Calling the Right Driveway Contractor

April 30, 2019

Calling the right type of Contractor to work on your driveway can save you a lot of time. When your driveway needs work, it helps to know who does what type of work. Some Contractors do it all while others specialize in certain areas. The 3 main types of driveway contractors are Paving, Repair and Sealcoating.

Pavers will generally handle repaving the whole surface by either Resurfacing or Removing and Replacing your driveway. They are usually capable of excavating and installing a gravel base as well. If you find yourself saying the driveway is [insert problem] all over, you probably need a new driveway and should call a Paver.

Repair Contractors can either specialize in sawcut and remove or Infrared Repairs. If you have a few bad areas that can not be crack filled, they may be candidates for repair. It’s usually not cost effective to repair single cracks; but alligatored cracks, settling and potholes are problems often repaired. As a rule of thumb, if less than 20% of the drive has issues it may be worthwhile to find a Repair Contractor.

Sealcoaters fill cracks, fill potholes with cold patch and apply either coal tar or asphalt emulsion sealer. If the only real issues on your drive are single cracks, calling a sealcoater every other year will keep your driveway protected.

To recap: If most of the drive is in poor shape - call a Paver, if you have a few problem areas - call a Repair Contractor and if the drive only needs minor crack filling and a coat of sealer - call a Sealcoater.

It’s best to explain your problem when calling for an estimate and let the contractor decide if you are calling the right place. Most good contractors will refer you to a company that may be better suited for your project.

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