We live in a society that is obsessed with looks and appearances. As a result, many people worry about their appearance outside their homes. Every person wishes to have an appealing home from the driveway, driveway gates, and to the living rooms and the bedroom. One of the best ways to make your driveway appealing is through asphalt. An asphalt contractor best does the task.
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? Such is a question that many people have been asking. In this article, you will learn more about these costs and why it costs much to carry out the task.
Cost of Hiring an Asphalt Company
The cost of hiring asphalt paving service varies from one contractor to another. However, many contractors would charge you $12.00 to $17.00 per square foot to install the asphalt. Such is the average cost, so you may have some contractors that would charge quite a bit less and some that would charge more.
Why Asphalt Driveway Costs as It Does
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? The cost of an asphalt driveway depends on the kind of surface that you want. There are two kinds of asphalt that you can use for your driveway. The first one is asphalt concrete made from crushed stone and cement, which will be hard to chip and crack. This type of driveway will give you a smooth surface, but it is also expensive, and it’s a little bit harder to install compared to the other type of asphalt, which is asphalt block.
The second type is asphalt block, made from crushed stone, mud, and water. This type is also easy to install but costs less than cement asphalt. The disadvantage of asphalt block is that it can crack when you have heavy vehicles driving over it. So, if you have a big car and a lot of people who use your driveway, you should get the cement one, but if not, the asphalt block will work fine for you. You should know that asphalt can last eight to twenty years if well maintained. How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? If you need to maintain it, you should have a professional do it to avoid exaggerated costs.
Cost of Asphalt Materials
Asphalt consists of gravel, sand, and crude oilstone. The cost of these materials varies from time to time and from one vendor to another. The average price of one tonne of materials is approximately $100 to $200. One tonne of asphalt materials can cover 40 to 80 square feet. An average driveway would require 7.5 to 15 tonnes of asphalt.
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? The cost of asphalt would also depend on the prices of petroleum. For instance, when the cost of petroleum is high, the cost of asphalt would also be high on the consumers’ end. Hence, an individual would spend more to install an asphalt driveway than in a time when petroleum prices were law.
Before window shopping, one should know petroleum’s current record and prices. Therefore, when a person plans to install an asphalt driveway, they should window shop for a certain time. The window shopping process would allow them to identify the ideal time for the project when prices are low.
The cost of asphalt would also depend on the location of the job site and paving company. The cost will be high if an individual is planning to travel from one place to another to purchase materials.
Labor Costs
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? The labor costs for installing an asphalt driveway would vary from one contractor to another. However, there is an average cost that one should expect when planning to install an asphalt driveway. Many contractors charge approximately $12.00 to $17.00 per square. Hence, you need to find an asphalt paving service whose labor costs fall within this range. If the labor cost is too low, you might risk completing the work poorly. If the cost is too high, you will have paid an extra amount for a service you could have gotten at a low price. This cost would also be inclusive of heavy equipment rental.
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? The labor costs for installing asphalt driveways could vary depending on the amount of work needed. For instance, if the driveway requires deep excavation, you can pay approximately $5,100. However, this cost would also vary depending on your driveway’s size. If you have a small driveway with a smaller area to work, the price of labor can be less than $5,100.
You should also note that the labor cost depends on the hours the asphalt installing service will need to work on your job. If they plan to install an asphalt driveway in such a manner that it would take them more than eight hours, they could charge you an extra amount to compensate for their time. Therefore, you should hire a contractor with the right machinery, such as trucks. Such a contractor would carry out all the necessary tasks within a reasonable amount of time.
New Vs. Recyclable Asphalt
One can use two types of asphalt when installing an asphalt driveway. The first is recycled asphalt. This asphalt is an old product recycled by crushing and grinding it into fine pebbles and adding some additives. However, this type of asphalt is cheap compared to new ones. If you prefer to save some costs, it is best to choose contractors that use recycled asphalt.
Cost of Repairing or Recycling
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? If you choose to repair or recycle your asphalt driveway, the cost will vary depending on the extent of damage done to your driveway. Before you can repair or recycle your driveway, you need to have a professional look at it and determine the damage. After inspecting the damage done to your driveway, one should be able to come up with a good plan on how to restore it. You can use recycled asphalt materials for repairing as long as they don’t have any sharp edges that could cause injury. However, you should also note that using recycled materials may not give you the same quality as new ones.
