Frequently Asked Questions

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), and parking lots at about $2 to $4.50 per square foot (HomeAdvisor). Bay Area labor, base repair and permits affect the final number, which we give you in writing after a visit.

Resurfacing, or an overlay, means placing a new layer of asphalt over existing pavement after cracks are sealed and failed spots are patched. It works when the base underneath is still sound. HomeGuide says it can save about 20 to 30 percent compared with full replacement.

Asphalt pavement is a mix of crushed stone, sand and gravel bound together with asphalt binder, a heavy petroleum product. It is heated at a plant, trucked to the site hot, spread and compacted before it cools.

Contractors buy hot mix by the ton, but homeowners are almost always quoted by the square foot, because the tonnage depends on area and thickness. Compare quotes by asking for the compacted thickness and base depth as well as the price.

Not usually for work on your own property. Work in the public right-of-way, such as the sidewalk or curb cut, requires a City of Hayward encroachment permit, issued to a contractor with a City business license and an accepted license class.

It may be over a failed area of base, a buried joint, or in some Hayward neighborhoods the trace of the Hayward Fault, which creeps slowly. We look at the pattern and tell you which it is before recommending a fix.

Both. We pave and repair single-family driveways as well as apartment lots, retail centers and industrial yards.

HomeGuide lists about $5 to $12 or more per square foot and Angi $7 to $15. HomeGuide puts a 500-square-foot driveway at about $2,500 to $6,000. Base repair on damp ground and any sidewalk work add to that.

Usually the base there is soft from water collecting against the slab. A new driveway fixes the base and slopes the surface away.

Not for work on your lot alone. Work on the sidewalk or curb cut needs a City of Hayward encroachment permit.

Most residential driveways take two to three days from removal to paving.

Thicker than a car lot; cost guides say commercial lots usually need 4 inches or more of asphalt, and truck areas need a deeper base. We size it for your trucks.

Yes, when operations require it.

For work in the public right-of-way, yes. Work inside the property line usually does not.

HomeAdvisor lists about $2 to $4.50 per square foot for new asphalt lots; we price yours after a survey.

A new layer of asphalt placed over existing pavement after cracks are sealed and failures are patched.

Usually. HomeGuide estimates savings of about 20 to 30 percent when the base is sound.

Not if the base is sound and cracks are sealed first. Cracks over a failed base or the Hayward Fault will reappear.

About three to six months after resurfacing.

Every few years; HomeGuide gives a range of 2 to 10 years depending on sealer and climate.

No. Wait three to six months for it to cure.

No. Cracks are filled separately first.

Usually 12 to 72 hours.

HomeGuide puts the average at $100 to $400, with saw-cut repairs at $4 to $12 per square foot for larger failures.

The base under them is still weak. A full-depth repair fixes it.

If it follows the Hayward Fault, it will keep moving; we seal it with flexible material and reseal as needed.

Yes, with heavier sections for truck traffic.

Every 2 to 5 years per HomeGuide, and after every sealcoat.

1 for up to 25 spaces, 2 for 26 to 50, 3 for 51 to 75, 4 for 76 to 100, with at least one van-accessible space.

Yes, including lanes, dock numbers and walkways.

Yes, to avoid disrupting business.