How to choose
a paving contractor.
You are going to ask for two or three quotes. Here is the grid for reading them: nine questions, five warning signs, and what a professional writes without being asked.
The 9 questions to ask any paving contractor.
Ask them of every contractor you meet. A professional answers all nine in writing, in the quote. Check off the ones you got a real answer to.
0 / 9 checked
We answer all 9 in writing, in every quote.
That is the principle behind our commitment: everything that matters is written down before you sign.
The 5 red flags.
Every summer, homeowners across Greater Montreal pay for paving that doesn’t make it through the winter. None of these signs proves anything on its own, but together, they should make you slow down.
- The door-to-door pitch with “leftover asphalt from the job next door”: hot asphalt does not keep, and the “special” price hides a missing base.
- Cash payment demanded, no invoice: no recourse, no warranty, no record.
- No way to reach the company after the work: you will not know who to call in April.
- No written quote, or a one-line quote: the extras show up at the end.
- Pressure to sign the same day: a professional lets you compare.
The seven lines that must be there.
A one-line quote (“Driveway paving: $X”) protects you from nothing. Here is what a complete quote writes, item by item. Ours contains them all.
-
Measured area
A figure in sq ft, not “a driveway”. Without the area, two quotes cannot be compared.
-
Excavation and removal
What is removed, to what depth, and where the debris goes.
-
Foundation
Type of stone (MG-20 / 0-¾), thickness, mechanical compaction in layers.
-
Asphalt
Thickness after compaction, hot asphalt, laid with a paver and compacted with a roller.
-
Drainage
Slopes, transitions with the garage, the sidewalk and the street: where the water goes.
-
Finishing and cleanup
Edges, transitions, debris removal, site cleaned before leaving.
-
Warranty
What it covers, what it excludes, its term: written in the document, not said over the phone.
- What makes the price vary Our 7-point commitment
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 → -
How Long Does an Asphalt Driveway Last in Quebec (and How to Extend Its Life)
Foundation, thickness, drainage, sealer: what determines the lifespan of an asphalt driveway in Quebec, the end-of-life signs, the mistakes to avoid.
Read the article →
A quote that answers the nine questions.
Describe your project in two minutes. The owner calls you back to set up a visit, measure, assess the base, and hand you a quote that answers each of the nine questions in writing, 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.