How much does
an asphalt driveway cost?
The honest answer: it depends on what is under the asphalt. Here are the six factors that make a quote vary, and how to get yours: written, detailed, free.
You arrived here comparing prices. You will leave comparing foundations. The square foot of asphalt is quick to calculate; what separates a driveway that holds from one that cracks by the second spring is the thickness of compacted stone, the thickness of asphalt after the roller and the way the water drains away.
That is why we do not publish a price per square foot: without having seen your base, it would be a guess, and a guess turns into extras on the day of the work. We measure, we assess the foundation, and you receive a firm, written price that does not move.
What you receive
- Area measured on site, in sq ft
- Thickness of compacted stone and compacted asphalt
- Drainage, slopes and transitions
- Every extra written separately: curbs, concrete removal, line marking
- Written warranty and its terms
- A firm price: the price on the invoice
What drives the price.
A price per square foot without seeing your base is a guess, and a guess turns into extras on the day of the work. Here is what really moves a quote.
-
The surface area
Asphalt is calculated by the square foot, measured on site. A single driveway and a double driveway with a turning area do not call for the same quantity of materials or the same machine time.
-
The condition of the foundation
It is the most important factor, and the most often ignored. If the base is sound, a resurfacing is enough. If it is sunken or too thin, it has to be excavated and rebuilt: more work, but a result that holds.
-
The compacted thickness
The stone thickness and the asphalt thickness after compaction are chosen according to the soil and the traffic. “Laid” is not “compacted”: insist on the figure after the roller.
-
Access to the site
A sloped driveway, a narrow lot between two buildings, a back lane or a long haul for the trucks and the paving machine all change the working time.
-
The extras
Curbs, tie-ins with paving stones, drainage, removal of concrete or roots, line marking for a business. Each one is written separately in the quote.
-
The time of year
We pave from May to November, depending on ground temperature, and the calendar fills in the order quotes are accepted. Planning early (or off season) gives you the choice of date, without changing the quality of the work.
Cheaper, more expensive: what it buys you.
Repairing protects what holds, resurfacing renews the surface, rebuilding fixes the cause. The right option depends on the condition of the base, not on your budget or on what a salesperson wants to sell you.
| Criteria | Repair | Resurface | Rebuild |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condition of the base | Sound, localized damage | Sound, surface worn everywhere | Sunken, too thin or unstable |
| Typical symptoms | A few cracks, a pothole, a broken edge | Grey surface, widespread surface cracks, no sinking | Networked cracks, waves, puddles, multiple sunken spots |
| What it fixes | Stops the deterioration where it is | Gives a new surface over what still holds | Fixes the cause: foundation, drainage, thickness |
| What it does not fix | A base that moves elsewhere | Sinking and a weak base | Nothing: it is the complete solution |
| Length of the work | One visit, most of the time | One day, most of the time | One day of preparation, then paving in the following days |
| Relative budget | $ | $$ | $$$ |
"$ / $$ / $$$" = the relative cost of one option compared to the others, not an amount. The firm price is written in your quote, after the site visit.
How many square feet does your driveway cover?
No need to be exact: an approximate length and width are enough. The official measurement is taken during the free visit.
Why one quote can be double the other.
Two quotes do not describe the same work. Before comparing the totals, compare the lines.
The lowest quote almost always has a thinner foundation, faster compaction or forgotten drainage. These items are invisible on the day of paving, and decisive by the third spring. If the other quote does not specify the thickness of stone, the thickness of compacted asphalt, the compaction method and the warranty, you are not comparing two prices: you are comparing a price and an unknown.
We are happy to help you read both. And to ask every contractor the right questions, keep our list handy.
The 9 questions to ask any paving contractor Read: how much does an asphalt driveway cost in Quebec
The vocabulary of paving.
The words you will see in your quote, and in everyone else’s. Knowing them means you can compare.
