Asphalt Paving in Loveland, CO

Asphalt paving in Loveland has to survive conditions that push pavement from both directions. The city sits at 4,997 feet at the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon, averages about 47 inches of snow and 15.6 inches of precipitation a year, and has recorded both 106 degrees (July 2022) and 31 below zero (December 1990). Underneath, much of the Front Range rests on clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. A driveway or lot here moves with the seasons. Asphalt laid on a properly built base flexes with that movement and lasts for decades. Asphalt laid on soft, wet clay cracks within a few winters.

Start with the ground, not the topcoat

The Colorado Geological Survey describes bentonite and montmorillonite clays under many of the state's populated areas and names cracked and heaved driveways, sidewalks and garage slabs as common signs of them. The survey also records a case on the eastern plains where an interstate rose as much as a foot within six months of paving. A residential driveway carries far less weight than a highway, but the same soil behavior applies. We probe for soft and wet spots, dig out what will not support a load, and replace it with compacted road base.

HomeGuide's driveway guide gives a common residential build as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of gravel base, rising to 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches for heavier vehicles, and 4 inches or more for commercial lots. Your quote states both depths so you can compare bids on equal terms.

Freeze, thaw and dry air

Snow in Loveland usually melts within days under strong sun, then refreezes at night. That daily cycle drives water into any opening and pries it wider. A surface graded to shed water, edges that are supported instead of left hanging over dirt, and cracks sealed before November all slow it down. At the high, dry elevation, sunlight also oxidizes the binder faster than at sea level, which is why the surface turns gray and brittle if it is never sealed.

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Loveland right-of-way rules

The strip between the street and your property is public right-of-way. The City of Loveland issues a Minor ROW permit for concrete work such as driveway approaches and sidewalks and a Major ROW permit for any other work in the right-of-way, no matter how small. Review takes up to ten business days, permits are good for 90 days, and inspections are booked 48 hours ahead. If your new driveway stops at the existing concrete approach, none of that may apply. If the approach needs widening or replacing, we explain the steps at the estimate so the schedule allows for them.

Asphalt or concrete?

It is one of the most common questions on page one of Google for Loveland paving. HomeGuide lists asphalt driveways at roughly $5 to $12 or more per square foot with a 15 to 30 year life, and concrete at $6 to $15 with 30 to 40 years. Asphalt costs less up front, can be driven on sooner, and is easier to patch, but it needs sealing every few years. Concrete lasts longer but costs more and cracks are harder to hide. We install asphalt, and we will tell you plainly if your site would be better served by something else.

What a typical driveway job includes

• Measuring, checking slope and noting where water goes
• Removing old asphalt, concrete or gravel and hauling it off
• Digging out soft clay and replacing it with compacted base
• Grading and compacting the base to shed water
• Placing and rolling hot-mix asphalt to the thickness in your quote
• Finishing edges and joints at the garage slab and approach
• Telling you when to drive on it and when to schedule the first seal

Loveland is home base. We also work across Larimer County and the western edge of Weld County, including Fort Collins, Berthoud, Johnstown, Windsor, Milliken, Timnath, Wellington, Laporte, Greeley, Evans, Severance, Eaton, Ault, Platteville, Mead, Firestone, Frederick, Longmont and up the canyon in Estes Park. Each place is different underfoot and on paper. Weld County towns along the South Platte and Poudre sit on river terraces, Estes Park pavement deals with 104 inches of snow a year at 7,743 feet, and every city runs its own right-of-way permit. In unincorporated Larimer County, a driveway onto a numbered county road needs a county access permit; in Weld County, a paved access that meets a paved road may need a right-of-way permit as well. The town pages below explain the local details.