Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national figures put new asphalt driveways at about $5 to $12 or more per square foot, or $2,000 to $4,800 for a 400-square-foot two-car pad, and some contractors have a minimum charge of $2,000 or more. Tear-out, soft-ground repair and a concrete approach inside Ames add to that. You get a written price after we see the site.

If you are replacing or expanding the driveway, or building or replacing the approach, yes. The City of Ames charges $100 for review and inspection. Routine maintenance and partial repairs such as patching and sealing are exempt.

Not inside Ames. The city's driveway application says approaches and sidewalks must be concrete, at least 6 inches thick, with an expansion joint at the curb. Your driveway on your own lot can be asphalt; the approach is quoted as a separate concrete item.

Roughly May through September. Ames averages its last spring frost around May 2 and its first fall frost around October 2, and asphalt needs warm ground to compact. Patching and sealing fit into dry spells inside the same window.

A common residential build is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel. If you park a truck, trailer or RV on it, plan on more of both. On wet till, the base depth matters as much as the asphalt.

Cost guides put asphalt driveway life at 15 to 30 years. Where a driveway lands in that range depends mostly on the base, drainage, and whether cracks get sealed before winter and the surface gets resealed every few years.

Both work. Asphalt usually costs less up front, flexes slightly with frost movement and is easy to patch, but needs sealing every few years. Concrete costs more and lasts longer but is harder to repair invisibly. Inside Ames the approach must be concrete either way.

Only if the base under it is still sound. If the old driveway has alligator cracking, soft spots or heave, those cracks come through a new layer within a year or two. We check before recommending an overlay.

Yes, within the city limits. Ames allows an on-site driveway as wide as the garage up to 28 feet, and expanding a driveway needs the $100 permit. If the approach has to widen too, it is replaced in concrete.

Usually after a few days for cars, longer in July heat. Keep trucks, trailers and RVs off it longer. We give you specific timing when the paving is done.

Most early failures come from soft subgrade left in place, a thin or poorly compacted base, or paving on ground that was too cold for the mix to compact. Those are the parts of the job we spend the most time on.

On a sound base, an overlay can perform much like new asphalt. On a weak base it fails early because the cracks underneath reflect up. That is why we spend the estimate checking the base.

No. Sealcoating is a thin liquid coating that protects the surface. Resurfacing is a new layer of hot asphalt, typically 1.5 to 2 inches thick, that replaces the worn surface.

It can, which is why we mill or saw a notch at the garage slab and sidewalk so the new layer tapers in flush. If earlier overlays have already raised the surface too much, we recommend removal instead.

Routine maintenance and partial repair are exempt under the city's driveway application. If the job becomes a replacement or touches the approach, the $100 permit applies, and we tell you before scheduling.

Usually. We divide the lot into sections and keep at least one entrance and part of the parking open, or schedule work for evenings and weekends where that makes sense.

Cost guides call for 4 inches or more of asphalt on commercial pavement, with thicker sections and base where trucks drive. We look at the actual traffic before recommending a section.

Yes. When a lot is restriped, the 2010 ADA Standards for accessible parking apply. We lay out accessible and van-accessible spaces and aisles before painting.

After new asphalt has cured, then every few years. HomeAdvisor recommends sealcoating lots every two to five years and resurfacing every 15 to 20.

Every few years for most driveways, more often for busy lots. HomeGuide gives a range of every 2 to 10 years depending on sealer and climate. Salt, sun and traffic all shorten the interval.

Not right away. New asphalt needs three to six months to cure. Most new driveways get their first sealcoat the following season.

Only if the cracks are filled first and the base is sound. On a driveway with widespread alligator cracking or heave, sealing is cosmetic. We will tell you which you have.

Sealer needs dry weather above about 50 degrees to cure. Cold nights and damp mornings in fall leave it soft and prone to wearing off.

Usually 12 to 72 hours, depending on temperature, humidity and sun. You can typically walk on it within a few hours. We give you times for your job.

Late summer into early fall, before the first freeze. Cracks are partly open, the material bonds well in dry weather, and the seal is in place before water starts freezing in them.

Because the base under it is wet or broken. Filling the hole does not fix that. A saw-cut patch that replaces the base under the hole is the repair that lasts.

Only with cold patch as a temporary fix. Permanent hot-mix patches wait until the ground and weather are warm enough.

No. The City of Ames treats routine maintenance and partial repair as exempt from its driveway permit.

Many lots need it every year or two in Ames because plows and sand wear the paint. Any time the lot is sealcoated or overlaid, it needs restriping.

It depends on the total number of spaces. The 2010 ADA Standards set the count and require at least one van-accessible space for every six accessible spaces. We count your lot and lay it out.

Usually the next day or once the sealer has cured enough to hold paint. We schedule both together so the lot is closed as briefly as possible.

Sometimes. Changing stall angles or widths within allowed dimensions can add spaces. We measure and show you a layout before painting.

Yes. Each accessible space needs a sign with the international symbol of accessibility, mounted with its bottom at least 60 inches above the ground. Van spaces also need a van-accessible designation, except where a site has four or fewer spaces.