Finding someone you can trust to pave your driveway around here is not always easy. If you live out in Hernshaw, our winding hollow roads and steep grades put any driveway to the test, especially when winter frost heaves start working on the sub-base. You want a crew that knows how to grade for proper drainage so water does not pool against your foundation. Here is what you actually need to check before you hand over your money to any paving outfit.
Start With the Right Questions
Do not just ask for a price and leave it at that. You need to dig into the details of how they do business. Ask them right off the bat how thick they plan to lay the Asphalt once it is rolled out and compacted. If they give you a vague answer instead of a specific number like two or three inches, that is your cue to keep looking. You should also ask whether they use their own equipment or rent it, and if their crew has workers' comp insurance.
Coastal Asphalt Co always tells people to ask about the sub-base preparation too. If an outfit wants to pave straight over old, crumbling mud or clay without laying down a proper crushed stone foundation, your new Asphalt Driveway will not last two seasons.
Reading Between the Lines on a Quote
A professional quote should spell everything out in plain English. Watch out for scribbled estimates on the back of a business card or napkin. A legitimate Asphalt Paving quote needs to break down the square footage, the depth of the aggregate base, the thickness of the Asphalt layer, and the specific type of mix they are using.
If the quote is thousands of dollars cheaper than every other bid you have gotten, somebody is cutting corners. They might be using recycled millings of poor quality or skimping on the roller compaction. Make sure the estimate includes cleanup and grading details so you are not left with a mess along your lawn edges.
Spotting the Warning Signs
Door-to-door paving scammers love hitting rural communities with the pitch about having leftover Asphalt from another job down the road. If someone shows up uninvited offering a massive discount because they just finished a job nearby, shut the door. Real local Asphalt Contractors are too busy finishing scheduled projects to cruise neighborhoods looking for work.
Another major red flag is a contractor who demands payment in full before a single shovel touches your dirt. Standard practice is a reasonable deposit with the balance due only after the Asphalt Paving job is completed to your satisfaction.
Verifying Legitimacy
Never take a contractor's word for it when they say they are licensed and insured. Ask for their West Virginia contractor license number and look it up online through the state's labor division. Call their insurance carrier directly to verify that the policy is active. A local outfit with a physical address and a solid reputation in Kanawha County won't hesitate to hand over this information.