Quotes for Driveway resealing Job

Robyn,

In the past year there have been at least two and maybe three threads about associations sealing their streets and doing it badly. The problem is usually that the contractor dumps this resealing garbage onto the road, spreads it out, and then leaves; homeowners then drive through the sticky goo not knowing it is not dry.

Most of the resealing crap that gets put down is essentially paint. It looks good for awhile but in the long run does little to protect the asphalt. I have never seen a city or county government use this junk but shopping center owners go for it because it's cheap.

Do some research. Ask your city or county what they do to keep the streets repaired. I notice that around here the city sprays hot tar into the cracks in the asphalt from time to time and this seems to extend the life of the pavement indefinitely. Complete repaving happens very infrequently and is often due to widening the road or replacing underground utilities. The street in front of my house was paved in 1974 and is need of neither sealing nor repaving.

BTW, I was advised by one contractor that putting asphalt sealer on concrete will destroy the concrete.

Since your driveway is not maintained by the county, it is likely that it was built to a much lower standard. Rather than waste money on cosmetic repairs, look into rebuilding the driveway to a higher standard.

Robyn:

Just a few questions. How old is the blacktop you plan to reseal? Is it in sound condition? Has it been resealed in the past? If so when? Is the vehicle traffic simply residential no trucks or heavy equipment?

IMO resealing the blacktop should not be mission impossible if you use a reputable contractor and have a plan in place as to how and when the job will be done. Do you have an MC? How many units do you have and what size area are we discussing?

Resealing can be done with bascially two different products oil based or latex sealer. We have used a latex sealer for many years doing the job every 4 years or so. Our contractor does seal any cracks before hand with a hot tar to prevent water from getting under the blacktop and causing damage. After more than 30 years for the most part our lots are in good condition.

As to issues with residents not staying off the freshly sealed lots that depends on 1) how the notification is handled 2) what type of residents reside in regards to how much they are willing to cooperate 3) the plan put together to make this as least disruptive as possible

IMO the sealer both adds to the appearance of the property and helps prolong the life of the blacktop. Perhaps that is why almost ever major commerical, private property owner and HOA/Condo in our area does such work.

I would suggest you ask perhaps your MC who they might use. Perhaps contact the local chapter of CAI and ask them for some suggestions.
We use a contracotr who does JUST sealing. In many cases you get contractors who do sealing as a side job to make money but either don't know what they are doing or don't have the proper equipment.

Comparison of cost should be simple. Have the lots measured out and ask for a per square foot price. Do you have lines or numbers to be redone?
Then make sure you understand if and how much that might cost in addition.

The cost of resealing versus upgrading the structure of grade of the blacktop as suggested is minimal. To reseal our entire property runs about $12,000 every 4 years = $3,000 per year.

For that amount of money you would get very little blacktop replaced. To replace the same blacktop would be 100s of thousands. Simple math.

IMO better to preserve what you have if possible rather than plan to cover the cost of replacement. IF the condition of your blacktop allows you to do so.

Good luck

Robyn,

I recommend this procedure for your re-paving/re-sealing job:

1. For what it's worth, check the BBB for asphalt companies in your area since you don't know where to begin or call the folks at asphaltpavement.org - Professional organizations can be helpful.

2. Call at least three different companies that specialize in asphalt, paving and repair - No all purpose contractors, use specialists (paving companies)

3. Get written bids from each company, but make sure they're bidding on the identical specifications. Otherwise, your "low bidder" might be proposing lesser-grade material, which lowers the cost of the job. Many "high priced" vendors simply use good products and lose bids to companies who slip this by HOA boards and property managers.

4. Get written bids along w/ any insurance and worker's comp proof your HOA needs.

5. It's important to meet any bidders and company representatives in person and to shake hands. Property managers, in my experience, will do well but the prices always seem higher than when a local resident meets the estimator.

6. Let the other companies know you're soliciting multiple bids. I even tell them their competitors and, after the bid is selected, will email the companies what the three or more bids were. This is helpful to the losing companies as well as the winner and shows transparency. (This is an option but bidders have told me "Your HOA/Property Manager has brought me out for bids, then never hires me. That's why I supply some facts - after the board makes its decision).

Good luck! It's not rocket science but will take a bit of effort to find the best job at a fair (not necessarily the lowest) price.