Hear From Our Clients
That cracked, crumbling mess in front of your house isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a problem that gets worse every winter. Water pools in the low spots. Cracks spread. Your guests have to navigate around potholes just to reach your front door.
Here’s what changes when the work gets done right. You pull into a smooth driveway that actually drains water away from your foundation. No more dodging holes or worrying about twisted ankles. Your home looks like you take care of it again.
The difference comes down to working with a paving company that understands proper base preparation, drainage planning, and materials that can handle Fernwood’s brutal freeze-thaw cycles. Not every contractor gets this right—but it’s the foundation of work that lasts.
We’ve served Fernwood and the surrounding area for over 25 years. We’re not a franchise that sends different crews to every job. You work directly with the owner from your first call through final cleanup.
This approach matters when problems arise. Instead of dealing with customer service departments or waiting for callbacks, you’re talking to the person responsible for your project—someone with the authority to make decisions and fix issues immediately.
Our reputation in this community comes from doing what we say we’ll do, when we say we’ll do it. Fernwood homeowners know they can count on us for emergency response, transparent pricing, and the kind of straightforward communication that’s become rare in construction work.
We start by evaluating your specific situation—drainage patterns, soil conditions, access for equipment, and what your driveway needs to handle. This isn’t a quick walkthrough. We’re looking at everything that affects how long your driveway will last.
The prep work separates quality contractors from the rest. We excavate to proper depth, install the right base materials, and compact everything in lifts. If drainage needs fixing, we handle it now—not after your new asphalt starts failing because water got underneath.
Installation happens fast once we start. Asphalt needs to go down hot, get worked quickly to prevent seams, and be compacted while it’s workable. This requires the right equipment and an experienced crew who know how to work together.
We finish by walking through everything with you, explaining what to expect during curing, and making sure you’re satisfied with every detail before we pack up our equipment.
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Your driveway paving project includes complete removal of old materials, proper excavation, quality base preparation, and professional asphalt installation. We handle drainage planning, grade work, and coordination with local requirements—the details that determine whether your investment lasts.
Fernwood presents specific challenges that out-of-area contractors often miss. The freeze-thaw cycles here destroy improperly installed driveways within a few years. Clay soils in some neighborhoods require different base techniques. Mature trees and established utilities mean careful planning around existing infrastructure.
We also manage permits and ensure compliance with local standards. This isn’t just paperwork—it’s about building to codes that protect your investment. When you’re spending thousands on a new driveway, you want it done to standards that deliver decades of reliable service, not quick fixes that fail early.
A properly installed asphalt driveway gives you 15-20 years of reliable service in our climate. The key is “properly installed”—meaning adequate base preparation, correct thickness, and quality materials that can handle our weather.
Normal fading starts after the first year as asphalt oxidizes, but that’s purely cosmetic. Real problems like cracking, crumbling, or potholes shouldn’t appear until year 8-10 at the earliest. If you see major issues in the first few years, that usually indicates installation problems.
Poor base prep, inadequate drainage, or substandard materials cause premature failure. This is why choosing your paving contractor based on experience and reputation matters more than finding the lowest bid.
The differences hide in prep work and materials you can’t see after completion. Cheap contractors skip proper excavation depth, use inadequate base material, or skip compaction steps. They might install thin asphalt or use lower-grade mixes to cut costs.
Quality work starts with excavating 8-10 inches total depth, installing proper base material, and compacting in lifts—not just dumping gravel and rolling it once. We use quality asphalt at correct temperatures and install it 2-3 inches thick after compaction.
Drainage planning separates the pros from the shortcuts. Cheap jobs ignore water flow, leading to early failure when water undermines the base. Quality contractors grade everything to move water away from your driveway and foundation.
Never hire door-to-door contractors claiming leftover materials from nearby jobs. Legitimate paving companies don’t operate this way—materials get ordered for specific projects. These scammers deliver substandard work, demand cash payments, or disappear mid-project.
Verify licensing and insurance before any work begins. Ask for current proof of insurance and check references from recent local projects. Get detailed written contracts covering materials, timeline, and total costs. Be suspicious of prices that seem impossibly low.
Established local companies have reputations to protect in the community. We’ll show you recent work, provide references, and stand behind our installations because our business depends on satisfied customers, not quick cash grabs.
Late spring through early fall provides optimal conditions for asphalt installation. We need temperatures consistently above 50°F and dry weather for proper installation. Summer heat can actually make asphalt too soft to work safely.
We work year-round when conditions permit, including emergency situations that can’t wait for perfect weather. However, scheduling during ideal weather always produces the best results and longest-lasting installations.
Early spring is the best time to schedule summer installation. Peak season books up quickly, so planning ahead ensures you get the timing that works for your schedule and budget.
Fresh asphalt stays soft for several weeks, especially in warm weather. You’ll likely see tire marks or scuff marks—this is completely normal and doesn’t indicate poor workmanship. The material needs time to cure and harden fully.
Avoid turning your steering wheel when stopped, as this can scuff the surface. On hot days, you can spray the driveway with water to cool it, or spread a light layer of sand for extra protection during the curing period.
Don’t worry about these initial marks. As the asphalt cures over the next few months, it hardens and the marks become less noticeable. What you’re seeing is normal behavior for fresh asphalt, not installation problems.
Project costs depend on size, site conditions, and scope of work needed. Simple overlay work costs less than complete removal and replacement. Most residential driveways run $3,000-$8,000, but every situation has unique factors affecting price.
Beyond size, costs reflect drainage requirements, equipment access, disposal needs, and existing base conditions. Clay soils or properties with drainage issues require additional prep work that affects the total investment.
Our estimates break down exactly what’s included—not just a per-square-foot number, but detailed explanations of materials, labor, and site-specific requirements. This way you understand what you’re paying for and why each element matters for long-term performance.
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