Frequently Asked Questions

National cost guides put new asphalt driveways at about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 per square foot (Angi). HomeGuide's table puts a 400-square-foot driveway at $2,000 to $4,800 and notes that some contractors set a minimum around $2,000. Tear-out, soft-base repair and drainage work change the total, and your written estimate is the price.

Work on your own lot may not, but work on the approach, sidewalk or curb in the city right-of-way does. The City's Right-of-Way Management team issues that permit; the October 2023 application lists a $95 fee, 72 hours' notice before work and a scheduled inspection. We confirm the current requirements before any approach work is planned.

On flat ground, small dips that a few years of settling create are enough to hold water. Low spots can sometimes be corrected with a leveling course and overlay; if the base underneath has gone soft, that section needs to be dug out and rebuilt. We check with a level and a probe before recommending either.

HomeGuide gives a range of every 2 to 10 years depending on the sealer and climate, and HomeAdvisor suggests every 2 to 5 years for parking lots. Strong sun dries out asphalt quickly here, so most driveways benefit from the shorter end of that range. New asphalt should cure for about 3 to 6 months before its first coat.

Both work. Asphalt usually costs less up front, is quick to repair and can be overlaid later, but it needs periodic sealing in strong sun. Concrete costs more and needs less routine upkeep. The city's approach in the right-of-way follows its own design standards regardless of what you choose for the driveway itself.

If the base is sound and the damage is mostly on the surface, an overlay of about 1.5 to 2 inches is often a good option; HomeGuide prices overlays at $1 to $3 per square foot. If cracks cover most of the surface, or there are soft, sunken areas, the old cracks will come back through, and replacement is the better value.

Usually a few days for cars, longer in hot weather when the surface stays soft. Keep trailers, RVs and heavy trucks off it longer, and avoid turning the steering wheel while parked for the first season. We give you specific timing for your job.

Published national ranges run about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 per square foot (Angi). A 400-square-foot driveway falls around $2,000 to $4,800 in HomeGuide's table. Tear-out, base repair and drainage fixes move that number, and the written estimate is your price.

For cars, a common build is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted stone. If you park a work truck, boat trailer or RV on it, we go thicker on both layers. The quote lists the exact depths.

On your side of the property line, yes. Widening or extending the approach in the city right-of-way needs a Right-of-Way Management permit, so we check the current requirements and include that step in the plan.

Usually water. Downspouts and roof runoff often empty onto that end of the driveway, and if the slope sends water back toward the house, the base stays wet and settles. We look at where the gutters drain and grade the new surface to move that water away.

HomeAdvisor's national range is $400 to $1,130 per space, or about $2 to $4.50 per square foot for asphalt. Their examples put a 10-space lot near $10,000 and a 100-space lot near $75,000. Base work, drainage and heavy-duty sections change the figure for each site.

HomeAdvisor lists 20 to 30 years for asphalt with routine care, with resurfacing every 15 to 20 years and sealcoating every 2 to 5 years. On the coast, keeping water off the surface and sealing on schedule make the biggest difference.

In most cases, yes. We phase the work so one entrance and part of the parking stays in use, and we time the noisiest work around your busiest hours.

An entrance built in the city right-of-way needs a Right-of-Way Management permit with a traffic control plan; one on a state highway goes through TxDOT. We sort out which applies before the schedule is set.

On a sound base with good drainage and regular sealing, an overlay can serve for many years. On a weak base it fails early because cracks reflect up from below, which is why we inspect before recommending one.

Often, yes. A leveling course can fill dips and restore slope before the final layer. If the low spot is caused by a soft base, that area gets dug out and rebuilt first.

Not if it is milled at the edges. We grind the old asphalt along the garage, curbs and doors so the new layer ties in flush and water still drains away.

Usually. HomeGuide puts overlays at about $1 to $3 per square foot and estimates 20 to 30 percent savings versus replacement when the base is sound.

HomeGuide's national figure is $1 to $2 per square foot for driveways, or $400 to $800 for a typical 400-square-foot two-car driveway. Parking lots run lower per square foot, about $0.15 to $0.30 according to HomeAdvisor, because of scale.

Wait about 3 to 6 months so the new asphalt can cure. Sealing too early traps oils in the asphalt and can leave the surface soft.

Most sealers need 12 to 72 hours before vehicles. Humidity slows drying near the coast, so we give you a specific reopening time for the day we seal.

It darkens them, but it does not fill wide cracks. Those are cleaned and filled first so the sealer has a continuous surface to cover.

Because the base under them is still wet or soft. A cold patch only fills the hole. A saw-cut repair removes the failed material, rebuilds the base and seals the edges, which is what stops the cycle.

HomeGuide's national range is $100 to $400 for a typical pothole, with many contractors charging a minimum of $100 to $250 per visit. Grouping several repairs into one visit usually lowers the cost per patch.

For cracks that are still narrow and the pavement around them is sound, yes. HomeGuide says hot crack sealing lasts about 3 to 8 years and costs far less than patching the potholes that form when water gets in.

Yes. We rebuild the undermined base, repave the edge and look at where runoff is coming from so the repair is not washed out again.

Under the 2010 ADA Standards it depends on the total: 1 for up to 25 spaces, 2 for 26 to 50, 3 for 51 to 75, 4 for 76 to 100, and so on. At least one in six accessible spaces must be van-accessible.

Yes. DOJ guidance says restriping a lot must provide accessible parking that meets the 2010 Standards.

HomeGuide estimates 2 to 5 years depending on traffic, weather and paint. Strong sun and heavy turning traffic wear lines faster.

If the lot is due for sealcoating, yes. Sealing covers the old lines, so we stripe after the sealer cures and you get both done in the same window.