Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide lists a 400-square-foot (20x20) asphalt driveway at about $2,000 to $4,800 nationally. Tear-out, clay undercut and drainage work change the total, and some contractors have a minimum charge. We price your driveway in writing after the site visit.

HomeGuide puts a 1,000-square-foot asphalt driveway at roughly $5,000 to $12,000. For a parking lot, HomeAdvisor lists $2 to $4.50 per square foot. Around Jackson, how much soft clay has to come out is often the biggest variable.

Asphalt is usually cheaper up front. HomeGuide lists asphalt at $5 to $12 or more per square foot and concrete at $6 to $15. Concrete lasts longer but is harder to repair cleanly when clay movement cracks it; asphalt is easier to patch and overlay.

Mostly because of Yazoo clay, which swells when wet and shrinks when dry, leaving voids under the pavement. Thin asphalt with little stone base cannot bridge that movement. A deeper compacted base, clay undercut and good drainage prevent most early failures.

When it is dry and between about 50 and 95 degrees, which in Jackson covers most of spring and fall and much of summer. Avoid days with afternoon storms in the forecast, since sealer needs 12 to 72 hours to cure. New asphalt should wait three to six months before its first coat.

A driveway that connects to a state highway needs an MDOT permit before construction. Work at a city street goes through the City of Jackson's permit system, and the suburbs and counties have their own. We confirm the current requirement for your address before scheduling.

If the old surface is still firmly supported and the cracks are on the surface, an overlay can work and costs less than replacement. If it has heaved, sunk or broken into alligator cracks, the base or the clay under it has failed, and new asphalt on top will crack in the same places.

How each quote deals with the clay and the water. A sound bid says whether soft clay will be undercut, what base depth goes in, the compacted asphalt thickness, how edges will be supported and where runoff goes. Two bids can match on price and differ on every one of those points.

HomeGuide lists about $5 to $12 or more per square foot nationally, or roughly $2,000 to $4,800 for a 20x20 driveway. Tear-out, clay undercut and length change the total. We price your driveway in writing after seeing it.

A common residential section is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of stone, and 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches for trucks, trailers or an RV. On Yazoo clay, the base depth and undercut matter as much as the asphalt.

Both crack when the clay moves. Asphalt costs less up front and is easy to patch or overlay; concrete costs more and lasts longer but is harder to repair cleanly. Budget and how long you plan to stay usually decide it.

Usually a few days for cars, longer in summer heat. Heavy vehicles should wait longer. We give you timing for your job when we finish.

HomeGuide lists about $100 to $400 per pothole nationally, with many companies charging a minimum service fee of $100 to $250. A deeper hole with base damage costs more than a surface fill. We price each repair in writing.

In Jackson, often because the clay under the pavement keeps moving with wet and dry weather. Flexible hot-applied sealant handles that movement better than rigid filler, and re-sealing every few years keeps water out.

As a temporary fix, yes. For a lasting repair, a saw-cut hot-mix patch on a sound base holds up far better in heavy rain.

Yes. We cut it out, find out why the clay moved there, rebuild the base and repave the section to match the surrounding grade.

It depends on the base under it and the thickness. On a sound base, an overlay can last many years; HomeAdvisor says lots typically need resurfacing every 15 to 20 years. Over failed clay, it can crack in a season or two.

Usually. HomeGuide estimates an overlay costs about 20 to 30 percent less than full replacement, because the old pavement stays as part of the structure.

Cracks from a failed base will. Surface cracks are sealed first, and failed areas are cut out and rebuilt, which keeps most of them from reflecting through.

It would without milling. We grind down the asphalt at the garage, walks and street so the new surface meets them flush.

Any stretch of dry weather between about 50 and 95 degrees. In Jackson that covers most of spring and fall and much of summer, as long as storms are not in the forecast during the cure time.

Every few years. HomeGuide gives 2 to 10 years depending on sealer and climate, and Angi suggests every 3 to 5 years for driveways. Faded grey color and a rough surface are the signs.

Wait three to six months so the asphalt can cure. Sealing too early traps oils the new pavement needs to release.

No. Cracks are filled separately before sealing. Sealer protects the surface; it does not bridge open cracks or repair a failed base.

HomeAdvisor lists $2 to $4.50 per square foot, or about $400 to $1,130 per parking space, nationally. Base repair, clay stabilization and drainage work change the total. We price your lot in writing after a site review.

Yes. Lots are usually done in sections, with at least one entrance kept open where the layout allows.

HomeAdvisor gives 20 to 30 years for asphalt with routine care, with resurfacing around every 15 to 20 years. Sealcoating and crack sealing help reach the long end.

New paving and restriping must meet the 2010 ADA Standards, which set the number of accessible and van-accessible spaces by lot size. We lay them out as part of the job.

HomeGuide lists $4 to $5 per standard stall and $25 to $40 per accessible stall nationally, with a 30 to 50 stall lot averaging $500 to $1,200. Mobilization fees and new layouts add to the total.

Under the 2010 ADA Standards: 1 for lots of 1 to 25 spaces, 2 for 26 to 50, 3 for 51 to 75 and 4 for 76 to 100, with at least one van-accessible space. Larger lots follow the full table.

HomeGuide says striping lasts about 2 to 5 years. Busy lots and lots in full sun fade sooner. Restriping after each sealcoat is common.

Not until the sealer has cured, usually 12 to 72 hours depending on the weather. We schedule striping right after the cure.