Asphalt thickness and cost check

[gsganzer]

I just got a quote to have part of my driveway paved. The driveway is currently compacted 1/2" flex base. Tired of the dust and tracking it into the house and cars.

Quote is to grade and repack existing base and then surface with 2.5" uncompacted, compacting to about 2".

Just shy of 3000 sq/ft, including under a carport. Price $5600

Sound reasonable??

 

[fried1765]

I just got a quote to have part of my driveway paved. The driveway is currently compacted 1/2" flex base. Tired of the dust and tracking it into the house and cars.

Quote is to grade and repack existing base and then surface with 2.5" uncompacted, compacting to about 2".

Just shy of 3000 sq/ft, including under a carport. Price $5600

Sound reasonable??

How deep (thick) is the compacted base?
What is under the compacted base?

 

[RNeumann]

Hard to say since it includes the prep. They will probably have two trucks with trailers and equipment to bring in and out, 3-6 workers and probably an easy day- again depending on the prep. AC varies with oil costs and region but I doubt you will find anything significantly cheaper.

BTW- all the specs sound right. It other words the contractor isn’t under or over selling you.

 

[HillStreet]

I had my driveway paved 3 years ago, 4,300 square feet for $10,400. Included a couple loads of gravel for prep.

 

[dodge man]

Going by memory here, but about two years ago I had roughly double that amount done for about double the price. Mine already had a couple of inches of asphalt but they did some crack repair also. They put down 2 inches of new asphalt down. I'd say that is a fair price.

Mine lasted about 12 to 15 years with about 2 inches the first time, laid over a gravel base that had bee in place for several years but was just an O.K base.

 

[Gary Fowler]

What does concrete sell for in your area. 3" of concrete would take about 28 cubic yards. If you have the time for laying the rebar, minimum prep of the compacted base is all that would be required and could be done easily with a tractor FEL and backblading to remove high spots. Anyone with a sledge hammer, level and a few nails could form up the sides for placing the concrete. A few of your friends to help screed it out and you are done. It doesn't need a super fine finish for a driveway or carport. Actually it would be better to be a little bit rough so it doesn't get slippery when wet.
If you have $5600 to do asphalt, then I would for sure look at it from a cost point for concrete.

 

[TnAndy]

Did my driveway 2 years ago. Concreted about 500' of it with some side areas.....25k. Asphalted the last 1000', 12' wide, also with some side areas. Ran 20k. The did a base material, no final top coat. Guy said that would work well, and it has. 4" compacted to about 2 1/2". They would have top coated it for another 5k.

No additional gravel needed....in fact, I took up a lot of what was there and used it on some woods road on the place.

Concrete was about double asphalt.....and I did all the form work (not the pours...there were 3) on the concrete to save money.

 

[gsganzer]

What does concrete sell for in your area. 3" of concrete would take about 28 cubic yards. If you have the time for laying the rebar, minimum prep of the compacted base is all that would be required and could be done easily with a tractor FEL and backblading to remove high spots. Anyone with a sledge hammer, level and a few nails could form up the sides for placing the concrete. A few of your friends to help screed it out and you are done. It doesn't need a super fine finish for a driveway or carport. Actually it would be better to be a little bit rough so it doesn't get slippery when wet.
If you have $5600 to do asphalt, then I would for sure look at it from a cost point for concrete.

I haven't priced concrete, but I suspect It would be crazy expensive with all the building going on in North Texas. I just had a 20' x 30' patio poured, grade beams, 12" footings with caged rebar and exposed aggregate and it was $7K+. Even though the driveway has a really solid gravel base that hasn't needed touch-up or grading in 3 years, my soil is expansive black clay so you there needs to be a lot of thought on rebar, grade beams and slab thickness. For just trying to control the dust when it's dry and mud when we have a weeks worth of rain, it seems like asphalt might do the trick. I'll give concrete some thought though.

 

[dodge man]

3 inches of concrete would be way to thin. 4" is normal for sidewalk and driveways are usually 6".

 

[ruffdog]

3 inches of concrete would be way to thin. 4" is normal for sidewalk and driveways are usually 6".

^^agree^^^ I went 6" 6 bag mix w/fiberglass.