Comparison
Three very different jobs at three very different prices. The right call depends on whether the problem is on the surface or underneath it.
The short version
A gray, tired-looking surface is not the same problem as a lot that keeps potholing in the same corner. The first is weathering on the surface. The second is water in the base. Sealcoating fixes the first and does nothing for the second.
So the question is never simply which option costs less. It is which layer has failed, because spending on the wrong layer means paying twice.
The three options
Protect what is still good
A protective coating over a surface that is structurally sound. It slows weathering from sun, water, and traffic and restores a clean black finish. It does not fix a failing base and it does not carry load.
Right call when
New surface, existing base
A new layer of asphalt over the existing pavement after repairs and preparation. It gives you a new driving surface without a full tear-out, but it only works when what is underneath is still holding up.
Right call when
Start with the base
Removal of the existing asphalt, correction of the base and grade, then new pavement. It is the most expensive option and the only one that fixes problems coming from underneath.
Right call when
Surface problems
Base problems
Hannibal, MO
Freeze and thaw cycles open cracks, and once water gets under the surface the damage stops being cosmetic. On long rural drives, catching that early with crack filling and sealcoating is usually the difference between maintenance and replacement.
Where a drive has been left alone for years, we often find the surface is fine in most areas and failing in specific ones, which makes repair plus coating the sensible plan.
Quincy, IL
Commercial lots in Quincy tend to fail at the drive lanes, dumpster pads, and entrances first, where the loads are heaviest. Those areas often need cutting out and repairing while the rest of the lot is fine for resurfacing or coating.
Treating a lot as one uniform decision is usually the expensive mistake. Zoning the work by condition keeps the budget on the parts that need it.
Repair work
Related services
New asphalt surfaces and full replacement paving for residential driveways and commercial parking lots, built on properly graded and compacted base.
Asphalt Paving details
A protective surface coating that shields asphalt from sun, water, and traffic wear while restoring a clean, uniform black finish.
Sealcoating detailsTargeted repair of potholes, failing patches, edge breakup, and cracks so water stays out of the base and damage stops spreading.
Asphalt Repair & Crack Filling details
New layouts and restriping for stalls, arrows, accessible spaces, fire lanes, and loading zones, applied to an approved layout.
Parking Lot Striping detailsDirt work, excavation, rough and final grading, subgrade correction, and base preparation so the pavement above it has something solid to sit on.
Grading & Site Preparation detailsSealcoat, resurface, replace
If you need something specific, call or text us and we can talk it through.
Sealcoating is enough when the pavement is still structurally sound. If the surface is solid, drains properly, and the cracking is limited, a coating protects it. If it is crumbling, sinking, or potholing, coating it only changes the color.
Resurfacing puts a new asphalt layer over the existing pavement after repairs. Replacement removes the old asphalt and fixes the base and grade before new pavement goes down. Resurfacing renews the surface, replacement fixes what is under it.
Potholes usually mean water is reaching the base. Those areas have to be cut out and repaired before any overlay, otherwise the same failures come back through the new surface within a season or two.
Sealcoating is the least expensive, resurfacing sits in the middle, and replacement is the most expensive. The cheapest option is only a saving if it is the right one, so we look at the pavement before recommending anything.
Yes. If a coating protects a driveway for several more years, that is what we will quote. Call or text (573) 719-6650 and we will look at it and tell you what it actually needs.
