DIY Crushed Asphalt Driveway – Our 200′ Drive for $2000
Driveway paving can be an expensive undertaking, especially if you working with more than a short residential driveway. While the average new driveway costs around $5000, long driveways can easily clock in at over $20K. Fortunately, if you’re looking to save a little money (or, many thousands of dollars, in our case), creating a DIY crushed asphalt driveway can be an effective option.
If you’re looking to pave your own driveway to save some cash, you may not have considered the option of crushed asphalt. Crushed asphalt – or asphalt millings – holds up for a long time and provides a much more cost-effective solution than pavement. And depending on your driveway, you don’t need a ridiculous amount of equipment to install one yourself. We did it with just a tractor and a few loads of materials from a local company.
For these reasons and more, we found crushed asphalt to be the best option for our long, 200′ driveway. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through each of the steps we took to get the job done.
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How We Made our DIY Crushed Asphalt Driveway for $2K
When we moved out to a rural area and bought our home as a foreclosure, we knew the driveway was one of the very first things that would need attention. The existing driveway was essentially a 200′ stretch of sunken puddles mixed with some dirt.
And while curb appeal counts for something, the old driveway was not just ugly, but also quite difficult to navigate, especially in wet seasons. Had we left it as is, it would have led to quite a bit of wear and tear on our vehicles, and lots of mud. It also would have continued to get worse over time, since it didn’t have good drainage and was full of large puddles and pot holes.
Since our new home had a lot of work that needed to be done both inside and out, and we were on a fairly tight budget, creating a quality driveway quickly became another DIY project on our list.
Fortunately, with a few days of work, a borrowed tractor, and just over $2K worth of crushed asphalt and crushed concrete, we were able to get a beautiful driveway. It’s held up exceptionally well for the last 5 years under the weight of vehicles and heavy loads, rain, and snow, with no ongoing maintenance.
How Much Can You Save By DIYing Your Driveway?
Our entire driveway is a little over 200′ long, with a total area of approximately 4400 square feet.
If we had opted to have a paved asphalt driveway installed, it would have cost around $10 per square foot (according to Angi’s List and Asphalt Industrial), for a total cost of about $44,000.
And even if we would have hired out the job with asphalt millings (sometimes referred to as recycled asphalt), it would have cost between $3-$8 per square foot. Even at $3, the total would have been over $13,000.
By choosing asphalt millings and doing it ourselves, we saved over $40,000. All it cost us was few days to the job, some diesel, and $2K worth of materials. (Note: We did this project in 2019. Pricing has likely increased some since then, and may also be different in different areas.)
We were thankful to be able to borrow a tractor with a box blade, but even if you had to rent a tractor or a Bobcat, you could still save thousands by “paving” your own driveway with recycled asphalt.
Why Use Crushed Asphalt?
We chose to use crushed asphalt over a gravel driveway or concrete driveway for a few reasons. Crushed asphalt is recycled material that’s been broken up into small pieces, usually by a milling machine. Here’s why we opted for it:
- It’s inexpensive. Compared to many other options, crushed asphalt may be the cheapest way to get a high-quality driveway without spending a fortune. Concrete, limestone, paving stones, and other driveway options can have good aesthetic appeal, but tend to cost significantly more.
- Locks up tightly. We used asphalt fines for the top layer of our driveway. They lock up nice and tight and don’t easily get washed away as water drains from the driveway.
- Not dusty. While asphalt is a little bit more expensive than gravel, it has the benefit of being more durable. Gravel requires more maintenance, gets dusty, and can more easily form ruts and sinkholes.
- Better appearance. Besides being durable, asphalt has a sleek black color and the ability to form a smooth, locked surface. It creates a beautiful driveway that holds up well, looks appealing, and can boost your home’s value.
How to DIY Your Own Crushed Asphalt Driveway
1. Line up a tractor or Bobcat rental
The first step is to make sure you have the equipment you’ll need. You’ll need to find either a tractor with a box blade and a front end loader or a Bobcat to do the job.
If you don’t have access to either option, you can rent one. Where we live in Michigan, we can rent either option for less than $1000 per week. However, if you dedicate full days to working on the project, you could get it done in a weekend, especially if you have a shorter driveway.
2. Find crushed asphalt and your base material
In addition to securing a tractor or Bobcat, you’ll need to find a source for your crushed asphalt as well as material for a good base. We used sand and crushed concrete as the base. A local sand and gravel company was able to deliver and dump the materials in our driveway.
For the top layer, we asked for asphalt millings, which are generally under 1″. These lock up better than the larger pieces.
As you shop around for materials, ask the deliverer if they can do a “dump run”, where the truck can move down the driveway as it dumps. This will make it much easier to spread out your material after it’s delivered.
3. Calculate the amount of materials you’ll need
You can use an asphalt calculator to find out how many cubic yards you’ll need. Asphalt millings should be laid at least 3″ thick. You’ll also need to figure out how much you need to bring the base up with your sand and crushed concrete before adding the asphalt. Ensure the grade is high enough so that there is sufficient fall for the water to shed quickly from the surface.
If you’re working with a local company for your delivery, they should also be able to give you guidance on exactly what you need and how much of it.
4. Smooth and grade your materials
Take your time smoothing out your materials to create a flat surface with sufficient fall. In other words, the materials should crown in the center so that the water can run off the sides of the driveway rather than down the length of it. This can cause runouts and ruts. You want to create a slope that moves water away from the driveway as quickly as possible.
It can take awhile to get a consistent surface with no low spots, but take your time. A good grading job will save you lots of time and money in maintenance down the road.
5. Compact the surface
Lastly, you’ll want to provide pressure to lock in the surface. You can rent a plate compactor to compact it down. Or, you can simply drive over it a number of times with heavy equipment (a tractor, Bobcat, or truck with extra weight in it will work).
Tip: It’s a good idea to do this project in the summer if possible, since the heat will help the crushed asphalt to lock up better. The sun heats the binder in the asphalt which allows the pieces to meld together better than they would in cold temperatures.
Additional Considerations for Installing Your Own Driveway
Do I Need to Rent Heavy Machinery to Do My Driveway?
If you’re repairing an existing driveway that only requires a few yards or less to fill some low spots, or if you’re working on smaller driveways, you may be able to get the job done with a few metal yard rakes and lots of time and sweat. However, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it if it’s a larger driveway that needs a full overhaul.
Check into Bobcat rentals or renting a tractor with a box blade. You might be surprised at how cost-effective this option can be when you’re saving thousands on labor costs to have a company do the job.
Can I Put a Gravel/Crushed Asphalt Driveway Over Old Concrete?
While you can install gravel over an old concrete driveway, it may not be the best idea. If you’re looking to replace or overhaul your existing pavement, it’s probably because it’s cracked, unstable, or doesn’t have proper drainage. A shifting and cracking paved driveway is not really a good base for adding gravel, and it will likely lead to more issues down the road as it causes your newly laid gravel to shift and perhaps sink in areas.
Proper site preparation will help your new driveway last as long as possible. The best way to prepare would include breaking up and removing the old concrete first.
