Frequently Asked Questions

For a standard driveway, HomeGuide quotes roughly $5 to $12 a square foot installed; Angi's 2026 numbers run $7 to $15. Commercial lots come in lower per foot: HomeAdvisor shows $2 to $4.50. Tear-out, base work, slope and access move the number; your written estimate sets the price.

A driveway 200 feet long and 10 to 12 feet wide is about 2,000 to 2,400 square feet. At HomeGuide's $5 to $12 per square foot, that works out to roughly $10,000 to $28,800 before any unusual grading, drainage work or a culvert. Long rural drives often need more base, which is why we measure and probe before pricing.

HomeGuide lists a 500-square-foot asphalt driveway at about $2,500 to $6,000 installed. It also notes that some contractors have a minimum charge of $2,000 or more, so small jobs cost more per square foot.

According to the city, the driveway and parking space themselves do not need a permit, but they must follow the Zoning and Development Code. The approach between the curb and your property line is the part that gets permitted and inspected. We tell you at the estimate whether your job reaches the approach.

Freeze-thaw cycles and water. Freezing nights here typically run from about Halloween into early April, and the area's clay-rich soils stay wet. Water that gets through cracks into the base freezes, expands and breaks the surface from below. Sealing cracks before winter and fixing drainage slow that down.

HomeGuide puts asphalt driveways at roughly 15 to 30 years. Base quality, drainage, thickness, traffic and maintenance decide where yours falls. Crack sealing and periodic sealcoating once the surface has cured help it reach the long end.

Sometimes. If the existing asphalt still carries weight without flexing and the damage is only skin deep, an overlay is an option. If the base has failed, cracks are deep and widespread, or the driveway drains toward the house, an overlay will copy the old problems, and removal and a new base make more sense.

HomeGuide suggests 2 to 3 inches of asphalt on a 6 to 8 inch stone base for typical homes, stepping up to 3 to 4 inches on 8 to 10 inches where heavy vehicles park. On soft clay we may recommend more base, and the quote states the depths.

Both work here. Asphalt usually costs less up front, flexes a little with the ground and can be patched and sealed, but it needs periodic maintenance. Concrete runs higher in price and often outlives asphalt, though ground movement shows up as obvious cracks. Many homes pair a concrete approach with an asphalt driveway.

Plan on roughly three days, more during a heat wave. For the next few weeks, vary where you park, steer gently and keep heavy point loads off while it hardens.

Sometimes, if ground and air temperatures allow the mix to stay hot long enough to compact. Kansas City's freeze window averages late October to early April, so late-season jobs are planned around the forecast. HomeGuide notes winter scheduling can bring 10 to 15 percent savings, but conditions come first.

HomeAdvisor puts new asphalt lots near $2 to $4.50 a square foot, which works out to about $400 to $1,130 for each stall. Its examples run about $10,000 for a 10-space lot and $75,000 for 100 spaces. Base condition, drainage and layout move the price.

HomeAdvisor lists asphalt lots at about 20 to 30 years and suggests planning to repave every 15 to 20 years. Crack sealing, sealcoating and prompt patching are what keep a lot from reaching full replacement early.

In most cases, yes. We divide the lot into sections, keep at least one entrance and some parking open, and schedule the noisiest work for slower hours or days.

If most of the lot is sound and the damage is on the surface, repairs plus an overlay usually make sense. If cracking is widespread and the base is soft in many places, an overlay will crack again quickly, and rebuilding those areas is the better spend.

Published guides range from every 2 to 3 years to every 10, depending on product, climate and traffic. Many home driveways do well on a few-year cycle; resealing too often can build up a layer that cracks and peels.

HomeGuide puts the wait at three to six months. Fresh asphalt is still releasing light oils, and a coat on top too soon holds them in.

Usually 1 to 3 hours before walking on it and 12 to 72 hours before driving, according to HomeGuide. Shade and muggy weather slow it down; we let you know when to open it back up.

No. Sealer is a thin coat and will not hold in an open crack. Cracks get their own material beforehand, and the coat goes over them.

HomeGuide lists pothole repair at about $100 to $400 depending on size, depth and method, and notes many companies have a minimum charge of $100 to $250. Several potholes fixed in one visit usually cost less per hole.

Temporary cold patch can be placed in winter to fill a hole and keep it from growing. Permanent hot-mix repairs are done when temperatures allow, typically spring through fall in Kansas City.

Usually because the base under that spot is soft or wet. Until the soft material is removed and the drainage is fixed, a surface patch will keep failing.

Not right away; fresh mix is blacker than weathered pavement. Sealcoating the whole surface after repairs evens out the color.

SealMaster's figure is about 35 cents to $1 per foot of crack; Angi shows $1 to $3 per foot for filling, or $100 to $400 for a typical driveway. Small jobs are often priced at a minimum charge.

Late summer and fall, before the freeze season starts, so water cannot get into the base over winter. Spring works too once the pavement is dry.

No. Single cracks and long cracks seal well. A pattern like reptile skin points to a base that has given way, and that section has to be removed and patched.

Yes. Sealcoat is too thin to fill cracks. Cracks are sealed first, then the surface is coated.

HomeGuide lists about $4 to $5 per standard stall, $25 to $40 per accessible stall, and $500 to $1,200 for a 30 to 50 stall lot, plus a mobilization fee of $150 to $350. New layouts cost more than restriping.

Yes. Per the Department of Justice, repainting a lot's lines brings in the 2010 ADA Standards: the right count of accessible stalls, van-accessible spaces and access aisles.

Under the 2010 Standards table, 1 to 25 spaces need 1 accessible space, 26 to 50 need 2, 51 to 75 need 3 and 76 to 100 need 4, with at least one van-accessible space. Count each parking facility separately.

HomeGuide says striping usually lasts 2 to 5 years. Busy lots, snowplow wear and sealcoating schedules often set the timing; restriping right after sealcoating is common.