Driveway Repair Costs By Type

Cost to Repair a Concrete Driveway

Tiny cracks can appear in even the best laid concrete driveways. Without proper maintenance, moisture collects and freezes there during the cold winter months. Freeze and thaw cycles widen them over time. Rubberized or synthetic crack fillers are the cheapest and easiest solution at $0.10 to $0.15 per linear foot. Sometimes cracks are a symptom of larger problems with your driveway or apron.

The cost of installing a new concrete driveway might be cheaper than fixing underlying problems. Hiring a professional to do this will be around $2.25 per square foot, or about $1,600 for 750 square feet.

Asphalt Driveway Repair Cost

Over time, asphalt will form fissures, often referred to as alligator or spider web cracks. These are cheap and easy to patch. You can do this yourself. Patch material and sealer will cost between $2 and $2.50 per square foot combined. You should be able to find an asphalt squeegee for somewhere between $25 and $60.

Potholes and sinkholes take more work to repair. They usually happen for three reasons.

1. Unattended alligator cracks
2. Poorly-constructed foundation
3. Erosion of the base over time due to improper drainage design.

Consult with a professional to determine the cause and how expensive repairing your driveway will be versus replacing it. If you hire someone, plan to spend between $1,000 and $3,000.

Brick Driveway Repair Costs

Brick driveway repairs generally require replacement of the damaged bricks. Individual bricks can be found for anywhere from $0.35 to $0.75, while sand is between $20 and $30 per 50 pound bag. It's a beautiful and decorative material, but it takes its share of abuse over time. Tree limbs fall and fracture it. Roots grow up underneath and push it upward. Sand layers underneath erode and pull it down. Sometimes the person installing it does a poor job. You can level sunken areas by temporarily removing the affected bricks and adding sand underneath until the ground is even again.

Damages caused by a tree's root system is common. Budget about $650 for tree removal, and $600 to $850 for the brickwork. This damage can be rectified two ways:

1. Building the driveway up to accommodate a tree's growth.
2. Remove the tree and fix or replace the affected section.

You should speak with a professional to see what the best option is. For more information, review our brick repair cost guide.

Cobblestone Drivways

Sand costs between $20 and $30 for a 50 pound bag, while cobblestone pavers cost anywhere between $10 and $70 per square foot. How much you spend depends on the number of stones and the amount of gravel and sand needed. Sunken areas usually happen when something is wrong with the underlayment. Fixing underlayment comes with a similar cost to repairing sunken or damaged cobblestones.

Cobblestone can be expensive to install, but it might be the easiest type to improve and maintain. Issues arise after frigid weather or unusually heavy use. If there are just a few broken stones, pry them up using a screwdriver. Add sand or gravel if the ground underneath is not level. Put the new stone in place, make sure it is level with the other stones, then sweep sand into the cracks around it.

Gravel & Dirt

Repairing gravel driveways can be done by homeowners for only the price of the new gravel, which costs about $40 to $45 per ton. This price can vary drastically depending on the type of material, quality, and quantity purchased.

While dirt, sand, clay, and gravel driveways are the cheapest to install, they require maintenance and can incur damages during storms. Potholes commonly occur when water gets trapped under the surface. Ensuring that proper drainage measures are taken prior to installation of the top layer can reduce the need for future repairs. If potholes do occur, the process of fix them involves cleaning out the debris from the hole, and refilling and compacting new dirt or gravel.

Hiring a professional to evaluate the area for improvements that could be made to minimize the occurrence of potholes can save in future costs and labor. Adding driveway edging, for example, can help keep landscaping water from running down and pooling in the drive.

Heated

Heated driveways are convenient for homeowners during the cold winter months. They are also helpful in keeping certain types of maintenance expenses down. Correcting problems takes time and money, though. Replacement costs range between $2,000 and $25,000. This depends on the specific problem and what material you install on top of the heating system. Consulting with a professional is a starting point. Plan to replace large sections, because reaching the right spot will mean tearing up the driveway and driveway apron.

Costs to Fix Common Issues

Spalling/Scaling

The averages cost for concrete work is $3 to $5 per square foot. The cost estimate for brickwork ranges between $0.35 and $0.75 per brick.

