Asphalt Paving in Denver, CO
Asphalt Denver lays hot-mix asphalt across Denver and the surrounding metro area: residential driveways, commercial parking lots, private roads and apron work. Every job starts underneath, with subgrade prep and base compaction, because that is what decides whether the surface lasts fifteen years or five. Free written estimate after we look at the site.
- Free written estimates
- Licensed and insured crews
- Hot-mix asphalt, compacted right
- Clean job sites
Asphalt paving is the whole build: strip or grind off what is there, shape and compact the subgrade, lay and roll an aggregate base, then place hot-mix asphalt in lifts and compact it while it still holds heat. Asphalt Denver does that work for homeowners, HOA boards and property managers across Denver and the surrounding metro area.
New pavement in Denver lives or dies on two things, drainage and compaction. Water that sits on a surface, or worse, under it, finds the freeze-thaw cycle and takes the pavement apart from the bottom up. We grade so water leaves the site, and we compact the base to spec before a single ton of mix goes down.
If the base underneath is still sound and only the top has gone, you probably want a mill and overlay rather than a full-depth replacement. We will tell you which one the site actually needs, and price both when it is a close call.
What the work covers
- Full-depth asphalt paving over a new compacted aggregate base
- Mill and overlay where the existing base is still sound
- Subgrade repair, moisture conditioning and proof rolling on soft areas
- Grading and drainage work so water runs off instead of ponding
- Tack coat between lifts and against existing pavement and concrete
- Hot-mix asphalt from Front Range plants, placed and rolled hot
- Transitions to concrete pans, gutters, aprons and garage slabs
- Striping and sealcoat scheduled for later, once the mix has cured
When you need it
- Alligator cracking across a large share of the surface, which means the base has failed
- Water ponding for hours after a storm or after snowmelt
- Potholes that keep coming back in the same spot after patching
- A gravel drive you are tired of regrading every spring
- Pavement over twenty years old with no maintenance history behind it
- A new build, addition or lot expansion that needs a surface from scratch
How the job is done
- 01
Site visit and measure
We walk the area, check the grade and where water goes, and probe or core where the base is in question. You get a written estimate with the scope, depth and square footage spelled out.
- 02
Demolition or milling
Old asphalt comes out full depth, or we mill the top two inches off if the base is staying. Spoil is hauled away and the millings go back for recycling.
- 03
Subgrade and base
We shape the subgrade to the finished grade, cut out and replace soft spots, then lay and compact aggregate base in lifts, checking density as we go.
- 04
Paving
Tack coat goes on every vertical edge and existing surface. Hot-mix is placed with a paver at a set depth and rolled while it still holds heat, so the mat reaches density before it cools.
- 05
Cure and finish
Keep vehicles off for the first day or two, and avoid turning wheels in place for the first few weeks. Striping and the first sealcoat come later, after the mix has cured.
Asphalt Paving in Denver
Denver pavement takes a beating that coastal cities never see. Sun at 5,280 feet is harder on the binder, so an unmaintained surface goes grey and brittle faster than it would at sea level. Then the temperature crosses back and forth over freezing, night after night, from October into April, and any water sitting in a crack expands as it freezes and levers that crack wider. Summer hail bruises the surface on top of all that.
Under the pavement, much of the metro sits on claystone and swelling clay. The Colorado Geological Survey calls expansive soil the most damaging geologic hazard in the state, and it moves with moisture. That is why we spend your money on the subgrade and the drainage rather than on a thicker top mat. If water can get under an asphalt surface in Denver, no amount of thickness saves it.
What it costs
Cost tracks square footage, depth and how much has to come out first. As of 2026, HomeGuide puts installed hot-mix at $5 to $12 per square foot for driveways, with a 20 by 20 driveway around $2,000 to $4,800, and $3 to $7 per square foot for large lots because mobilization spreads further. Removing an old surface adds roughly $1 to $3 per square foot. Those are national figures, not a Denver quote. Ours is free and in writing.
Why work with us
- Free written estimates with the depth, square footage and scope on the page
- Licensed and insured crews
- Hot-mix delivered from local Front Range plants and rolled while it is hot
- Straight answers on repair versus replace, including when you do not need us yet
- Sites swept and cleared before we leave
Related services
Areas we cover for asphalt paving
Not listed? We cover Denver and the surrounding metro area. See every area we work in.
Asphalt Paving questions
What is the difference between asphalt and blacktop?
Nothing you need to worry about when you are buying a driveway. Both are stone aggregate bound with asphalt cement. The trade says "hot-mix asphalt" for the plant-produced material we place, and "blacktop" is the everyday word for the same surface. Ask about the mix and the lift depth instead.
How much does it cost to pave 2,000 square feet?
At the national installed ranges published for 2026, $5 to $12 per square foot for a driveway or $3 to $7 for a large lot, a 2,000 square foot area lands somewhere between $6,000 and $24,000. The spread is real. Depth, base work and demolition move it. A site visit narrows it quickly.
How long does new asphalt take to cure?
It is hard enough to drive on within about 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature and depth. Full cure takes months. For the first few weeks, avoid parking in one spot for days at a time, turning your wheels while stationary, and setting trailer jacks or kickstands down on it.
When is paving season in Denver?
Hot-mix needs warm ground and warm air to compact properly, so the season runs roughly April through October along the Front Range. Late-season work is possible on mild days with a short haul from the plant. We will not place mix in conditions where the mat cannot reach density.
How thick should the asphalt be?
Residential driveways usually get two to three inches of compacted asphalt over four to six inches of base. Parking lots and anything that takes delivery trucks or trash trucks want four inches or more, often in two lifts. The subgrade and the traffic decide it, not a price list.
Do I need a permit to pave a driveway in Denver?
Work entirely on your own property generally does not. The apron and curb cut do. Denver requires a permit from its Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to build, rebuild or repair driveways, curb cuts, curbs and gutters in the public right-of-way, and that work must be done by a licensed contractor. Other metro cities set their own rules.
Get a free asphalt paving estimate
Tell us about the pavement and we will come back with a free written estimate.