- Paving machine (paver)
- Machine that spreads hot asphalt in a layer of uniform thickness before compaction. Machine laying avoids the waves and visible seams of hand laying.
- Compaction
- The act of compressing stone or asphalt to drive out air voids. Done with a roller, layer by layer. It is what keeps water from seeping in and the ground from sinking.
- 0-¾ crushed stone (MG-20)
- A mix of crushed stone and fine particles that, once compacted, forms a stable, free-draining foundation under the asphalt.
- Tack coat
- Emulsion applied to the old surface before resurfacing so the new asphalt layer bonds to the existing one instead of peeling away.
- Resurfacing
- Laying a new layer of hot asphalt over an existing surface whose base is sound. Renews the surface without excavation.
- Sealer
- Protective coat applied to cured asphalt to block water, salt, oil and UV rays, and bring back its deep black.
- Driveway apron (curb cut)
- The part of the driveway that crosses the sidewalk or curb to meet the street. Creating or widening it is regulated by the municipality.
- Drainage slope
- The incline given to the surface so water runs toward the street, a ditch or a catch basin, and never toward the garage or the house foundation.
- Alligator cracking
- A network of interconnected cracks showing that the base under the asphalt has given way. At that stage, patching is no longer enough: the foundation has to be redone.
- Pothole
- A clean hole in the surface, the result of a crack left open that water and frost have widened. Repaired by cutting out, recompacting the base and laying hot asphalt.
What we get asked about price.
Why don’t you publish a price per square foot?
Because a price per square foot without having seen your base is a guess, and a guess that turns into extras on the day of the work. We prefer to measure, assess the foundation, and hand you a firm price that will not move.
Why can two quotes be double one another?
Because they do not describe the same work. The visible asphalt is the least expensive part; what costs is the excavation, the thickness of compacted stone, the thickness of asphalt after compaction and the drainage. When a quote is much lower, ask what was taken out: it is rarely the colour.
Is resurfacing always possible?
No. It is only offered if the base is sound: no settling, no network of cracks. Laid over a foundation that moves, it cracks exactly like the old surface. That is what we check during the visit, before proposing it.
Is the visit really free?
Yes, and with no obligation. We measure, assess the base and the drainage, explain your options, then you receive a written, detailed quote. You decide afterwards, at your own pace. And if your driveway can wait a year, we tell you.
Does the price change after the visit?
The price on the quote is the price on the invoice. If an unforeseen condition requires a change (soil much softer than expected, for example), we explain it and you approve it before, never after.
Do you ask for a deposit?
Payment terms (deposit or not, and when) are written in your quote, like everything else. Be wary, on the other hand, of a cash payment demanded before the work, with no invoice: it is one of the trade’s warning signs.
Read this before you decide.
-
Asphalt Resurfacing or Rebuilding: How to Know What Your Driveway Needs
Asphalt resurfacing or rebuild? The foundation test, the symptoms that rule out resurfacing, typical cases around Montreal and a checklist before signing.
Read the article → -
How to Read a Paving Quote and Compare Two Prices
What an asphalt paving quote must include: surface area, foundation, compacted thickness, drainage, warranty. How to compare two prices.
Read the article → -
Permits for redoing your driveway: what Montreal, Laval and Terrebonne require
When a permit is generally required for a driveway, what cities say about redoing it as is, and where to check city by city.
Read the article →
A firm price, in writing, after the visit.
Describe your project in two minutes. The owner calls you back to set up a visit, measure, assess the base, and hand you a detailed quote, free and with no obligation.
- Free visit and measurement
- Firm price, itemized step by step
- Written warranty in the quote
- Quick callback, on business days
What your quote includes
- Area measured on site
- Excavation and removal of the old surface
- Crushed stone base compacted in layers
- Asphalt thickness and compaction method
- Drainage, slopes and transitions
- Finishing and site cleanup
- Written warranty and its terms
Line by line, comparable with any other quote.