Should I replace my driveway or just put an overlay on it?

Replace it when the damage goes down into the base: sunken areas, cracking that has spread across most of the surface, or ruts that come back after patching. An overlay only works over a sound foundation. If the contractor can't tell from the surface, ask them to cut a test hole or proof-roll the exposed base.

How much should I pay before the driveway work starts?

The cost guides checked name no standard paving deposit, and no Utah cap turned up. Agree in writing on the down payment and its due date, payments during the job, and final payment terms. Pay the last amount only after a walkthrough shows the work is done. Paying in full under that contract is also what triggers Utah's lien protection.

Do I need a permit to replace a driveway in St. George?

Cost guides say most cities require a permit for a new or replacement driveway, with fees around $50 to $200. In St. George, any digging in the street or another public place needs a permit from the city's public works encroachment officer. Ask the contractor whose name goes on the permit and whether the bid includes it.

Asphalt Driveway Replacement in St. George, UT

Typical cost: national cost guides put asphalt replacement at $8 to $15 per sq ft, a figure that already folds in $1 to $2 per sq ft to break out and haul the old surface.
Old concrete instead of asphalt: concrete removal alone runs about $3 to $8 per sq ft in cost guides, so swapping concrete for asphalt costs more up front.
Estimates: get at least three written bids that list scope, materials, labor and timeline.
Lien protection: Utah's lien fund covers a single-family or duplex home occupied within 180 days, once you pay a licensed contractor in full under a written contract.

St. George Asphalt Co. sets up a site visit with one independent contractor when patches and an overlay can no longer save the driveway. Send photos of the worst areas and a rough size, and say whether the surface coming out is asphalt or concrete.

Asphalt Driveway Replacement Options by Scope

Excavator bucket lifting broken slabs of old asphalt from a driveway into a dump truck in front of a stucco home

Full tear-out and repave

The whole surface gets broken up and trucked away, the base underneath is checked and recompacted, and a new mat goes down. This is the answer when cracking and settling have spread across the drive, or when an overlay would just copy the old failures to the new top layer. Cost guides limit overlays to younger pavement with a sound base and limited surface damage (asphalt resurfacing has the cutoffs).

HomeGuide's version of the range is wider, $4 to $15 per sq ft across driveway materials, with $1 to $3 of that going to removal and haul-off.

Cracked gray concrete driveway being broken up beside a strip of fresh black asphalt leading to a garage

Concrete-to-asphalt replacement

Breaking out concrete costs more than lifting old asphalt, and the totals climb with slab size:

Typical driveway: $1,200 to $4,500 to remove 200 to 600 sq ft of concrete.
Wider drives: HomeGuide's project table runs from $1,200 to $8,600 for single- to double-car widths.

Whether asphalt is the right replacement for concrete is a trade-off between upfront price, lifespan and heat; the homepage lays out that comparison. If the old concrete apron at the curb comes out too, that part sits in the city's street area and needs its own permit (driveway extensions covers it).

Rectangular saw-cut section of a driveway removed down to the gravel base while the rest of the asphalt stays in place

Partial replacement of failed sections

When one area has failed, such as a sunken strip along the garage or a patch of alligator cracking where a truck parks, the contractor can saw-cut around it, dig out the bad material and pave just that section. The rest of the drive stays. A partial job leaves a seam where new meets old, so ask how the edges will be sealed and whether the new section will be finished level with the existing surface. Repair prices by damage type are on asphalt repair.

Freshly graded and compacted gravel base ready for paving after the old driveway was removed, a plain gray roller nearby

Replacement with a rebuilt base

Some driveways fail from the bottom up. If the base was thin, got wet or sat on soil that swells and shrinks, new asphalt over the same base will crack the same way. A rebuild digs out the failed base, replaces it with compacted road base to the depth a new drive needs (asphalt driveway paving lists the spec) and proof-rolls it before paving. St. George's problem soils and how grading handles them are on grading and base preparation.

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

Driveway Replacement Contracts and Licensing in Utah

License class
Utah's S260 Asphalt and Concrete Contractor classification covers asphalt, overlays, chip seal, sealant, base excavation, grading, compaction and striping, and a B100 general building contractor can also take the work. Ask for the contractor's Utah license number and look it up on DOPL's license search.
The small-project exemption
Utah exempts some work on "a building" worth less than $7,000, with a one-time filing above $3,000. The statute doesn't say whether a driveway counts, so a low price is no reason to skip the license check.
Payment terms
Angi's hiring guide lists what to settle in writing: the down payment amount and timing, the payment schedule during the job, final payment terms, start and finish dates, what's included, and who handles permits. Make the final payment only after you've walked the job and the agreed work is done.
Residence Lien Recovery Fund
If you sign a written contract with a licensed (or exempt) contractor and pay in full under its terms, subcontractors and suppliers can't keep a lien on your home. It covers single-family and duplex homes occupied within 180 days of completion. The contract should carry the "Protection Against Liens and Civil Action" notice, and DOPL issues a Certificate of Compliance on request.

What Changes a Driveway Replacement Quote

What's coming out
Asphalt removal is a small line on the bid; concrete removal can rival the paving itself.
The base
Reusing a sound base costs less than digging out and rebuilding a failed one.
Size and access
A long drive or a tight lot where trucks can't reach the back changes the day count.
The street end
Replacing the apron at the curb adds a city permit and its bonding.

See asphalt repair if only a few spots have failed and the rest of the driveway is sound.