Planning a new driveway

A driveway carries the heaviest loads on a home lot, so the ground and the base under it matter more than the surface. Concrete, asphalt and gravel can all work. They differ in cost, in how long they last and in how much of the work you can do yourself. This planner helps you choose, and then work out each material.

Whatever you choose, the sequence is the same: set the grade, build the base, then lay the surface.

Step 1: Choose the surface

Gravel is the cheapest and an easy job for an owner, but it needs raking and topping up. Asphalt is laid hot and rolled by a contractor, costs less than concrete, and needs sealing every few years. Concrete lasts longest and is the most work for an owner, and it needs control joints and curing. The rules where the drive meets the street apply to all of them.

Step 2: Set the grade and the drainage

A driveway should fall at least 1/4 inch per foot across its width so that water runs off, and slope away from the garage. The steepness along its length has limits for comfort and for the bottoms of cars. Where the water goes matters: do not send it toward the house or the neighbor.

Step 3: Dig and haul away the soil

Excavate to the depth of the base and the surface together, and remove soft spots. Soil swells when it is dug, so the pile is bigger than the hole, and loads by volume and by weight decide the number of truck trips.

Step 4: Build the base

Compacted crushed stone, 4 to 8 inches deep depending on the soil, carries the load. Clay and frost call for the deeper base. Order about 20% more than the compacted volume, and convert between cubic yards and tons with the weight of your stone.

Step 5: Lay the surface and seal

Order the asphalt by the ton or the concrete by the cubic yard with a margin, and book the crew or the truck for dry weather. Keep traffic off a new asphalt surface for a few days. Wait 6 to 12 months before the first coat of sealer on asphalt, and about a month before sealing concrete.

Before you start

• The permit, and the rules for the apron and the connection to the street.
• Call 811 before you dig.
• Quotes that state the thickness of the surface and the depth of the base.
• A plan for the soil you dig out and for the days the drive is out of use.
• The weather window for paving.

Mistakes that cost people money

• A thin or poorly compacted base, the main cause of cracked and sunken driveways.
• Comparing quotes without checking the thickness and the base.
• No drainage plan, so water pools at the garage or the street.
• Sealing new asphalt too soon.
• Skipping control joints in concrete.

Frequently asked questions