Replaced our crumbling 25-year-old asphalt in London, Ontario last spring. The quotes varied wildly — sharing the details because I learned a lot about what drives the differences.
Property: 2-car driveway, approximately 520 sq ft, existing base in poor condition
Quotes received:
- Quote A: $5,800 — “4-inch asphalt, granular base as needed”
- Quote B: $7,400 — “4-inch asphalt, 6-inch granular base, full excavation”
- Quote C: $9,100 — “4-inch asphalt, 8-inch granular A base, full excavation and haul-away”
- Quote D: $6,300 — “2-inch asphalt top coat over existing base repair”
What I learned asking questions:
Quote A was vague about the base — when I pressed, the contractor admitted he’d use the existing base “where it was still good.” This is how you get a driveway that heaves in 5 years.
Quote D (top coat over existing) was rejected immediately — the existing base was compromised. Putting new asphalt on a bad base just delays the problem.
We went with Quote B at $7,400. The 6-inch granular base was the minimum I was comfortable with given our London clay soil.
2-year update:
No cracking, no heaving, no settlement. The driveway has gone through two full freeze-thaw seasons with zero issues.
The lesson: base depth is everything. A $1,500 savings on a thinner base costs you 10 years of driveway life. Get the spec in writing — specifically the granular base depth and asphalt thickness.