For property owners
A new driveway, laid right, by someone we have already checked
A driveway is a five-figure decision that lives outside your house for twenty years. Getting the contractor right matters more than getting the cheapest quote.
- Typical cost
- $3,000 to $15,000 depending on size, material, and groundwork
- Typical timeline
- 3 to 10 working days on site, plus curing time for some surfaces
Where it goes wrong
- The sub-base is skimped or skipped, so the surface sinks and cracks within a couple of winters
- No proper drainage or falls, leaving puddles that freeze and tear the surface apart
- A big deposit taken, then the crew vanishes or stretches a one-week job into two months
What to check before you sign
- General liability insurance, current and in the company's name, not a photocopy of someone else's
- Recent reviews you can actually trace to real, completed local jobs
- A written quote that specifies the sub-base depth, the surface, the drainage, and the edges
- Whether the job needs a city grading or right-of-way permit, and whether your HOA restricts the material
A driveway is bought once and regretted slowly
The cracks do not show up the week the cheap crew leaves with your deposit. They show up the second winter, when water that should have drained away has frozen under a surface laid on a sub-base that was never deep enough. By then the firm has changed its phone number, and you are paying again to put right what should have been done once.
That is the real risk with a new driveway. Not the price. The gamble on who lays it.
Where new driveways go wrong
Almost every driveway failure traces to the part you cannot see. The sub-base, the compacted stone foundation under the surface, is where honest contractors spend time and cheap crews cut corners. Skimp it and the surface sinks. Skip the drainage and the falls, and water pools, freezes, and tears the surface apart. Take a big deposit with no intention of finishing, and you have the oldest trick in the trade.
The surface gets all the attention because it is the bit you see. The foundation and the drainage are what decide whether you are still happy in ten years.
What a proper quote looks like
A real contractor’s quote tells you the sub-base depth, the surface specification, how drainage is handled, and how the edges are restrained. A lowballer’s quote is a number on the back of a card. If you cannot see what you are paying for, you cannot tell whether the corners are about to be cut.
Let us do the checking for you
We hold a network of paving contractors whose insurance, reviews, and completed work we have already verified. Tell us the job, the surface you are leaning toward, and your zip code, and we match you with the ones who actually cover your area and do this kind of work well. You still choose. You just choose from a shortlist that has already passed the checks most people never think to make.
Questions, answered straight
How much should a new driveway actually cost?
For most homes, somewhere between three and fifteen thousand dollars, driven by size, material, and how much groundwork is needed. Pavers and resin sit at the higher end, asphalt lower. Be wary of a quote far below the others. It usually means a thin sub-base or no drainage, which is exactly what fails first.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway?
It depends entirely on your city and HOA. Many municipalities require a permit for a new driveway, and some review the added impervious surface against local stormwater or lot-coverage limits, especially near the public right-of-way or an apron tie-in. A good contractor knows the local rules and pulls the permit. A fly-by-night crew skips it and leaves you holding the violation.
How do I avoid a fly-by-night driveway company?
Check insurance, trace real reviews, get the spec in writing, and never pay a large deposit to a firm you cannot verify. Or let us do the checking. Every contractor we match you with has had their insurance, reviews, and track record verified before they ever reach you.
For property owners
Get paving done right, by someone we have already vetted.
Tell us the job and the ZIP code. We match you with insured, reviewed contractors who actually turn up.