Asphalt Paving in Peoria, AZ

Asphalt paving in Peoria, Arizona is a different job than paving in most of the country. Peoria's average July high is 104 degrees, its record is 122, and the Phoenix area averages 111 days a year at 100 degrees or more. Freeze damage is rarely the problem. The sun is. As paving contractors serving Peoria and the West Valley, we build and maintain driveways, HOA streets and parking lots to handle that heat, plus the summer storms that dump most of the year's rain in a few weeks.

What the sun does to asphalt

Asphalt is crushed rock held together by a dark petroleum binder. Under strong ultraviolet light and heat, that binder oxidizes and hardens. The surface fades from black to gray, small stones start to come loose, and fine cracks open. The EPA cites an Arizona study in which conventional pavement reached surface temperatures of up to 152 degrees at mid-day. At those temperatures, fresh asphalt can also scuff and rut under heavy, slow-moving or turning vehicles. The fixes are a good mix placed at the right thickness, a firm base, and a sealcoat schedule that keeps the binder protected.

Monsoon water

Peoria averages about 9 inches of rain a year, and July through September are among the wettest months. Monsoon storms are short and intense, and water runs fast across hard desert ground and pavement. If it finds an open crack, it goes straight to the base. If the driveway slopes the wrong way, it ends up against the garage door. We shape every surface to carry water to the street, a wash or a landscaped retention area, and we seal cracks before monsoon season.

Caliche and desert soils

Many West Valley lots have caliche, a layer of soil cemented by calcium carbonate. Caliche can be as hard as rock to dig through, and a solid caliche layer can block water from draining downward, so water that gets under pavement may sit on top of it. We dig test holes when needed, cut through or remove caliche where it gets in the way of grading, and build a compacted aggregate base above it.

Thickness and base

HomeGuide describes a typical residential driveway as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel base, 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches for heavier vehicles, and 4 inches or more for commercial lots. We set the section to how the surface is used and put both depths in writing.

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HOAs and retirement communities

Much of Peoria and its neighbors are planned communities with homeowners' associations, and retirement communities like Sun City and Sun City West sit right next door. Many HOAs require approval before driveway work and have rules about materials and colors. We provide the scope and specs your HOA asks for, and for association-maintained streets and lots, we phase work so residents keep access.

Working in the heat

In summer, we start at first light and finish paving before the hottest part of the day, so the crew is safe and the asphalt is rolled at the right temperature. Fresh asphalt stays soft longer in this heat; we tell you how long to keep cars off it. Sealcoat needs air temperatures roughly between 50 and 95 degrees, so most sealing happens in the cooler months or early on summer mornings.

A word about "leftover asphalt"

Searches for "$99 paving specials" turn up in this area, and door-to-door crews offering cheap leftover asphalt are a known scam. A real paving job needs a site visit, base preparation and a written price. Be wary of anyone who shows up unannounced and wants to start the same day.

Peoria is home base, including the newer communities up toward Lake Pleasant and the Loop 303 corridor. We also work in Glendale, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, El Mirage and Youngtown to the west and south; Goodyear, Avondale, Litchfield Park, Tolleson and Buckeye in the southwest Valley; Waddell and Wittmann to the northwest; and New River, Anthem, Cave Creek and north Phoenix to the northeast. Retirement communities, new master-planned subdivisions, older farm-town neighborhoods and desert-foothill lots each need something different, and city, county and HOA rules vary. The town pages cover each area.