How thick should an asphalt driveway be?

• <div><p>An asphalt driveway should be at least 3 inches thick over a compacted gravel base. Areas with poor drainage should have a thicker stone base. To <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-install-asphalt-driveway.htm">install a new asphalt driveway</a> over an existing driveway, the new asphalt should be at least 2 inches thick and the existing driveway should be in relatively good condition.</p></div>

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Q: What is the best material for steep driveways?

• <div><p>Several materials are suitable for steep driveways. Gravel and crushed stone are affordable options that provide good traction. Permeable pavers&mdash;such as plastic, rubber, or concrete&mdash;filled with gravel or crushed stones are also excellent, as they allow water to drain without causing erosion and perform well in ice and snow. Another option is resin, which can be coated with an anti-slip finish and helps prevent puddles. For added stability, you can install a retaining wall to prevent pavers and gravel from shifting over time.</p></div>

Q: What are some gravel alternatives for driveways?

• <div><p>Common alternatives to a gravel driveway include concrete, asphalt, brick, stone pavers, and permeable pavers. Concrete and asphalt are generally the most affordable options. However, concrete can be prone to cracking in cold climates, while asphalt may soften in areas with high heat and direct sun exposure. For enhanced curb appeal, brick, stone, and permeable pavers are popular choices, though their installation can be more expensive due to intricate designs. Stone pavers offer a natural look and are sometimes installed with gravel around them. Both permeable pavers and brick driveways provide excellent drainage, which helps prevent flooding and reduce water runoff.</p></div>

Q: What’s the difference between a roadway and a street?

• <div><p>Think of the street as a way to capture all the elements on either side of the road, including the road&mdash;a street encompasses the homes or other buildings, the trees, and the road of a given area as defined by the beginning and end of the street on a map. A roadway, however, is the component of the street where cars travel.</p></div>

Q: What’s the optimal temperature for asphalt to dry and cure the fastest?

• <div><p>Asphalt dries and cures best between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This range allows moisture to evaporate quickly without causing the asphalt to cool too fast, which can negatively affect the drying process. However, keep in mind that other weather conditions can also affect curing and drying times, such as precipitation and humidity.</p></div>

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Verified Reviews for Asphalt Driveway Service pros in Arrington, VA

*The Angi rating for Asphalt Driveway Service companies in Arrington, VA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Asphalt Driveway Service needs.

*The HomeAdvisor rating for Asphalt Driveway Service companies in Arrington, VA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Asphalt Driveway Service needs.

Last update on July 06, 2023

Reviewed in July 2023
Jerry was professional, hardworking, and did an excellent job hauling and spreading gravel for my 2 mile long driveway. He also regraded several areas where the rain had made deep ruts that required a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get to our house. There have been several heavy rains since he worked...
Hawks Tech Service
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Reviewed in May 2022
Excellent. Outstanding, hardworking crew. They worked well together handling "hot" product insuring it was dumped and compacted as needed. Our long driveway is on a slope and has a curve. Great teamwork Jeff, owner was available by phone and text to answer any questions. I am picky and watched...
C & G Paving Co Inc
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Reviewed in September 2020
Ronnie and his assistant where right on time and make sure that we agreed on what was to be done. They took great care to make sure that they did not get any of the coating on a white fence that borders a part of the driveway. In fact, they hand applied that area. Well done! Dave L.
RVA River City Seal Coating
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Reviewed in October 2017
All went very well. Mark's choice of stone and plants were very nice and brought many compliments. The driveway is exceptional and nicely finished on either side with stone as well as correcting awkward spots with stone. He added extra touches which made a nice finish. I appreciated and am...
Acclaim Services
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Reviewed in October 2015
ABC Paving took care of the asphalt sealing for our active adult community in Wake Forest. The did a great job satisfying over 60 homeowners. No small feat. I would recommend them for any paving or seal coating job, large or small.
ABC Paving
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Reviewed in September 2015
Per my ratings, above, they performed everything as promised. I will absolutely use them next time my driveways need sealing. <br />
WELLS ASPHALT & PAVING
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Reviewed in April 2015
Went great....awesome job! This is actually the 2nd job done for us.The house we bought came with this ugly dirty horrible looking floor tile in the kitchen - but the cost to take it up and replace it was prohibitive. So we thought we would see how cleaning and re-grouting would go...and it...
GROUT & CARPET WIZARDS
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Reviewed in February 2015
The service technician first had to find the tank which proved to be difficult. He found it and dug down to gain access. He did a good job took the time to do it correctly. The tank was not marked on my site plans so it took longer to find. My only issue would be that some sort of chemical...
RooterMan of Virginia
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Reviewed in January 2015
rGot back to us right away when we requested a quote on fixing a long, uphill unpaved driveway. They went out to look at the driveway right away, then got back to us with a quote in a timely manner. We wanted the work done in a fairly short time frame and they finished it on time. They kept...
Ruhlman's Hauling
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Reviewed in January 2015
We needed to have our long, uphill driveway (that was full of ruts) graded so it was more driveable. Mike went out there to take a look at it and although he couldn't do the job himself (as we needed it done in short time frame and he wasn't available), he gave us lots of good advice about how...
Maintained By Mike
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Find Asphalt driveway pros in Arrington

