Paving services · Nanaimo
Asphalt Overlay & Resurfacing in Nanaimo
A new surface course laid over asphalt that is still sound underneath.
Nanaimo Paving resurfaces asphalt driveways in Nanaimo, Lantzville and Nanoose Bay by laying a new surface course over the old one. It runs $1,400 to $3,600 on a 400 to 600 square foot driveway. We check the surface underneath with you first, because an overlay only works where the asphalt below it is still sound.
An overlay is $3.50 to $6.00 a square foot, and cutting out the spots that will not carry a new layer is part of that rate.
What an overlay actually is
An overlay is a new layer of hot-mix asphalt laid straight over your existing driveway. The old surface stays where it is and becomes the base for the new one. That is why it costs less than a rebuild: there is no excavation and nothing to haul away.
When your driveway can take one
An overlay works when the asphalt underneath is still holding together and the ground below it has not moved. Surface cracking, fading and worn patches are all fine. What rules it out is a surface that has broken through its full depth, or a section that has sunk, because the new layer would follow the same failure. We look at yours and tell you which one you have.
What we do before the new layer goes down
We clean the surface, cut out and repair any spots that will not carry a new layer, and set the edges and any drains to the new height. Then the surface course goes down and gets compacted.
How a resurface goes
- 1
We check what is underneath — we look at the existing asphalt with you and confirm it will carry an overlay.
- 2
We quote it in writing — one price, after the site visit, covering the prep as well as the paving.
- 3
We prepare the old surface — we clean it, cut out and repair the spots that will not hold, and set the levels at the edges.
- 4
We lay and compact the new course — hot-mix asphalt goes over the top and is compacted, and we clear the site before we leave.
What does the ground around Nanaimo change?
A lot of the driveways we resurface around Departure Bay and North Nanaimo were laid decades ago and are simply worn rather than broken. Further out, in Cedar and Nanoose Bay, longer approaches sometimes need a section rebuilt before the rest of the surface can take an overlay.
What does a typical job look like?
- The problem
- A driveway in Departure Bay has gone grey and is showing fine cracks all over the surface.
- What makes it harder
- Two patches near the road have started to break up, so a new layer over the top would not hold there.
- What we do
- We cut out those two patches and rebuild them, then lay a new surface course across the whole driveway.
People also ask
How much does resurfacing a driveway cost?
$3.50 to $6.00 a square foot. Over 400 to 600 square feet that is $1,400 to $3,600.
Is an overlay cheaper than a new driveway?
Yes. New hot-mix is $5.00 to $9.50 a square foot because it includes excavation and a new base; an overlay skips both.
Will the cracks come back through?
Not from ordinary surface cracking. We cut out and rebuild anything that has broken through its full depth before the new course goes on.
Does resurfacing raise the driveway height?
Yes, by the depth of the new course. We set the edges and any drains to the new level as part of the job.
For the related work, see new asphalt driveways and sealcoating, or compare typical prices in the paving cost guide. See also Nanoose Bay and Lantzville.
Paving in nearby communities
Want a price on paving in Nanaimo?
We come out and measure the driveway, then put one price in writing.