draining onto it. The base and drainage need fixing, not just the surface.

New asphalt is darker at first. A sealcoat after it cures blends the colors.

Yes. Lot potholes are usually at entrances, drains and truck routes; we rebuild the base there, not just fill the hole.

A saw-cut hot-mix patch on a corrected base can last as long as the surrounding pavement. Cold patch lasts weeks to months.

It depends on total spaces: 1 to 25 needs one, 26 to 50 needs two, 51 to 75 needs three, per the 2010 ADA Standards. One in six must be van-accessible.

Yes. Paint alone does not meet the standard. Signs go at each accessible space with the bottom at least 60 inches above the ground.

When lines fade enough that drivers ignore them, and after every sealcoat.

Yes. Prep differs slightly, but the layout rules are the same.

Once the sealer has fully cured, usually after 24 to 72 hours depending on weather.

Yes, to the layout required for your property; HomeGuide prices fire lanes at $35 to $75 each.