How long does an asphalt driveway repair last?

It depends on what was fixed. Fixr gives a hot patch 1 to 2 years. A repair that removes the damaged asphalt and the weak base underneath, then rebuilds both, deals with the cause rather than the surface, so it should outlast a patch laid over the problem. Ask which kind the quote describes.

Can alligator cracks be sealed?

Not usefully. Pavement Interactive says crack sealing is generally ineffective once the alligator pattern shows, because the cracking comes from lost support underneath. Small areas are cut out, the weak soil is dug out and replaced, and the spot is patched. Large areas need a structural overlay or replacement.

Why does my driveway keep sinking in the same spot?

Because the cause is under the asphalt. Fixr lists poor installation, poor drainage and driving on asphalt before it cured as reasons driveways sink. Filling the dip from the top hides it for a while; a lasting fix removes the asphalt, repairs or replaces the soft base, and deals with the water feeding it.

Is there a minimum charge for small asphalt repairs?

Often. Fixr says some repair contractors charge a minimum or call-out fee of $50 to $100, and that hourly rates average $50 to $150. Grouping several small repairs, such as a pothole, a crumbling edge and a few cracks, into one visit spreads that minimum across more work.

Do I need a permit to repair an asphalt driveway?

Usually not for small repairs. Fixr says many driveway repairs need no permit, but bigger jobs, especially those that involve resurfacing, may. Ask the contractor whether your job needs one, and check with the city before any work reaches into the street.

Asphalt Repair in St. George, UT

Typical cost: national guides put most driveway repairs at $400 to $1,200, averaging about $750.
By damage: cracks $100 to $400, potholes $150 to $400, crumbling areas $300 to $1,500, sunken sections $500 to $3,000.
Small jobs: some contractors charge a $50 to $100 call-out fee or bill $50 to $150 an hour.
Hot patch life: about 1 to 2 years, by Fixr's estimate.

St. George Asphalt Co. passes your request to a local paving contractor who looks at what failed and why before pricing the fix: alligator cracking, sunken spots, crumbling edges, raveled gray surfaces or sections pushed up by the soil. Photos with a tape measure in frame help tell a surface repair from a base repair before the visit.

Asphalt Driveway Damage Types and How Each Is Repaired

Interconnected alligator cracks forming small irregular blocks across a section of asphalt driveway

Alligator cracking

A web of connected cracks that looks like reptile skin. Pavement Interactive calls it fatigue cracking and a sign of structural failure: the asphalt has been flexing under loads because the base or soil below lost support, often from poor drainage, heavier loads than it was built for, or weak compaction. Sealing those cracks does little. The repair depends on size:

Small, local area: cut out the cracked asphalt, dig out and replace the weak soil, fix the drainage if needed, then patch
Large area: an overlay built strong enough to carry the load, or replacement

Shallow sunken depression holding a puddle in the middle of an asphalt driveway

Sunken spots and depressions

A low spot that holds water after a storm is the giveaway. Fixr traces sinking to poor installation, poor drainage or traffic on asphalt before it cured. The repair removes the loose asphalt, rebuilds what's under it and repaves the area, so it costs more than surface work: $500 to $3,000 depending on how far it has sunk. Aprons at the street sink too, from traffic, heat and water, at $200 to $1,000 to repair.

Broken, crumbling edge along the side of an asphalt driveway next to gravel desert landscaping

Crumbling edges

An asphalt edge often has no curb or slab beside it to hold it in, and Fixr names weeds and grasses along the edge as another cause of cracking there. Fixr prices the fix at $300 to $1,500: loose material is cleaned out, cracks are filled and compacted, and fresh asphalt is laid and smoothed. Its upkeep advice is to check the edges often and pull weeds that crack them.

Raveled gray asphalt driveway surface with loose stones and exposed aggregate

Raveling and sun-faded, oxidized surfaces

Raveling is the surface coming apart from the top down as stones loosen and wash out of the binder. Pavement Interactive ties it to dusty aggregate, segregated mix and poor compaction when the asphalt was laid. Small raveled spots are removed and patched; a whole surface coming apart needs an overlay, covered on asphalt driveway resurfacing. A driveway that has only faded to gray is a different case: it needs a seal, not a repair, and sealcoating covers that.

Asphalt driveway section lifted and cracked into a hump over swelling clay soil

Heaved sections over expansive soil

Expansive soils swell when wet and shrink as they dry, and the Utah Geological Survey ranks them as southwestern Utah's most troublesome construction condition (more on grading and base preparation). That movement can lift and crack the asphalt above. Patching the surface won't stop it. The heaved section is cut out, the problem soil is dug out and replaced with compacted base, and the area is repaved. Ask how deep the contractor plans to dig, and why.

Small roller compacting fresh asphalt on a residential driveway

Why St. George homeowners and property managers call St. George Asphalt Co.

The estimate costs you nothing and commits you to nothing
Ask for thickness, base depth and tear-out on the written bid
Your job goes to one paving contractor, never a lead auction
Property owners pay nothing for the introduction

Asphalt Repair Cost by Damage Type

Repair prices vary more than paving prices because the job depends on what's underneath. Fixr's national figures:

Cracks
$100 to $400 per repair
Potholes
$150 to $400
Crumbling areas
$300 to $1,500
Sunken sections
$500 to $3,000
Driveway aprons
$200 to $1,000

HomeAdvisor's average across all driveway repairs is $2,471, with most between $1,069 and $4,028, because its range includes larger work such as resurfacing. Patch methods, from cold patch to saw-cut and infrared, are priced on asphalt patching, and per-foot crack prices are on crack sealing.

Repair, Resurface or Replace?

Damage type and age settle most of this. Here is how the cost guides split it:

Repair
Damage is local: a few cracks, a pothole, one sunken spot or a broken edge, on a driveway that is otherwise sound.
Resurface
The base is sound but the surface is worn, cracked or raveled across a wide area. HomeAdvisor notes that an overlay does not fix underlying problems, so base failures get repaired first. See resurfacing.
Replace
HomeAdvisor says replacement is needed when the surface is badly deteriorated, the gravel base has failed or drainage can't be fixed, and it reads alligator cracking as a sign the driveway needs a complete overhaul. Fixr adds that on driveways 25 years or older, repairs tend to be temporary. See driveway replacement.

If you get quotes for both a repair and a resurface, ask each contractor what they expect the cheaper option to buy in years.

See asphalt patching for how potholes and cut-out sections are filled.