how long does an asphalt driveway last?

“Properly constructed” is a big factor here. Too often a driveway is the last thing on the list when constructing a new home. All to often if there have been overruns in construction costs the driveway will “pay the price”. As contractors it’s not unusual to hear a homebuilder say “we only have $XXX left for paving the drive. What can you do for that much?” Of course that amount is usually less than what is actually needed to do a proper job. Many times premature structural failures in driveways are caused by this scenario or in older homes perhaps the previous owner was only concerned about low price, not high quality, if they had the drive replaced. Unfortunately it’s often impossible to tell how well the driveway was constructed after the fact. One tip would be if a new home driveway was not guaranteed against any structural defects for at least 2 years, or if there are areas that look rough or that hold water. The second part of this is “properly maintained”. If asphalt pavements ...  more