Asphalt Driveway Paving in Loveland, CO

Asphalt driveway paving covers a brand-new driveway, a full replacement of a worn-out one, or a switch from gravel or broken concrete to asphalt. If your driveway has cracks running in a web pattern, edges crumbling into the lawn, low spots that hold water or sections that rise each winter, the problem is almost always below the surface, and only a rebuild fixes it.

Why replacements are common around Loveland

Loveland grew from about 30,000 people in 1980 to more than 76,000 in 2020, so a large share of the city's driveways went in during the same few decades and are reaching the end of their lives together. Many were laid with thin base over clay. The Colorado Geological Survey notes that heaved and cracked driveways are one of the most common signs of expansive soil in the state. When we replace a driveway, the old asphalt comes out, the subgrade is inspected and soft areas are dug out, and the base is rebuilt before any new asphalt goes down.

Thickness and base

HomeGuide gives a typical residential build as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel. If you park a camper, a trailer or a work truck, it recommends 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches of base. We ask what will drive on the pavement and size the section to it. Both depths go in writing, because they are the two numbers that most often differ between bids.

Drainage and slope

Water is what kills asphalt in this climate. A driveway should fall away from the garage and shed water to the sides or the street, not toward the house. We look at downspouts, the lawn grade beside the driveway and where snowmelt collects in March. If a culvert is needed under a rural drive, Angi puts that at $1,500 to $5,000, and Larimer County requires at least a 15-inch culvert on county-road accesses.

Edges, aprons and transitions

The edge of an asphalt driveway is its weakest point. Unsupported edges break off under tires. We compact the edge, taper it and backfill it so it is supported, and we make clean joints at the garage slab and the city approach. In Loveland, the approach and sidewalk sit in the right-of-way and fall under the city's Minor ROW permit if they are being replaced.

Gravel to asphalt

Rural lots west of town and on the edges of Berthoud, Wellington and Johnstown often start with gravel. Converting means grading out ruts, adding and compacting base where the gravel is thin, and paving on top. Existing gravel can sometimes become part of the new base if it is clean and deep enough. We check by digging test holes.

When to drive on it

New asphalt is soft while it cures. Most homeowners can drive on it after a few days, but sharp turns, parked trailers and kickstands leave marks for weeks in hot weather. HomeGuide advises waiting 3 to 6 months before the first sealcoat. We give you the dates in writing when the job is done.