Frequently Asked Questions

Published guides list new asphalt driveways at roughly $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 per square foot (Angi). HomeGuide lists a 20 by 20 foot driveway at about $2,000 to $4,800. Removal of old pavement, soft-soil repairs and approach work add to that. We give you a written price after seeing the site.

A common residential build is 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel base. Driveways that carry trucks, trailers or RVs need more of both. On Wichita's clay soils, the base depth matters as much as the asphalt itself.

Late spring through early fall, when the ground is warm and dry. Wichita's average freeze window runs from late October to early April, and paving on cold ground makes compaction difficult. We schedule around the weather rather than a fixed calendar.

Sometimes. An overlay can work when the old surface is cracked but still firmly supported. If the base has failed, with potholes, sunken areas or edges breaking off, an overlay will crack again in the same places, and removal is the better choice. We check the base before recommending either.

As adopted in 2016, Chapter 10.12 of the city code requires a permit from the City Engineer for work on the drive approach, curb or sidewalk in the public right-of-way, and treats widening or replacing a drive as a new approach. Paving that stays on your side of the property line generally is not covered by that chapter. City rules can change, so we confirm the current requirements for your address before work starts.

Usually after a few days, longer in hot weather when the surface stays soft. Avoid turning the wheels while parked, parking in the same spot every day and setting kickstands or trailer jacks on it for the first weeks. Sealcoating should wait several months while the asphalt cures.

Cost guides put typical asphalt driveway life at 15 to 30 years. Where a driveway falls in that range depends on the base, drainage and upkeep. Sealing every few years and filling cracks before winter help it last longer.

Published national ranges run about $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 per square foot (Angi). A 400-square-foot driveway lands around $2,000 to $4,800 in HomeGuide's figures. Tear-out, base repair and access change the total, and we give you a written price after the site visit.

Either can be a good choice. Asphalt is generally cheaper up front and flexes a little with freeze-thaw movement, but it needs sealing every few years. Concrete costs more and lasts longer, but cracks it develops are harder to repair invisibly. Your budget, slope and how long you plan to stay all factor in.

Yes, on your property. If widening also means a wider curb cut, Wichita's code as adopted in 2016 treats that as a new drive approach, which needs a City Engineer permit and generally a concrete approach no wider than 30 feet without written approval. The city may have updated those rules, so we check the current requirements and explain what is involved at the estimate.

Usually a few days for cars, longer in summer heat. Heavy vehicles, trailers and RVs should stay off it for longer. We give you specific timing for your job when the paving is done.

Most early cracking comes from a thin or poorly compacted base, soft subgrade left in place, or water collecting along an edge. Those are the parts of the job we spend the most time on.

HomeAdvisor's national figures put asphalt lots at about $2 to $4.50 per square foot, or roughly $400 to $1,130 per parking space. A lot needing base repair or heavy-duty sections costs more. We price your lot after walking it.

Overlay if the pavement is cracked but solid underneath. Replace or reconstruct where the base has failed. Most older lots need some of each, and we mark which areas are which before you decide.

Usually, yes. We divide the lot into phases and keep at least one entrance and part of the parking open whenever the layout allows.

The Department of Justice's restriping guidance says that when a lot is restriped, it must provide accessible spaces as required by the 2010 ADA Standards. The required number depends on the total number of spaces in the lot.

HomeGuide's guidance is every 2 to 10 years depending on sealer and climate. In practice, reseal when the surface has faded and the stones begin to show. Sealing more often than needed builds up layers that can peel.

Wait at least 3 to 6 months after paving so the asphalt can cure. Sealing too early can trap oils that need to evaporate.

Walking is usually fine after a few hours. Vehicles generally wait 12 to 72 hours, depending on temperature, humidity and shade. We tell you when it is ready.

No. Sealer is too thin to fill cracks; it will sink in and the crack will show again. The right order is to clean and fill the cracks, let the filler set, and then seal over everything.

For a single pothole, Angi lists about $100 to $500; for area repairs, about $2 to $5 a square foot. Saw-cut, full-depth repairs run higher, about $4 to $12 per square foot in HomeGuide's guide. We price the actual repair after seeing it.

Usually because the base under it is wet or broken. A patch placed on top of failed base sinks or breaks loose. A lasting repair removes the failed material down to firm ground.

Temporary cold patch can be used in cold weather to make an area safe. Permanent hot-mix repairs are best done when the ground and air are warmer so the patch compacts properly.

New asphalt is darker than old asphalt at first. Sealcoating the whole surface after the patch has cured evens out the color.

Published figures run from about $0.35 to $1.00 per linear foot (SealMaster) up to $1 to $3 per linear foot (Angi), with Angi putting a typical driveway at $100 to $400. We measure the cracks and quote a written price.

Late summer and fall, on dry days, so cracks are sealed before the freeze season. Dry spring days also work.

SealMaster cites studies estimating that each dollar spent on crack sealing saves about $6 in later repairs. Even without exact figures, keeping water out of the base is the main way to avoid potholes.

Sealing can slow them, but alligator cracking usually means the base has failed. Those areas generally need to be cut out and patched.

In HomeGuide's national figures, a regular stall runs about $4 to $5 and an accessible stall $25 to $40; a lot of roughly 30 to 50 stalls comes to about $500 to $1,200, and most crews add a mobilization charge. We count your lot and give a written price.

Under the 2010 ADA Standards, 1 for 1 to 25 spaces, 2 for 26 to 50, 3 for 51 to 75, 4 for 76 to 100, rising from there. At least one must be van-accessible, and one of every six accessible spaces overall.

Yes. The Department of Justice's guidance says restriping requires providing accessible parking as the 2010 ADA Standards require.

When the paint fades enough that stalls are hard to see, and every time the lot is sealcoated or repaved. Heavy traffic and snowplows wear lines faster.