Allstate Asphalt & Concrete

5.0(

)

Serving Arrington, VA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2012

Free estimates

Warranties offered

"I was very impressed with this company and employees. They did an awesome job on my home driveway. Cost was very much a plus also. My calls were answered with no delay. I would definitely recommend them!"

Response time4 days

10 neighbors recently requested a quote

Recommended by42%of homeowners

Serving Arrington, VA and surrounding areas

In business since 2000

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Freddie was very nice and the crew were very professional and super nice. They worked very hard and did a nice job recapping our driveway. They were here when they said they'd be here."

Response time2 days

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Extreme Design Group Inc.

5.0(

)

Serving Arrington, VA and surrounding areas

In business since 2001

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"My wife and I built a house in 2019 and was undecided on if we wanted to hard surface our driveway so we decided to hold off. As we moved into spring/summer 2020 we decided to move forward with hard surfacing our driveway. After receiving 2 asphalt quotes I reached out to Chris with Extreme Design and he not only provided a competitive quote for asphalt he also provided a concrete quote. My wife and decided to go with concrete, and we are happy with that decision. Chris and his team showed up on time, had the proper equipment and seasoned man power and delivered an awesome driveway for us. If we ever need any other hard surfacing done we will be calling Chris and team!!!"

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Eddie Wells Paving Specialist

3.4(

)

Serving Arrington, VA and surrounding areas

In business since 2005

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"Excellent customer service and Eddie was onsite during the whole job to oversee everything. Work was completed as planned and site was left clean. Price was fair and I'm very satisfied with the entire process. And my new driveway looks awesome!"

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Absolute Construction

5.0(

)

Serving Arrington, VA and surrounding areas

In business since 1990

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"In all honesty I would definitely hire Absolute Construction again. They made it very easy and simple. With my project I had a limited amount of money I could use because I was turning the apartment into a rental space. Absolute Construction went above and beyond to make sure my job was completed and they hooked me up on the price because they knew I was on a very limited budget. I will be calling them again."

+33

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Roanoke Paving, LLC

New to Angi

Serving Arrington, VA and surrounding areas

In business since 1999

Free estimates

At Roanoke Paving, LLC, we pride our company on reliability, integrity and quality work. We are experts in our trade and we will do our best to keep you as educated as we can for the duration of your project. We look forward to earning your business!

Response time1 day

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Asphalt Driveways questions, answered by experts

Several materials are suitable for steep driveways. Gravel and crushed stone are affordable options that provide good traction. Permeable pavers—such as plastic, rubber, or concrete—filled with gravel or crushed stones are also excellent, as they allow water to drain without causing erosion and perform well in ice and snow. Another option is resin, which can be coated with an anti-slip finish and helps prevent puddles. For added stability, you can install a retaining wall to prevent pavers and gravel from shifting over time.

Common alternatives to a gravel driveway include concrete, asphalt, brick, stone pavers, and permeable pavers. Concrete and asphalt are generally the most affordable options. However, concrete can be prone to cracking in cold climates, while asphalt may soften in areas with high heat and direct sun exposure. For enhanced curb appeal, brick, stone, and permeable pavers are popular choices, though their installation can be more expensive due to intricate designs. Stone pavers offer a natural look and are sometimes installed with gravel around them. Both permeable pavers and brick driveways provide excellent drainage, which helps prevent flooding and reduce water runoff.

An asphalt driveway should be at least 3 inches thick over a compacted gravel base. Areas with poor drainage should have a thicker stone base. To install a new asphalt driveway over an existing driveway, the new asphalt should be at least 2 inches thick and the existing driveway should be in relatively good condition.

Think of the street as a way to capture all the elements on either side of the road, including the road—a street encompasses the homes or other buildings, the trees, and the road of a given area as defined by the beginning and end of the street on a map. A roadway, however, is the component of the street where cars travel.

Asphalt dries and cures best between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This range allows moisture to evaporate quickly without causing the asphalt to cool too fast, which can negatively affect the drying process. However, keep in mind that other weather conditions can also affect curing and drying times, such as precipitation and humidity.

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