Frequently asked
Nanaimo Paving FAQ
Nanaimo Paving lays, resurfaces and repairs asphalt driveways across the Regional District of Nanaimo, at $0.35 to $12.00 a square foot depending on the job. Below are the questions we get asked most, from what a driveway costs to whether you need a permit for one.
- How much does an asphalt driveway cost in Nanaimo?
- New hot-mix asphalt runs $5.00 to $9.50 a square foot in Nanaimo. On a two-car driveway of 400 to 600 square feet that works out to $2,000 to $5,700. Where your driveway lands in that range depends on the size, the access for our trucks, and how much prep and base work the ground needs.
- Do you need a permit for a driveway in Nanaimo?
- Inside the City of Nanaimo, yes. The permit costs $25, plus bonding, and the bonding amount is determined at time of application. The City's Development Engineering handles it. We put the paperwork together with you before we start, and the permits guide carries the City's own wording.
- What does a driveway access permit cost in Lantzville?
- $200.00. Lantzville is its own municipality and runs its own driveway access permit. You need a completed application form and a survey of where the driveway will go, and it goes in through Cloudpermit. We get yours together with you.
- Can you resurface a driveway instead of replacing it?
- Yes, as long as the asphalt underneath is still sound. We lay a new surface course straight over the old one, which runs $3.50 to $6.00 a square foot — $1,400 to $3,600 on a 400 to 600 square foot driveway. We look at the existing surface with you and tell you whether it will carry an overlay.
- What does it cost to pave over a gravel driveway?
- A gravel-to-asphalt conversion runs $6.50 to $12.00 a square foot, or $2,600 to $7,200 on a 400 to 600 square foot driveway. It costs more than a straight repave because we excavate the gravel, build and compact a proper base, and then pave over it.
- How much does it cost to fix a pothole or a broken edge?
- Patch and repair work runs $300 to $1,200, and a minimum call-out applies. Potholes, crumbling edges and settled sections all fall in that range. Send us a photo with your quote request and we can usually tell you which end of it you are looking at.
- What does sealcoating cost in Nanaimo?
- Sealcoating runs $0.35 to $0.75 a square foot, which is $200 to $450 on a 400 to 600 square foot driveway. We seal the surface and treat the cracks in the same visit.
- What areas does Nanaimo Paving serve?
- Nanaimo Paving serves the Regional District of Nanaimo, including Nanaimo, North Nanaimo, Lantzville, Cedar, Nanoose Bay, Departure Bay, Cassidy, and Gabriola Island.
- How soon will you get back to me?
- We reply to a quote request within 24 hours. After that we book a time to come out and measure the driveway, and your written price follows the visit.
- Do I need a permit for a driveway off a provincial highway?
- That turns on the road your driveway meets and who maintains it. Access off a provincial highway is the Province's to permit, and the Province publishes an exemption for a single family dwelling with conditions attached to it. Our permits guide sets out the Province's wording in full, alongside the City's $25 permit and Lantzville's $200.00 fee. We confirm which authority a driveway access falls under before we start.
- What changes the price of a driveway?
- The area we are paving moves it most. After that it is how much prep and base work the ground needs, whether an old surface has to come out first, and how the drainage runs. Prep and base work on its own is $1.50 to $3.50 a square foot. We price all of it from the driveway in front of us.
- Do you charge for a quote?
- No. Quotes are free. We come out to your property, measure the driveway, look at the ground and the access, and put the price in writing for you.
Want a price on paving in Nanaimo?
We come out and measure the driveway, then put one price in writing.