Spalling (or scaling) happens in colder climates for two reasons - freeze/thaw cycles and deicing chemicals. Fixing concrete spalling is simple. Cover the problem area with a polymer-modified cementitious overlay. Once it cures, add a layer of waterproof sealer. For brick, replace the affected bricks and apply water seal.

Settling/Sinking/Buckling

The average cost to repair driveway settling, sinking or bucking is $3 to $5 per square foot. Some settling is bound to occur as the ground compacts underneath the weight of your driveway. How much it settles depends on the composition of the soil. Other issues responsible for sinking or buckling include erosion and tree roots rotting. If parts have settled more than a few inches, repairs will be necessary. You can repair this in one of two ways. The first is by lifting the slab and shoveling gravel underneath. The second is by drilling holes into the driveway, pumping concrete in until it levels out, and filling in the holes.

If possible, you should hire a professional to correct this issue. They have the necessary equipment and the expertise to ensure it is done the right way.

Cracks

Expect to spend $10 to $15 per bottle for crack-repair filler. Just like spalling, concrete and alligator cracks happen in colder climates during the winter months. Smaller ones are easily fixed with crack filling materials.

Potholes

Fixing potholes averages $2 to $4 per square foot. These are usually a sign of ongoing issues with an asphalt driveway. Repair smaller potholes with aggregate and asphalt patching.

Fading Color

Expect to pay $10 to $15 per bottle of crack filling material. While fading color is a common issue as driveways age, it does not mean something is wrong. Set a maintenance schedule, include filling in cracks and resealing every few years to give it a longer life.

Crumbling

Fixing a crumbling driveway will cost between $0.35 to $0.75 per brick or $3 to $5 per square foot of concrete or asphalt.

This happens on the edges of an asphalt driveway, often near the apron, or the area connecting the public street to your driveway, where the top layer is too thin. It looks ugly, but the main portions of your driveway are fine. Remedy this with an edging of brick, concrete, or other materials.

Factors Affecting Price

Size

The length and width of your drive is a huge variable. If the damage is extensive, replace it. Repaving is more expensive because of materials and labor. If smaller spots need repair, then you pay less to fill in the cracks or repave that section.

Driveway Landscape

If the driveway is a short and flat expanse of asphalt, restoration is simple. If it is long, curving, or hilly, expect a mark-up. Depending on the difficulty involved, a professional may charge more. Figure on spending more if the lawn or gardens surrounding pavement require clean up.

Repeat damage could be the result of an improper drainage design. If the land on other side is not properly graded, water collects in some spots. In that situation, you need to determine the best way to drain it. Removing standing water costs most homeowners around $3,000.

Extent of Damage

A few small cracks and limited patching takes less time and effort than work on a more extensive area. It's a good rule of thumb that if more than 25 percent of your driveway needs to be repaired or patched, repaving and replacing, or resurfacing, is a better idea.

Sealing a Driveway

Sometimes your driveway only needs to be resealed. This can rejuvenate the look and help protect it for years to come. If you have a cement or asphalt driveway, resealing can repair small cracks and chips by itself. Figure out the square footage, then plan to spend between $0.10 and $0.16 per square foot. Professionals will likely charge between $85 and $100 per 1000 square feet.

Repair or Replace?

While deciding whether to repair or replace your drive, there are a few things you need to take into consideration. In no particular order, they are:

• Age: With asphalt and concrete, the average life is between fifteen and twenty years. If you know your is in this age range or older, you should consider replacing the entire driveway.
• Size and number of cracks and holes: If they are large, or appear to run deep, there are likely other problems that should be addressed. The same holds true for potholes.
• Drainage problems: If you notice water standing in spots, something might be wrong with the drainage design.
• Not Keeping to a Maintenance Schedule: Setting up a maintenance schedule is a must. Asphalt and concrete need to be resealed every few years to help prevent cracking.

Another option would be to resurface it. This involves scraping off the damaged layers of asphalt or concrete and replacing with a new top surface. This is an option for homeowners with a damaged driveway that’s beyond simple repairs but want to save money on a full replacement. Resurfacing, on average, will run you between $1 and $3 per square foot. This is a task best left to concrete professionals.