Asphalt Paving in Raytown, MO

Asphalt Paving in Raytown is mostly about homes that have had the same owners for a long time. The Census reports that 92.7 percent of residents were living in the same house a year earlier, the highest share among the cities we serve, and 18.9 percent of residents are 65 or older. In practice, that means many Raytown driveways have never been fully rebuilt, only patched and sealed as problems came up.

Raytown roughly doubled during the 1960s, from 17,083 residents in 1960 to 33,632 in 1970, and has held near 30,000 ever since. Much of the housing stock comes from that period. A driveway laid down in that decade and kept going with overlays may now be several layers thick at the garage and sunken in the middle, with edges crumbling into the lawn.

Our approach to an older Raytown drive

We do not assume replacement. Here is how we usually work through it:

• Measure the layers. Too many overlays can raise the drive above the garage slab or the sidewalk. Sometimes the right fix is milling down before resurfacing.
• Find the soft spots. Areas that flex under a truck tire point to base failure. Those sections get dug out and rebuilt even if the rest is overlaid.
• Fix the edges. Crumbling edges let water under the drive. A new edge with proper support stops that.
• Check the slope. Water should run off the drive and away from the house, not toward the garage door.

Life on the Blue Ridge

The pioneers who settled here found wooded ridges that reminded them of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Big Blue and Little Blue rivers border the area. The city sits at about 1,014 feet. On ridge and slope lots, the uphill side of a driveway often catches runoff that soaks under the asphalt, while the downhill end can wash out. Regional upland soils of the loess type the USDA calls Sharpsburg carry 33 to 42 percent clay in the upper subsoil, and clay that stays wet loses its strength. Good grading and edge drainage matter more on these lots than any choice of sealer.

Small city, compact lots

Raytown covers just 9.93 square miles of land, bordered by Kansas City. Lots and driveways tend to be modest in size, and many sit close to the street. That keeps projects manageable, but it also means less room for staging equipment and stockpiling material. We plan deliveries and trucks so the street stays passable and neighbors are not boxed in.

Seasonal care

The Kansas City area averages freezing temperatures from late October to early April. In Raytown we recommend:

• Hot crack sealing in early fall
• Sealcoating in warm, dry weather on a regular cycle
• Patching potholes as soon as they open, before winter widens them

Businesses along the main roads

Raytown Road traces back to an 1860 petition for a better road linking southern Jackson County with Independence. Today shops, churches and offices along the city's main streets have lots that need resurfacing, patching, sealcoating and restriping. When we restripe, accessible spaces and access aisles follow the 2010 ADA Standards.

Request an estimate

Call (816) 307-2608 and we will come out, measure, explain whether an overlay or a rebuild makes more sense for your drive, and put it in a written quote.

Get a Free Estimate