Frequently Asked Questions

National cost guides put new asphalt driveways at about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 (Angi), with Angi's average job near $4,900. A 600-square-foot drive runs about $3,000 to $7,200 in HomeGuide's table. Tear-out, base repair and approach work move the number; your written quote is the price.

The city's specification calls for 6 inches of hot mix asphalt over 4 inches of 21AA aggregate for residential asphalt approaches, or 6 inches of 3,500 psi concrete over the same base. Commercial approaches are thicker.

Both work. Asphalt is usually cheaper to install, tolerates frost movement and is easy to patch, but needs sealcoating every few years. Concrete costs more and lasts longer with less upkeep, but salt can scale its surface. Base and drainage matter more than the material.

Roughly May through October. The region's average freeze window runs from about October 20 to April 22, and hot mix needs warm ground to compact well. We give quotes year-round.

Yes. Culvert work is in the road right-of-way, so it is planned with the permit in mind. In Rochester Hills, the spec calls for at least a 12-inch galvanized corrugated metal pipe with a foot of cover.

Cost guides give 15 to 30 years. A good base, drainage, fall crack sealing and sealcoating every few years push it toward the long end.

Most residential driveways take one to two days of work once the base is ready. Soft subgrade or approach work can add a day.

Yes. The concrete is broken out and hauled away, the base is rebuilt for asphalt, and the new drive is paved.

For typical cars, about 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel, per published cost guides. Heavier vehicles get more. The numbers are in your quote.

We set the grade to meet the garage slab and the approach flush. If the old drive had sunk, the new one may sit slightly higher where it was low.

HomeGuide recommends waiting 3 to 6 months for the asphalt to cure. Most people schedule the first sealcoat around a year in.

It carries turning traffic, plow trucks and road runoff. Rochester Hills' spec calls for 6 inches of hot mix over 4 inches of 21AA base for residential asphalt approaches.

Rochester Hills calls for at least a 12-inch, 16-gauge galvanized corrugated metal pipe with a foot of cover, extending 3 feet past the driveway on each side. Other agencies may differ.

In Rochester Hills, the spec requires at least 80 feet of road frontage, approaches 45 feet apart centerline to centerline, entering at 90 degrees.

Whoever controls the road: the city, the county road commission or MDOT. We confirm which before scheduling.

If the base is solid and damage is mostly on top, resurfacing saves money. If there are soft spots, heaving or widespread alligator cracking, replacement lasts longer.

Only partly. An overlay can adjust surface slope a little, but if water is getting into the base, the cause needs fixing first.

It can be done, but joints in the concrete tend to crack through the asphalt over time. We talk through the tradeoff.

Usually one day for a typical driveway once repairs are done, plus a few days before driving.

Every few years is typical. HomeGuide gives a range of 2 to 10 years depending on sealer and exposure.

On warm, dry days, yes. Once days stay below about 50 degrees, sealer will not cure well and it is better to wait for spring.

Yes. Sealer is too thin to keep water out of an open crack.

Expect 12 to 72 hours according to HomeGuide; warm, dry, sunny days cure fastest.

For anything meant to last, yes. Cold patch does not bond or compact like hot mix and does nothing for the base.

Cold patch can hold a hole over winter. Permanent hot-mix patches wait for warmer weather.

Often roof water from a downspout softens the base, or the area was never compacted well. We fix the base and the water source together.

When failures cover most of the surface or keep multiplying, replacement is usually the better value. We give you both numbers.

Often, yes, especially for retail lots. We plan phasing around your busiest hours.

Restriping triggers the 2010 ADA Standards for accessible parking according to the Department of Justice, so the layout has to meet them.

Every few years is common, followed by restriping. Heavy-traffic lots may need it more often.

We treat them like lots: thicker sections where trucks run, phased work and clear notice to residents.

Yes. After a lot walk, we can lay out crack sealing, patching, sealcoating and restriping by year so budgets can be planned.