What's under a Edwardsville driveway
Freeze-thaw winters and hot, humid summers are hard on asphalt across the St. Louis region. The clay-heavy soils common here drain slowly, so water that gets under a driveway stays there, freezes and lifts the surface. We grade for runoff first, remove soft soil and compact rock in layers before any asphalt goes down.
Bids are only comparable when they spell out the same things: base depth, compacted thickness, how edges are finished, and where water is meant to go. Ask for those before you pick a number.
Compacted asphaltTypically 2 to 3 in. for a car drive
Stone baseTypically 4 to 8 in., compacted
Drive on itUsually 2 to 3 days, longer in heat
First sealcoatTypically 6 to 12 months after paving
Typical ranges. Your Edwardsville estimate is sized to the soil, the traffic and the drainage on your property.