Asphalt Driveways in Palm Bay, FL

Asphalt driveways are the bulk of our work in Palm Bay. Most homes here were built on the lots General Development Corporation platted after 1959, and many of those original driveways are now worn out, too narrow for today's vehicles, or were never more than shell or dirt. A new asphalt driveway is smooth, quick to install and easy to maintain, and on South Brevard's sandy ground it holds up well as long as the base under it is right.

Why the base decides everything

Sand drains fast when it is dry and loses support when it is saturated. Flatwoods soils such as Myakka, which the USDA describes as poorly drained, can hold the water table within 18 inches of the surface for months during the rainy season. Put a thin layer of asphalt straight on that, and tires push it down into ruts. Our driveways get a compacted base of crushed stone or limerock first, then hot-mix asphalt rolled on top. HomeGuide's typical residential build is 6 to 8 inches of compacted base with 2 to 3 inches of asphalt, and we size yours for the soil and what you park on it.

Grading and the swale

Palm Bay homes drain to the roadside swale. A new driveway has to slope toward the street, shed water to the sides, and meet the apron so water still flows through the culvert under it. We set those grades before the base is compacted. If your current driveway sends water toward the garage, or if the yard floods beside it after every storm, we design the new one to fix that.

Wider and longer

Many original Palm Bay driveways are a single car wide. Widening to fit two vehicles, adding a side pad for a boat or RV, or extending a drive to a detached garage are common requests. We build added sections on the same compacted base and cut a clean joint so new and old asphalt bond rather than crack along the seam.

What happens on paving day

1. Old asphalt, shell or concrete is removed and hauled away. 2. The subgrade is shaped and compacted, and soft areas are dug out. 3. Base rock is placed in lifts and compacted. 4. Hot asphalt is spread, rolled and finished at the edges. 5. Transitions to the garage slab, sidewalk and apron are cut flush. Most single-family driveways take one to two days. You can usually drive on it after a couple of days, and sealing waits until the asphalt has cured for several months.

Asphalt or concrete?

Both work in Florida. Asphalt usually costs less to install, goes in faster, and can be resurfaced later instead of replaced. Concrete costs more but needs less routine sealing. On long drives and on lots where the budget matters, asphalt is usually the practical choice.