Get matched with top asphalt driveway pros in Branchland, WV

Gravel driveways are significantly more affordable than asphalt driveways, making them an enticing financial decision when choosing your next driveway material. On average, gravel driveways are $5.75 to $13 per square foot cheaper than asphalt driveways. 

It's not just their price that makes gravel driveways more economical. Gravel driveways also can last up to 100 years with minimum maintenance, whereas asphalt driveways only last for 15 to 30 years with proper maintenance. But if you’re looking for the best driveway material for cold weather, asphalt may be a better choice.

There’s no single best asphalt grade—it all comes down to where and how it’s used. Highways and heavy-traffic roads need something tough, like polymer-modified asphalt (PMA) or Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA). Local roads and parking lots rely on the Performance Graded (PG) system, chosen based on climate. A PG 64-28 mix, for example, handles a broad temperature range while simpler, more cost-effective mixes are typically enough for residential driveways. The best grade of asphalt depends on traffic, weather, and your budget, which is why a professional’s input is always a smart move before making a decision.

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.

At a depth of two inches, a ton of asphalt covers around 80 to 100 square feet. However, the thicker the asphalt, the less surface area it will cover. That’s why measuring correctly is essential when estimating asphalt needs and costs to ensure you get enough material to cover your entire driveway, patio, or other asphalt surface.