If one decides to use new materials, they must purchase them and hire a contractor to install them. Asphalt is generally expensive compared to other driveways such as concrete or stone. The cost of asphalt would depend on your house’s location and the damage done to your driveway. The bottom line is that repairing might be cheaper than installing a new driveway. However, you need to consult your contractor before deciding.
Benefits of Asphalt Paving Driveway
There are several benefits of using asphalt to pave your driveway. When dealing with pavement, there are different durabilities like asphalt, which is harder than concrete and cement. For example, they look far superior because they have the grain and color of natural stone. Having a natural-looking driveway option reduces the maintenance costs and appearance issues over time.
With the elimination of cracks and holes in the asphalt, you will have to spend less money on repairing these. This is because asphalt does not break down easily and, as such, lasts longer. It will also help if you consider your property’s resale value. Real estate agents can help you with such information. When talking about how much does it cost to asphalt your driveway, most buyers prefer homes that have an appealing and attractive driveway. Moreover, an asphalt driveway is easy to install, unlike concrete or cement, which requires expertise.
Things to Consider While Asphalt Paving Your Driveway
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? Well, this depends on various factors. Before you decide to hire a contractor, you must do thorough research. Among the things that you should look at is the contractor’s experience. Be sure to find out how long they have been installing asphalt in your local area. They should have experience of at least three years, especially in the installation of asphalt. It is also advisable that you bring a sample design and talk to them about it beforehand so that they can give you an estimate on the cost and time for completion.
The next thing that you should put into consideration is the experience of their employees. You want to work with contractors who assign experienced employees to your driveway project. Such is because they will do an excellent job, and since they have a lot of experience, they will be able to finish it within the shortest time possible. They should be able to provide you with references to contact so you can confirm whether their services are good or not.
Before you use asphalt for your driveway, you must hire a contractor with all the necessary permits. Such is very important because it ensures a professional installation of the asphalt driveway. When looking at references, ask them if they were required to get any permit and whether they did get one or not.
How much does it cost to asphalt your driveway? You should ask yourself this question when hiring someone for the job. You need to see the machinery and equipment the contractor will use to avoid delays. One thing that you should look at is the equipment that they are using to complete the job. Also, it would be wise of you to ask them what they will use on your driveway.
The type of asphalt that they are going to use is another thing that you should consider. You should check if the contractor uses heavy-duty asphalt. The best thing about using this kind of asphalt is that it does not require any maintenance because it does not crack easily. Such is because it has a deep color and will not crack easily.
Steps for Installing Asphalt
Before anything else, remove all your lawn furniture, garden tools, toys, and anything else in the way. They could be damaged during installation if you do not do this step. One of the things that you should do before having an asphalt driveway installed is to ensure ground leveling. It would be wise to hire a professional team to do this work for you to save time and money.
After the ground leveling, you must chip off the dirt. Such will make it easier for the contractors to work on your driveway. You need to dig out a trench in your driveway where they will design the new asphalt surface for your driveway. You should not start digging until the contractor has made an accurate plan and estimate of materials that he would need for the job and that you and your architect or designer have approved these plans.
Once you have dug out the trench, a good contractor will use a diamond blade to smooth out the top surface of the soil to make it even. Such is very important because uneven surfaces could lead to cracks.
After that, they should apply a layer of asphalt on the top of your driveway. The contractors do this by using a heavy-duty truck with an asphalt spreading machine attached at one end, and they spread very regular patterns with their hands or by using a paver machine.
You will need to fit in the sub-base using gravel and compacted soil. The workers do this by rolling out a layer of gravel and compacted soil before installing the base. Such allows for a smooth surface that is flat and even. After the base installation, the asphalt sealers will apply two or three layers of paving asphalt. Such layers are 4′ and 6′ thick on your driveway.
Finally, you will need to allow it to cure for at least two days before you start to drive over it. An asphalt driveway is popular all over the world. The best thing about asphalt driveway is that it has a long life span and is durable compared to other types of driveways such as concrete or stone. The asphalt driveway also reduces noise and makes your neighborhood look clean and organized. However, one should note that asphalt can crack easily if not well maintained.
