What Is the Recommended Thickness for Driveway Paving?

Asphalt is an excellent paving material for Treasure Coast residential driveways. It is economical, quick to install, and attractive, and a well-built asphalt driveway can last for many years if you take care of it. If you are planning to build a new driveway, you may be wondering how thick the asphalt should be. This is a question that homeowners frequently ask a driveway paving contractor, but it is not a question that can be answered instantly. Instead, your contractor will likely need to ask you several questions first.

What Questions Will a Driveway Paving Contractor Typically Ask a Homeowner?

Not every residential paving contractor follows the same script when a homeowner calls to inquire about constructing a new driveway, and some answers can be found when the contractor visits the site. However, driveway paving contractors usually need to determine the answers to the following questions.

1. Is there an existing driveway? If so, how old is it? Has it needed frequent paving repairs?
2. How will you use your new driveway?
3. What is the soil composition at your site?

Why Would a Treasure Coast Asphalt Paving Contractor Care Whether a Driveway Already Exists?

First of all, if you already have a driveway, the contractor may be able to offer you the option of installing an overlay rather than demolishing and rebuilding it. The questions about the driveway’s age and repair history can furnish clues about whether it failed prematurely from issues that will need to be addressed. Your contractor may follow this question by asking whether you have been diligent about your sealcoating and other paving maintenance procedures.

How Does Usage Affect the Thickness of Asphalt Driveway Paving?

When planning to pave a driveway, contractors need to know how you plan to use your new pavement. In general, a driveway that is only used by three or four passenger vehicles does not need to be as thick as one that will be used by delivery trucks or to park an RV.

Why Does the Soil Composition Matter for Asphalt Paving?

Asphalt pavements need a strong, compacted foundation if they are to have a long life without the need for constant paving repairs. If the soil contains a lot of sand or gravel, proper compaction should be relatively easy to achieve. However, Treasure Coast asphalt paving contractors often encounter soft soils, including those with a high clay content, that will make compaction difficult or impossible. In those cases, residential paving contractors usually install an aggregate base to increase the pavement’s load-bearing capacity.

Is It Possible to Estimate the Asphalt Thickness for Various Scenarios?

Although all driveway paving contractors are not in complete agreement when it comes to the asphalt thickness when they pave a driveway, here are some fairly standard recommendations.

1. If there is a well-compacted stone base with a proper base coat, the asphalt should be around three inches after compaction. This is for a driveway that will only support a few passenger vehicles.
2. If the driveway is to be installed on compacted soil, an asphalt depth of four inches. Again, this is for a driveway used only by passenger vehicles.
3. If you plan to park your RV on your driveway, the asphalt thickness will need to be six to eight inches, depending on whether the driveway is installed over an aggregate base or directly on top of the ground.
4. If you are overlaying an existing pavement, the asphalt overlay should be two or three inches thick.

Asphalt Care Services offers Treasure Coast asphalt paving, sealcoating, asphalt repairs, parking lot maintenance, asphalt crack repairs, traffic signs, speed bump installations, concrete bumpers, parking lot striping, and thermoplastic markings. Whether you are in Vero Beach, Sebastian, West Palm Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Boca Raton, Okeechobee, Hobe Sound, Indian River, Fort Pierce, or another Treasure Coast community, we can help. We are an experienced, well-respected company with an exemplary reputation and impeccable references. We offer free quotes, so contact us today to submit your request by filling out our online form, calling 772-888-2840, or sending an email to [email protected].