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 per square foot (Angi). Base work on soft soil, a new driveway pipe, removal and length all change the total, so we price your job in writing after the site visit.

HomeGuide lists a 1,000-square-foot asphalt driveway at roughly $5,000 to $12,000 nationally. A large commercial area costs less per square foot; HomeAdvisor puts parking lots at about $2 to $4.50 per square foot. Your written estimate reflects the actual base, thickness and access at your property.

It is placing hot-mix asphalt, a blend of crushed stone and sand bound with asphalt cement, over a compacted stone base and rolling it dense. The asphalt layer is only a few inches thick. The base and the drainage under it decide how long it lasts.

Usually because water gets into the base and stays there. Heavy rain, flat ground, soils that swell and shrink, and thin stone bases are the common causes. Sealing cracks early, keeping water moving off the surface and building a thicker base prevent most early failures.

Often, yes. The City-Parish lists adding to or expanding a driveway as work that needs a permit, a driveway pipe across a parish ditch needs a culvert permit, and a connection to a state highway needs a Louisiana DOTD permit. Cities like Central, Zachary and Denham Springs have their own rules. We confirm what your address needs before scheduling.

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

Most of the year works, because hard freezes are short here. Dry stretches matter more than the month. Spring and fall are easiest; in summer we start early and plan around afternoon storms.

Check whether each quote states base depth and compacted asphalt thickness, what happens to soft soil, how the surface will drain, and who handles the driveway pipe and permit at the street. Two bids can match on price and differ on all of those points. Look up any contractor with the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors before you sign.

National guides list about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 per square foot (Angi). A 600-square-foot driveway falls around $3,000 to $7,200 in HomeGuide figures. Tear-out, soft soil, a new driveway pipe and length change the total; we price yours in writing after seeing it.

Both work here. Asphalt usually costs less up front, flexes a little with moving soil and is easy to patch, but it needs sealing every few years. Concrete costs more and lasts longer, but cracks from shifting soil are harder to repair cleanly.

A common residential section is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of stone. If you park trucks, trailers or an RV, plan on 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches. On soft ground, the base depth matters as much as the asphalt.

Not always. If the pipe is sound, long enough and flowing, it can stay. If it is crushed, rusted through, plastic where the parish does not allow it, or shorter than the 24-foot City-Parish minimum, replacing it during paving is the time to do it.

Because the base under them is still wet or soft, or water keeps reaching it from a downspout, a low spot or a failed pipe. Filling the hole without fixing those leaves the cause in place. Saw-cut patching with base repair addresses it.

Cold patch holds until hot mix can be placed. It is useful in an emergency, but it rarely lasts as a permanent repair, especially in a hole that stays wet.

Yes, once the patches have cured enough. We typically repair first, seal cracks and then sealcoat so the whole surface looks uniform.

Most paving crews have one, because bringing equipment out costs the same for one small patch. HomeGuide lists typical minimum fees of $100 to $250. Grouping several repairs into one visit gets more done for the money.

On a sound base with good drainage, an overlay can give many years of service. On a failed or wet base it can crack in a year or two, which is why we check the base first.

Sometimes. Shallow low spots can be built up as part of the overlay. Deep depressions usually mean the base has moved and should be repaired first, and on flat lots the overall grade may need to change.

Yes, by the thickness of the new layer. We mill or cut joints where it meets the garage, walks or street so there is no lip and water still drains away.

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

Every few years for most driveways. HomeGuide gives a range of two to ten years depending on the sealer and climate, and HomeAdvisor suggests every two to five years for parking lots. Strong sun and frequent rain push toward the shorter end.

Not right away. Wait three to six months so the asphalt can cure.

A light shower after the sealer has set usually does little harm. Heavy rain on a fresh coat can streak or wash it away. That is why we schedule for a dry window and will move the date if storms are forecast.

It darkens them but does not fill them. Cracks must be sealed first or they keep letting water into the base.

Typically 12 to 72 hours, depending on temperature, humidity, shade and the product. In humid weather, plan on the longer end.

HomeAdvisor lists about $2 to $4.50 per square foot nationally, or roughly $400 to $1,130 per space. A 10-space lot runs around $10,000 and a 100-space lot around $75,000 in its figures. Base condition, drainage work and phasing move the total.

HomeAdvisor gives asphalt lots about 20 to 30 years with care and suggests resurfacing every 15 to 20 years. Sealcoating every few years and fixing cracks early extend that life.

Usually, yes. We phase the work so part of the lot and at least one entrance stay usable.

Yes. Accessible spaces, access aisles and signs are laid out to the 2010 ADA Standards when the lot is striped.

Under the 2010 ADA Standards: one for 1 to 25 total spaces, two for 26 to 50, three for 51 to 75 and four for 76 to 100, with at least one van-accessible space for every six accessible spaces. Larger lots follow the same table upward.

The Department of Justice says restriping triggers the 2010 Standards, so the lot should meet the current requirements for the number and layout of accessible spaces when it is restriped.

HomeGuide puts typical striping life at two to five years. Every sealcoat also covers the lines, so lots are restriped after each one.

Yes. Many lots are striped early in the morning or after closing so the business is not disrupted.