Asphalt Paving in Oakland Township, MI

Asphalt paving in Oakland Township usually means long driveways. The township covers about 36.7 square miles with roughly 20,000 residents, a density of about 553 people per square mile, far lower than its neighbors. Its ordinances and master plan are written to limit commercial development and cap density, so homes sit on larger, wooded parcels, often well back from the road on rolling ground near 938 feet of elevation.

What long drives need

A 300-foot driveway has a lot of edge to support and a lot of surface to drain. On rolling ground, water picks up speed going downhill and will undercut the asphalt at the bottom or along a curve if it has nowhere to go. We crown or cross-slope the surface so water leaves along the way, compact the base past the paved width, and back the edges with soil.

Gravel to asphalt

Many township drives started as gravel. Converting one starts with testing the existing stone; firm, well-graded aggregate can stay as part of the base, and thin or muddy stretches get new stone. Long drives can be paved in phases, starting near the house.

Culverts and ditches

Rural roads mean roadside ditches, and ditches mean culverts. A rusted or crushed pipe sends water across the approach and into the base. Approach and culvert work at a county road is in the Road Commission for Oakland County's right-of-way, so we confirm requirements with the road agency before work at the road. The township's own Building Department and Township Hall handle local permit questions.

Paint Creek

Paint Creek runs through the township, and the Paint Creek Trail, Michigan's first rail trail, opened in 1983 and follows the old railroad from Lake Orion to Rochester through Goodison. The Paint Creek Cider Mill sits on the site of an 1835 grist mill. Properties near the creek can sit on wetter ground, and we plan the base accordingly.

Owners who stay

Census estimates show about 94 percent owner-occupancy and nearly 95 percent of residents in the same home a year earlier, with a median owner-occupied value near $589,000. That points to long-term thinking: a well-built drive and a maintenance plan.

Costs for long drives

National guides put new asphalt at roughly $5 to $12 or more per square foot; HomeGuide's table shows a 1,000-square-foot drive at about $5,000 to $12,000. Long drives cost more in total but spread fixed costs over more pavement. Your written quote is the price.

Timing

We pave from late spring into early fall, when ground and air temperatures let hot mix compact. Long drives can take two or three days, especially with base work.

Wooded drives

Most Oakland Township drives run under trees. Shade slows drying after rain and snow, leaves hold moisture on the surface, and roots work under the edges. When we pave through woods, we keep major roots intact where we can, add base where roots have lifted the old surface, and recommend a leaf cleanup before winter. A crisp edge backed with soil keeps tires and plows from breaking it down.

Approach at the road

Where the drive meets a county road, the approach and culvert take road runoff and plow traffic. We look at both at the estimate and include any work needed, with the road agency's requirements in mind.

Call (947) 622-8745 or

Get a Free Estimate

for a free Oakland Township estimate.