Upgrading to an asphalt driveway offers your home an attractive first impression that can immediately add value to your curb appeal. While having one installed is a significant investment, the value and aesthetics brought to your property are well worth it. With the increased home value and our flexible financing options, there’s never been a better time to install a new driveway than now.
Still, you’re on this page because you want a concrete answer on how much it costs for installation. The cost for an asphalt driveway in Minneapolis is $2.90 - $7.50 per square foot. The first thing you might notice about that price is how wide that range seems. This range is due to a number of factors that come into play to determine the final cost, which we discuss below.
If you’re less concerned with what goes into the costs and just want a solid estimate to work with right away, we provide free estimates that you can set up by giving us a call at 763-389-5267. For those curious about what goes into that cost range, let’s take a look.
As with any construction job, a portion of the total cost comes from a handful of expenses that are required to get our crew and equipment out to the worksite. This includes things like mobilizing said crew, transporting equipment, pulling permits when necessary, and insurance requirements.
When it comes to variable costs, the size of your driveway is particularly weighty as far as your final bill is concerned. This variability is similar to other construction work - the bigger the space, the more expensive the overall while lowering the cost per square foot. This lower cost per square foot is thanks to fixed costs being applied to a larger space.
The condition of your current asphalt driveway plays a large role in figuring the installation cost. Much of this role will also be due to the underlying base beneath your visible driveway.
There are a few important factors worth noting when it comes to that base. For example, clay soil does not drain well, and that alone can lead to a number of issues. Waterlogged base materials can be damaged under the weight of vehicles and become a huge problem during freeze and thaw cycles. The expanding and contracting of the base material can cause the asphalt to shift. When asphalt shifts, it can lead to cracking and buckling.
Foreston
Maple Grove
Maple Lake
Milaca
Monticello
Mora
Nowthen
Oak Park
In some cases, your entire driveway may need to be fully replaced. This is generally the case if there are major issues with the driveway’s base, its grading, or if there are severe problems with drainage. Signs that this might be what you’re looking at include multiple potholes, “alligator” cracking, and the formation of large puddles. Usually, these larger problems are caused by poor soil conditions or a poor initial installation.
Most full replacements go through a handful of steps. We start by removing the old asphalt and base. We then fix any grading issues (problems with the sloping) and add new class-7 aggregate base material. If your soil conditions are problematic, we add geotextile fabric to help with stability. Finally, we lay and compact the asphalt. As you’ve likely guessed, a full replacement is the most expensive option for asphalt driveway installation.
A partial replacement of your asphalt driveway may be necessary if you have minor issues with the base or elevation and the problems can’t be solved with just an asphalt overlay.
With partial replacements, we remove the existing asphalt, repair the problems with the base and recompact the aggregate. We then lay and compact new asphalt. This service is usually around the middle of the per-square-foot price range.
For driveways with a base still in good condition, an asphalt overlay is an affordable option for maintenance and prolonging the life of the driveway. If your driveway only has small cracks, slight depressions, or is kicking up dust or gravel, this is likely the fix for you.
Installing an asphalt overlay on your driveway might require some milling of the contacting concrete. This is typically around driveway aprons, sidewalks, and garage entries. This milling, sometimes called grinding, is done to match elevations between the different materials to make as smooth a transition as possible. After this, hot asphalt is laid and compacted for a new-driveway.
While we tried to touch on as many factors as possible that go into paving a driveway, we understand that you may still have questions or concerns. If so, please feel free to call anytime and ask away. We’ll be glad to address anything you’re curious about.
