Repair or Replace? How to Tell What Your Asphalt Actually Needs

Asphalt proposals can be hard to compare. One contractor quotes a sealcoat, another quotes an overlay, and a third says the whole lot has to come out. They may all be looking at the same pavement. The way to decide is to understand what each level of work does and what condition the base is in.

Level 1: Maintenance

Crack fill, sealcoat and restripe. This is for pavement that is worn on the surface but sound underneath. It keeps water out of the base and protects the surface from the sun. Done on schedule, it is the least expensive way to make asphalt last.

Level 2: Repair

Patching, overlays and drainage fixes. Where some areas have failed, they are cut out and patched with new base and asphalt. An overlay adds a new layer of asphalt over pavement that is still structurally sound but rough or worn. Low spots and drainage get fixed so water stops sitting on the pavement. Speed bumps and ADA markings are often handled here too.

Level 3: Remove and replace

A full rebuild. When the base has failed across most of the lot, patching becomes a patchwork, and an overlay would just crack along the same lines. The old asphalt comes out, the base is repaired or rebuilt, and new pavement goes down with drainage flowlines built to grade.

How to read your pavement

• Fine cracks and fading: usually maintenance.
• Spider-web cracking in some areas: those areas need repair; the rest may only need maintenance.
• Potholes, sinking and ponding: a sign of base problems in those spots.
• Widespread failure: time to compare repair against full replacement.

Why we price all three side by side

We walk the lot and mark where the pavement is only worn and where the base has failed. Then we price maintenance, repair and full replacement as separate options. You see what protecting the lot costs before you pay to rebuild it, and you can plan the bigger work for a future budget year if the pavement allows it.

How we help

We maintain, repair and build asphalt parking lots, drive aisles and driveways across Greater Los Angeles. Call (800) 606-3880 or request a bid, and we will walk your pavement with you.