Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national guide lists standard asphalt driveways at about $5 to $12 or more per square foot, or $2,000 to $4,800 for a 400-square-foot driveway and $5,000 to $12,000 for 1,000 square feet. Tear-out, base repair and approach work add to that. Your written estimate after a site visit is the price.

Cost guides put asphalt driveway life at 15 to 30 years. In Minnesota, where a driveway lands in that range comes down to the base, drainage and upkeep. A drained, compacted base, a sealcoat every few years and cracks sealed before winter keep it toward the long end.

The outer boundary is usually just called the edge, and where it meets the street it becomes the apron or approach. Edges crumble when there is no compacted base under them or when water and frost undermine the shoulder. We extend the base past the paved edge and pack it so the asphalt has support.

Sometimes. An overlay works when the old surface is cracked on top but the base is still firm. If there are frost heaves, sunken areas, potholes or alligator cracking across large areas, the base has failed and new asphalt on top will crack in the same places. We check before recommending either.

Roughly late spring through fall, once frost is out of the ground and the base is dry. Paving on cold ground makes the mat lose heat before it can be compacted. We plan around ground temperature and the forecast rather than fixed dates.

Usually after a few days, longer in hot weather. For the first weeks, avoid turning your wheels while parked, parking in the same spot every day, and setting kickstands, trailer jacks or ladders on it. The first sealcoat waits several months while the asphalt cures.

A common residential build is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel. Driveways that carry trucks, campers or trailers need more. Some cities, such as Shakopee, set a 3-inch standard; we follow whichever is greater.

Most residential driveways take one to three days: removal and base work first, paving next. Weather can push the schedule, and we would rather wait a day than pave on a wet base.

It depends on the city and what changes. Replacing in the same footprint is often simpler, while widening, adding a curb cut or changing the approach usually needs city approval. Bloomington requires a permit even for overlays. We check for your address.

Recycled asphalt can make a solid base layer and sometimes a lower-cost surface for rural drives. For a finished residential driveway, most owners choose new hot mix on top. HomeGuide lists recycled asphalt driveways at about $4 to $9 per square foot.

On a sound base, an overlay can perform much like new pavement. On a failing base, cracks reflect through quickly. The base condition matters more than the overlay thickness, which is why we inspect it first.

Not if it is planned. We mill a strip at the garage, walk and street so the new layer meets them flush, and taper elsewhere where needed.

It can be done, but joints and cracks in the concrete tend to show through the asphalt as the slabs move with frost. For most concrete driveways in poor shape, removal and new asphalt is the more durable choice.

No. Sealcoating is a thin liquid coating that protects the surface. An overlay is a new layer of hot-mix asphalt, typically an inch and a half or more, that adds a fresh wearing surface.

Most driveways do well with a coat every two to four years. HomeGuide's broader range is 2 to 10 years depending on sealer and climate. Reseal when the surface has faded and stones show; more often than that just builds up layers.

Wait at least 3 to 6 months so the asphalt can cure. For a driveway paved in late summer, that usually means sealing the following summer.

Foot traffic is usually fine after a few hours. Cars generally wait 12 to 72 hours depending on temperature, humidity and shade. We tell you when it is ready.

No. Sealer is too thin to fill a crack and will sink into it. Cracks are cleaned and filled first, then sealed over.

Water seeps into cracks, freezes and lifts the pavement. When it thaws, a void remains and the base is saturated. Traffic breaks the unsupported surface. Sealing cracks before winter and fixing drainage cuts down on spring damage.

Only temporarily. Cold patch can fill a dangerous hole in winter, but permanent hot-mix repairs wait until the ground thaws and dries.

New asphalt is darker than old asphalt at first. Sealcoating the whole surface after patches cure evens out the color.

If failures are isolated, repair. If they cover a large share of the surface or keep multiplying, the base has broken down and replacement or an overlay is usually the better value.

Late summer through fall, before the first hard freeze. The pavement is dry and cracks are partly open, so the sealant fills them well and keeps water out all winter.

Hot rubberized sealant in a properly cleaned crack generally lasts several seasons. New cracks keep forming as pavement ages, so plan on checking and touching up every year or two.

Pourable fillers can help on small cracks, but they are less flexible and tend to pull away as the pavement moves. Hot sealant bonds better and lasts longer on cracks that open and close with the seasons.

Yes. Sealcoat is too thin to fill cracks. Seal cracks first, let the sealant set, then coat the surface.

HomeGuide puts typical restriping life at 2 to 5 years, depending on traffic, plowing and sun. Any time the lot is sealcoated, it needs restriping.

Restriping counts as an alteration under the 2010 ADA Standards, so the new layout must meet current requirements for number, size, aisles and signs. We check your count before painting.

Yes. Most lots are done in phases, and work can be scheduled early, late or on weekends to keep at least part of the lot open.

Car areas commonly run 3 to 4 inches of asphalt over a compacted base; truck lanes and loading areas need more. We size each zone for the traffic it carries.