Frequently Asked Questions

National guides list new asphalt driveways at about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 (Angi). HomeGuide puts a 600-square-foot driveway at roughly $3,000 to $7,200. Slopes, tight access and drainage work push costs up, and Angi notes that inclines cost more. We price your job in writing after a site visit.

Blacktop is usually cheaper up front. Angi lists asphalt at $7 to $15 per square foot and concrete at $8 to $18. Concrete typically lasts longer, while asphalt is easier and cheaper to repair and needs sealing every few years.

Contractors buy hot mix by the ton, but homeowners are almost always quoted by area. The tonnage depends on the area and the compacted thickness, which is why we write thickness into every quote. Comparing per-square-foot prices only makes sense when the thickness and base are the same.

Work entirely on your property generally does not need an encroachment permit. Work in the public right-of-way, including the driveway approach, does, and the contractor needs a City business license. We confirm what applies to your address.

Yes, on most residential grades. It has to be compacted in manageable sections, and drainage and edge support matter more than on flat ground. On very steep drives we discuss traction and whether concrete or another surface is a better fit.

Spring through fall, when the ground is dry and temperatures are moderate. Winter storms and wet subgrade make compaction difficult, and winter work in the right-of-way downtown is restricted during the holiday moratorium.

Cost guides give a typical range of 15 to 30 years. Good drainage, a solid base and regular sealcoat keep a driveway toward the top of that range.

HomeGuide lists about $5 to $12 or more per square foot and Angi $7 to $15. HomeGuide puts a 600-square-foot driveway around $3,000 to $7,200. Slopes, drainage features and tight access add to that, and we quote after a site visit.

Runoff is likely washing base material out from under that edge. A new driveway with a supported edge and controlled drainage fixes the cause.

Sometimes, within the limits of the lot, the garage and the street. Regrading the last section near the street often reduces scraping. We will show you what is possible.

Most residential driveways take two to four days including removal, base and paving, longer if drainage work is extensive.

The owners who share it, according to a road maintenance agreement, HOA rules or their own arrangement. We break quotes down by section to make splitting costs easier.

Yes. We map the road and prioritize the worst sections so work can be phased.

Work on the private road itself usually does not. Work where it connects to a public street is in the right-of-way and needs an encroachment permit.

It depends on the traffic. Roads used by garbage trucks and fire engines need a heavier section than a single driveway; we size it to the heaviest regular user.

If the cracks are surface-level and the base is sound, yes. If the base has failed, the cracks will come back, and replacement is the better choice.

It varies with the condition and use of the pavement. We write the compacted thickness into the quote.

Not if the edges are milled. We plan the tie-ins so the surface meets the slab flush.

On a sound base with regular maintenance, many years. It cannot outlast a failing base underneath.

HomeGuide suggests every 2 to 10 years depending on product and climate. Driveways in full sun or with heavy use are at the shorter end.

Before the rainy season, ideally late summer or early fall, when cracks are dry and open.

It can be when wet. Sand added to the sealer improves traction on steep driveways.

Not right away. New asphalt should cure three to six months first.

The base under them is probably wet or soft. A full-depth repair removes and rebuilds it.

Yes. We rebuild and support the edge and address the water causing the damage.

Yes, with care around the roots. Large or protected trees may call for an arborist.

HomeGuide puts the average at about $100 to $400; larger failures are priced by the square foot.

HomeAdvisor lists about $2 to $4.50 per square foot or $400 to $1,130 per space for new asphalt. Repairs and overlays cost less; we price your lot after a survey.

Yes. The Department of Justice says restriping triggers the 2010 ADA Standards for accessible spaces.

Inside the lot, yes. Walnut Creek bars lane, sidewalk and parking obstructions downtown and on Ygnacio Valley Road from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.

HomeGuide says 2 to 5 years, and always after sealcoat.