Asphalt Driveway Installation in Rochester Hills, MI

Asphalt driveway installation covers both brand-new drives and full replacements of old ones. In Rochester Hills it is mostly replacements: subdivision driveways from the 1970s, 80s and 90s that have cracked into a web, sunk at the garage or started breaking apart at the edges. The process is the same either way. Out with the old surface, fix what is underneath, build a compacted gravel base, then pave.

Step by step

• Removal. Old asphalt, concrete or gravel is broken up and hauled off.
• Subgrade check. We look at the soil underneath. Soft, wet or organic material comes out and is replaced with compacted stone.
• Base. Crushed aggregate is spread, graded so water runs off toward the yard or road, and compacted in lifts. Cost guides describe 6 to 8 inches for typical residential use.
• Paving. Hot mix is placed and rolled while it is workable; 2 to 3 inches compacted is typical for cars, more for trucks and trailers.
• Finishing. Edges are rolled or hand-tamped and joints at the garage, walk and approach are made flush.

Sizing the drive

We ask how many vehicles park on the drive, whether a boat or camper sits there, and where you turn around. A drive that is too narrow ends up with tire ruts in the lawn; one with no turnaround on a busy road means backing out into traffic. If widening is part of the plan, the new strip is built to the same depth as the rest so the seam does not crack.

Slopes and the street

Rochester Hills' driveway specification sets a minimum 2 percent slope and a maximum of 8 percent along roads posted 40 mph or more, or 10 percent along roads posted 35 mph or less, and a 2 percent maximum where the driveway crosses a sidewalk or pathway. Those numbers are written for the approach, but they make sense for the whole drive: enough fall to drain, not so steep that cars scrape or ice becomes a hazard.

After paving

Keep cars off for a few days and heavy vehicles longer. New asphalt stays soft in its first summer, so avoid turning wheels while stopped and put a board under kickstands. HomeGuide recommends letting new asphalt cure 3 to 6 months before sealing; after that, a sealcoat every few years and crack filling each fall keep it in shape.

Removal of concrete drives

Some homeowners replace a cracked concrete driveway with asphalt. That works well, but the concrete has to come out completely and the base underneath is usually rebuilt, since concrete slabs were often poured on less gravel than asphalt needs.