How a new asphalt driveway is put in
- Walk it and mark it. We measure, mark the edges, and look at where rain runs now and where it should run instead.
- Dig to firm ground. Old gravel, broken pavement and soft topsoil come out and are hauled off. On clay that is often deeper than people expect.
- Shape the fall. The subgrade is graded so the finished drive sheds water to the street or the alley, never back toward the slab.
- Build the base. Crushed stone goes down in lifts, each one compacted, until a loaded truck barely leaves a mark.
- Lay and roll the hot-mix. Asphalt is spread to an even depth and rolled while hot, usually two to three inches thick once compacted.
- Finish the joins. The apron is tied in at the street, the top meets the garage slab cleanly, and the edges are tamped so they hold.
Why the base is deeper on Garland clay
The dark clay under most of Garland swells after a wet spring and shrinks hard in a dry summer. A thin base lets that movement come straight up through the asphalt, and the first sign is usually a crack running lengthwise down the drive or a corner that drops by the garage. A deeper, well-compacted stone base spreads the load and bridges the small movements, and good fall keeps rain from soaking the clay right under the pavement. On lots where a downspout empties onto the drive, we will point it out and price moving the outlet, because that water ends up in the base.
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Asphalt driveway installation where concrete was poured first
Many Garland homes were built with concrete driveways, and plenty of owners now want asphalt when the slab finally breaks up. That is a full removal job: the concrete is broken out and hauled away, the ground under it is checked, and a stone base goes in before the asphalt. The driveway replacement page covers that work. If you live in an HOA, it is worth asking whether it has rules about driveway surfaces before you choose.
For a long country drive, a chip seal driveway or a recycled asphalt driveway can cost less per foot than hot-mix. We price them side by side when the length makes it worth comparing.
What a written price for a new driveway should list
Square footage. How much comes out and where it goes. Base depth after compaction. Asphalt thickness after compaction. How the apron meets the street and whether a city permit is needed for work at the curb. How water will leave the drive. Our quotes put each of those on its own line, and the asphalt driveway cost page explains what moves each one. We also pave driveways in Mesquite, Richardson, Rowlett, Rockwall and Wylie.