Driveway Paving in Beaumont, TX

Driveway paving in Beaumont is decided below the surface. The asphalt you drive on is a couple of inches thick. What keeps it flat is the compacted crushed stone under it and the way the whole thing drains. On the slow-draining clay common around Beaumont, a driveway with a thin base or no fall to the street turns soft after a week of storms, and then the ruts, cracks and potholes follow.

Signs it is time for a new driveway

• Cracking in a web pattern across the wheel paths
• Potholes that reopen after every patch
• Low spots that hold water for a day or more
• A sag where the driveway crosses the culvert
• Edges breaking off into the grass

A few small problems can be patched. Once they are everywhere, a new driveway is usually cheaper than repeated repairs.

The base we build

After tear-out, we test the subgrade. Wet or pumping clay is cut out and replaced with compacted crushed stone. The City of Beaumont's own detail for an asphalt approach uses 6 inches of compacted crushed limestone under 2 inches of compacted hot mix, and cost guides describe 2 to 3 inches of asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of base for homes, more for trucks and trailers. Your quote states the base depth and asphalt thickness for every area, so you can compare bids honestly.

Culverts and approaches

Many Beaumont homes have an open ditch at the street with a culvert under the driveway. The city requires a permit for construction in the right-of-way, and its survey crew sets the culvert grade and confirms the pipe size before the culvert is purchased or installed. Inspections are booked through 311 after the culvert is in and backfilled. City rules also cap residential driveway slope at 12 percent and require hard surfaces to stay at least 2 feet from interior property lines. We plan the approach to fit.

Grading permit on bigger jobs

If the work on your lot disturbs more than 450 square feet of ground, Beaumont requires a grading permit as well. Most full driveway replacements reach that size. We tell you at the estimate whether yours does.

After paving

Keep cars off for a couple of days and heavy vehicles off for longer, especially in summer. Do not turn the wheel while parked, and put a pad under jacks and kickstands. Seal the driveway after three to six months, then every few years.