Choosing a Paving Contractor

Selecting a contractor for your asphalt or concrete driveway

Contractors come and go in the concrete and asphalt paving business.  These 5 things will help you find the best contractor for your concrete or asphalt paving needs.

Search the web 

• Reputable asphalt paving companies will have a website.   Search their services.  Do they provide what you are looking for?

• Do they have bad ratings? There are many sites that provide reviews from past customers.  Every site may have one or two bad ratings, however if it seems they have many, you may want to look somewhere else.

• Are there photos of the asphalt paving work they have done?  Is it the type you are looking for?

Scheduling an appointment

• Choose to meet the contractor in person.  Many contractors will just send you an estimate on their own time, however it’s important to gather as much information and ask questions about your asphalt driveway while they are there.

• Most asphalt paving companies will work with you to schedule a time that benefits you both.

Ask questions:

• Do they specialize in residential asphalt paving or do they do more concrete, brick paving, etc.

• Are they properly insured?  Most villages require only $100,000 in policy coverage for any asphalt paving company.  However, because of liability issues, it’s always wiser to choose a contractor with at least $500,000-$2,000,000 in coverage.

• Are they licensed and bonded with the village? The permit will not be issued unless they are.

• Find out how long the company has been in business.  5yrs? 10yrs? 6 months?

• Have them explain the asphalt paving process from start to finish.  A good contractor will take the time and effort to educate and inform you.

• Find out how long the asphalt paving process would take and their availability.  The contractor should be able to schedule you at a reasonable date.  Asphalt paving should be done when temperatures are at least above 50 degrees.

Ask for references

• Request a list of completed projects from your contractor.

• They should be able to provide you with addresses, names and phone numbers.

The lowest bid isn’t always the best:

• Review all your proposals.  Do they give a clear description of the work to be performed?

• Is there a guarantee?  Most contractors will give a one year guarantee from the date of completion.

• Are all your asphalt proposals comparable in price and quantities?  If there is an extremely low estimate, there is probably a good reason why.  Think “you get what you pay for”.

• Are all the quantities in the proposal?  Having as much detailed information on your proposals may help you in the event of complications.

• Trust, experience, and accountability should be the deciding factor in choosing a contractor, not price.