Frequently Asked Questions

A 20-by-20 driveway is 400 square feet. HomeGuide lists a 400-square-foot asphalt driveway at roughly $2,000 to $4,800, based on $5 to $12 or more per square foot. Tear-out, base repair and access move the number, so we price yours in writing after a site visit.

HomeGuide puts a 1,000-square-foot driveway at about $5,000 to $12,000, and Angi lists new asphalt driveways at $7 to $15 per square foot. A larger area often lowers the cost per square foot, while removal of old pavement and base repair raise it.

It depends on width. A 100-foot driveway 10 feet wide is 1,000 square feet; at 12 feet wide it is 1,200. Using HomeGuide's $5 to $12 or more per square foot, that is roughly $5,000 to $14,400 before removal or extra base work. Long rural drives may also need a culvert where they cross a ditch.

January in Columbus averages a high of about 37 degrees and a low of about 22, so pavement freezes and thaws over and over. Water in cracks and the base expands each time it freezes and pushes the asphalt apart. Slow-draining clay soils keep the base wet longer, which makes it worse. Sealing cracks in the fall and fixing drainage problems prevents most of it.

Paving on your own property is different from work in the public right-of-way. Installing, removing or repairing the driveway approach, curb or public sidewalk inside Columbus needs the city's 905 right-of-way permit from the Department of Public Service, and suburbs and townships have their own rules. Work that stays entirely on your property is treated differently. We confirm what your address needs before scheduling.

Roughly spring through late fall. Hot-mix asphalt has to be placed and rolled while it is hot, and cold ground pulls heat out quickly, so new driveways are best done once the ground has warmed and before hard freezes return. Winter work is mostly temporary patching.

If the old asphalt is still firmly supported and the cracking is only on the surface, an overlay can work and costs less than replacement. If it has ruts, sunken areas or alligator cracking, the base has failed and new asphalt on top will crack in the same places. We check before recommending either.

Look past the total. A sound quote states the stone base depth, the compacted asphalt thickness, whether soft spots will be dug out, how drainage will be handled and who pulls the permit for any work at the street. Two quotes with similar prices can differ on every one of those points.

National guides list about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 per square foot (Angi). For a 400-square-foot driveway, HomeGuide gives roughly $2,000 to $4,800. Removal, base repair and the apron change the total, so we quote yours in writing after seeing it.

A common residential section is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of stone base. For trucks, trailers or RVs, 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches is typical. On wet, slow-draining soil, the base matters as much as the asphalt.

Asphalt usually costs less up front, is quicker to install and easier to patch, and it handles plowing well. It needs crack sealing and a sealcoat every few years. Concrete costs more and lasts longer but can scale under road salt and is harder to repair cleanly.

HomeGuide says to wait at least 24 to 48 hours before driving or parking, 3 to 5 days in hot weather, and at least a week for heavy vehicles. We give you the timing for your job when we finish.

Because the base under it is still wet or broken. Filling the hole leaves the cause in place. Cutting out the failed area and rebuilding the base fixes it.

It is a temporary fix for cold weather or an emergency. It rarely lasts more than a season, so we follow it with a hot-mix repair when the weather allows.

Late summer and fall are ideal, while the pavement is dry and before freeze-thaw season. Sealed cracks keep water out of the base all winter.

Not a private paving crew. The City of Columbus asks residents to report potholes on city-maintained streets to its 311 Service Center, while roads the Ohio Department of Transportation maintains, such as the interstates, go to ODOT. We repair private driveways, lots and drives.

Most paving crews have one because bringing out equipment costs the same for a small patch. HomeGuide lists typical minimum fees of $100 to $250. Grouping several repairs into one visit stretches your budget.

On a solid base with good drainage, an overlay can give many years of service. Over a failed base it can crack again within a winter or two, which is why we check first.

Shallow surface ruts can be leveled in the overlay. Deep ruts mean the base has moved and needs repair before any new layer goes down.

It rises by the thickness of the overlay. We mill or cut the joints at the garage, walks and apron so the new surface ends flush.

Yes. Commercial lots are often done in phases so parking stays open.

Every few years for most residential driveways, depending on sun, traffic and plowing. Lots that see heavy traffic and plowing may need it more often.

Not right away. HomeGuide advises waiting three to six months so the asphalt can cure.

It darkens them but does not fill them. Cracks have to be sealed first or they keep letting water in.

HomeGuide gives 12 to 72 hours, depending on temperature, humidity and the product. You can walk on it after a few hours.

Yes, as long as days stay dry and mild enough for the sealer to cure. Once nights turn cold, the season ends until late spring.

HomeAdvisor lists asphalt lots at about 20 to 30 years, with repaving every 15 to 20 years. Regular crack sealing, sealcoating and prompt repairs help reach the long end.

Usually not. We split the lot into phases, keep one entrance open and can shift work to nights or weekends.

It depends on the total count. Under the 2010 ADA Standards, 1 to 25 spaces need one accessible space, 26 to 50 need two, 51 to 75 need three, and at least one must be van-accessible.

Yes. Where a civil engineer has specified grades and pavement sections, those plans govern the job.

HomeGuide gives about two to five years. Lots that are plowed hard every winter sit at the short end.

Yes. Department of Justice guidance says a lot that is restriped must provide accessible spaces as required by the 2010 ADA Standards.

Yes, until the sealer cures, since the sealer covers the old lines. Booking both as one project is the usual approach.

Yes. Expect a mobilization charge on small jobs; HomeGuide lists it at about $150 to $350.