Asphalt Driveway Paving in Ontario, CA

Asphalt driveway paving is mostly about what sits under the surface. The black layer you drive on is only a few inches thick. Beneath it is a compacted aggregate base, and beneath that is the native soil. When an Ontario driveway ruts where the truck parks, cracks into a pattern like alligator skin or crumbles along the planter, the cause is nearly always a thin base, loose subgrade or water that has nowhere to go. A new driveway fixes those causes first and then puts down fresh hot-mix asphalt.

Signs it is time to replace

• Cracks that join up into a web or block pattern
• Ruts or dips where tires and trailer jacks sit
• Gray, rough asphalt shedding loose stones
• Edges breaking away into the yard or planter
• More patch than original surface

A few separate cracks can be sealed and a small failed area can be patched. When damage covers much of the driveway, replacement usually costs less over time than repeated repairs.

Sandy ground and the base

Ontario sits on alluvial sand and rock carried down from the San Gabriel Mountains, and parts of the area lie on the fine, windblown Delhi sand. These soils drain quickly, which helps, but loose sand moves under load if it is not compacted and confined. We dig out loose or contaminated material, add crushed aggregate base, and compact it in lifts. HomeGuide describes the usual residential build as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel; for driveways that carry work trucks, boats or RVs, the guide calls for 3 to 4 inches of asphalt over 8 to 10 inches of base. Your quote states both numbers.

Heat and the first summer

New asphalt stays soft longer in Inland Empire heat. For the first several weeks, avoid turning the steering wheel while parked, vary where you park, and put a board under motorcycle stands and trailer jacks. Sealcoating waits until the surface has cured, which HomeGuide puts at 3 to 6 months. After that, a sealcoat every few years slows the sun damage that turns asphalt gray and brittle.

The garage slab and the street

Two joints decide how a driveway looks and drains: the joint at the garage slab and the joint at the curb. At the garage we taper the asphalt so it meets the concrete cleanly. At the street, most homes in Ontario have a concrete approach in the public right-of-way. If your plans include widening the drive or moving the curb cut, that is city-controlled work, so we check the City of Ontario's current permit requirements before scheduling it.

Gravel-to-asphalt conversions

Some older lots and properties in the former agricultural areas of south Ontario and the Chino basin still have gravel or dirt drives. Converting one means grading, adding and compacting base, and setting the slope so rain runs to the street or a landscaped area instead of the house. We also set edges so the asphalt does not crumble where it meets soil.