A river village settled in 1800
Asphalt Paving in French Settlement, LA
Driveways and parking for homes and camps near the Amite River in southern Livingston Parish.
- Free on-site estimates
- Itemized written quote with base depth and compacted asphalt thickness
- Driveway pipe, culvert and right-of-way permits sorted out before work is scheduled
Paving Beside the Amite
Asphalt paving in French Settlement is shaped by the Amite River, which brought the first settlers here and still sets the rules for the ground. The village was settled in 1800 by immigrants who arrived by way of the Amite and incorporated on June 13, 1965. It sits at about 13 feet in southern Livingston Parish and counted 1,073 residents in 2020. We pave driveways, boat and trailer parking, and access drives for homes and camps, and we patch and sealcoat existing pavement.
Old houses, fishing camps and boat trailers
The area was once a commercial center with cypress sawmills, trappers and a steamboat port. Four houses in the village are on the National Register of Historic Places: the Decareaux, Deslattes, Guitreau and Lobell houses. Today many properties are raised homes or camps, and nearly all of them have a boat trailer to park. That makes the parking area as important as the driveway: it needs room to back a trailer and a surface that drains when everything is wet.
Wet ground needs a deep base
At 13 feet and next to the river, the soil here is soft and wet. A driveway or pad laid on it without enough stone will rut quickly under a truck and trailer. Our approach on French Settlement lots:
- Excavate soft soil and replace it with compacted crushed stone
- Build a thicker base where trucks back and turn with trailers
- Keep the paved surface slightly above the yard so it sheds water
- Plan the equipment route so a loaded asphalt truck does not sink in the yard
When the ground is saturated, we wait for it to firm up before paving.
Parish culvert rules
Most driveways here cross a ditch. In Livingston Parish, Public Works sizes the culvert only after the location has been staked where it can be seen from the road. Galvanized culverts are not accepted, the parish supplies no pipe or fill, and if the owner puts the culvert in, it has to pass inspection before anything covers it. We confirm with the village or parish which office handles your address, then pave across the crossing once the pipe is approved and backfilled.
After the 2016 flood
The Amite reached record levels in August 2016, and a parish official estimated that 75 percent of Livingston Parish homes were a total loss. Pavement that sat under water often has soft areas now. We cut those out and rebuild them rather than covering them with sealcoat.
Raised homes and camps
Many homes and camps here sit on piers, with parking underneath and stairs down to the ground. An asphalt pad under the house keeps vehicles out of the mud and gives a firm surface at the bottom of the stairs. We work around piers and posts, keep the pad sloped away from them and leave space for the ground under the house to drain.
What we pave in French Settlement
- Driveways and access drives
- Boat, trailer and camp parking areas
- Culvert crossings to parish rules
- Patching and base repair
- Sealcoating
Call (225) 346-9274 to set up a visit.
French Settlement Facts
- River settlement. The village was settled in 1800 via the Amite River and incorporated on June 13, 1965.
- Low ground. French Settlement sits at about 13 feet above sea level in southern Livingston Parish.
- Historic houses. The Decareaux, Deslattes, Guitreau and Lobell houses are on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Parish culverts. Livingston Parish does not approve galvanized culverts and inspects owner-installed culverts before they are covered.
Our Services in French Settlement, LA
French Settlement Questions
Can you pave a parking area for my boat trailer?
Yes. We size it for backing and turning, build a thicker base where the truck and trailer sit and slope it to drain.
What culvert pipe can I use in French Settlement?
Livingston Parish does not approve galvanized culverts. Concrete, approved plastic and tar-coated steel are allowed, and owner-installed pipe must be inspected before it is covered.
Can you pave a camp driveway on soft ground?
Yes, with a deeper stone base and a dry stretch of weather so the subgrade is firm.
Free Estimates in French Settlement, LA
Free written estimates for French Settlement driveways and pads.
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