How to Read a Paving Quote and Compare Two Prices

“How much does an asphalt driveway cost?” It is the question everyone asks first, and before anyone can answer it, two quotes have to describe the same work. This page shows how to read a quote line by line and how to compare two of them fairly. For the full version of the six factors and a surface area estimator, see our Asphalt paving prices page.

What makes the price vary

Five things move a quote: the surface area, the condition of the foundation, the compacted thickness, access to the site and the extras. Each one is explained on our Asphalt paving prices page. What matters here is how each one should appear on paper, so you can compare.

Resurfacing or rebuilding: the real question

Before comparing prices, compare what is being offered. Two quotes can differ by a factor of two simply because one includes a new foundation and the other does not. A serious contractor will tell you clearly which of the two options suits your base, and why.

We tell you what your base allows, and what it does not. A new layer laid on a base that moves would look great in June and be cracked by April.

How to compare quotes

Insist that the quote spells out, in black and white:

• the measured surface area;
• whether the old surface is removed or not;
• the thickness and type of foundation (compacted crushed stone);
• the thickness of compacted asphalt (not “laid”);
• how drainage is handled;
• the warranty and its terms.

Line in the quote	A quote you can compare	A quote you cannot compare
Surface area	Measured on site, in square feet	“One driveway”
Foundation	Thickness of compacted crushed stone written down	Not mentioned
Asphalt	Thickness after compaction	“Laid” thickness, or nothing
Old surface	Removed or kept, stated	Not said
Drainage	Slopes and transitions described	Not mentioned
Extras	Each one on its own line	Folded into the total
Warranty	Written, with its terms	“Warranty included” with no terms

Once the lines match, compare the totals. If one quote leaves a line blank, ask for it before you decide.

A quote that reads “one asphalt driveway: $X” without these details cannot be compared to another. It is not the price that is suspicious, it is the lack of information. Our guide How to choose a paving contractor gives the nine questions to ask before signing.

When to schedule the work to save money

In Quebec, paving runs from May to November, depending on ground temperature, and the schedule fills up in the order quotes are accepted. Requesting your quote early in the spring (or as early as the fall for the following season) lets you pick your date. And a sealer applied at the right time costs a fraction of the price of a rebuild.

Want a number for your driveway? The visit and the quote are free in Montreal, Laval, Terrebonne and on the North Shore. Request your quote: the owner calls you back on business days.