Frequently Asked Questions

For a lasting repair, hot-mix asphalt placed in a cut-out, rebuilt hole and compacted. Cold patch from a bag is fine as a temporary fix. For cracks, a hot-applied rubberized sealant holds up better than pourable fillers. The best product depends on the damage, so we look first.

National cost guides list new asphalt driveways at roughly $5 to $12 or more per square foot (HomeGuide) and $7 to $15 (Angi). A 20 by 20 foot driveway runs about $2,000 to $4,800 in HomeGuide's figures. Culvert work, removal and soft-soil repair change the total, and your written estimate is the price.

Yes. The city charges a $30 non-refundable permit, you stake the location, and Public Works Engineering sets the size, grade and length. Engineering must be called two days before backfill, and work must be done within 90 days.

Yes. Floodwater and heavy equipment can weaken the base without breaking the surface right away. Cracking and sinking can appear later. We probe for soft spots when we look at older storm-affected driveways.

Cost guides describe 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted base for homes, and 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches for heavier vehicles. On wet prairie soil, the base deserves extra attention.

Guides put asphalt driveways at 15 to 30 years. Rain and sun push toward the shorter end unless drainage is right and the surface is sealed every few years.

Wait three to six months for the asphalt to cure. After that, seal when the color fades, usually every few years here.

Usually two to four working days, plus permit and inspection time. Rain on the base shifts the schedule.

Inside Lake Charles, Public Works Engineering sets the pipe size, grade, length and catch basin location after you stake the spot.

The city lets owners apply for a driveway permit up to 25 feet. Wider commercial entrances follow their own review.

It costs less ($4 to $9 per sq ft in HomeGuide's figures) and works for some rural drives, but it does not last as long as new hot mix on a driveway that sees daily use.

Only if the base is sound. If it has soft spots or widespread cracking, the problems come back through an overlay.

HomeAdvisor lists asphalt lots at about $2 to $4.50 per square foot, or $400 to $1,130 per space. Site work and drainage move the total.

Usually. We phase the work and keep an entrance open.

Often a thin base, soft soil left in place, or poor drainage. We probe and explain what failed.

We pave and maintain commercial lots of many sizes, and plan work around round-the-clock traffic.

Both, plus patching, sealcoating and markings.

Commonly about an inch and a half to two inches compacted on driveways, more on lots. Your quote states it.

Some may reflect through over time. Repairing failed areas and filling cracks first keeps that to a minimum.

Not if transitions are milled. We grind the old asphalt so the new surface meets them flush.

Usually; HomeGuide puts the savings at about 20 to 30 percent when the base is sound.

Yes, especially on commercial lots, so traffic keeps moving.

The base under them is still wet or broken. A full-depth repair fixes that.

HomeGuide lists $100 to $400 for typical pothole repair, and $100 to $250 minimums are common.

Yes: private drives, subdivision streets and lots. Public roads belong to the city or parish.

Only as a stopgap. It keeps traffic moving until a permanent repair is scheduled.

Yes. Where the apron is in the city right-of-way, city inspection may apply.

New patches look darker at first; a sealcoat over the whole surface evens it out.

Guides say every 2 to 10 years. Sun and rain here usually push it toward the shorter end.

No. Cracks need to be filled first or they show through quickly.

HomeGuide lists 12 to 72 hours depending on heat and humidity.

Yes. It is the cheapest way to keep water out of the base.

Yes. Crack filling alone is worthwhile.

Roughly 50 to 95 degrees and dry, per HomeGuide.

Yes. The DOJ treats restriping as an alteration, so the 2010 Standards apply.

It scales with lot size; a lot with 1 to 25 spaces needs at least one, and one in six accessible spaces must be van-accessible.

When lines are hard to see, often every year or two in this climate, and after any sealcoat.

Often, yes, for businesses that cannot close during the day.

Yes. HomeGuide lists stenciled letters and numbers at about $2 to $5 each.

Yes, at about $0.75 to $1.00 per linear foot in HomeGuide's figures.