Excavating Driveway

[Mike951]

I currently have this mess of a "driveway" in front of my new garage. It's not in the picture, but I got a pile of stone dumped off for free.

I want to get the driveway excavated before winter, so that I have something useable and it's ready to asphalt in spring.

What should I expect to pay for the following(Location: NJ):

Driveway will be approx 25ish x 50ish

1.Widen/shape driveway
2.Grade
3.Spread my stone out
4.Remove excess dirt and haul away


Thanks
Mike

 

[Steevo]

A good paving excavator will want to specify what goes in as a base and fill layers, and may not want to use your stone if you plan to have them pave it later.
When my driveway was excavated for asphalt paving, they took out a good 10-12" of existing soil (deeper in some softer spots), then used what they called "pit run" to pack down in a 6" layer, before laying in the road base that they packed to a concrete-like surface, then they laid down the asphalt (3~4"). All layers were packed with a vibratory roller that shook the whole neighborhood.

Total cost was just under $6k (Location: Idaho)

 

[Mike951]

Any other opinions on a price for what I mentioned above?

 

[MoonRise]

NJ?

Building permit. Zoning permit. Environmental review. Meet the town's 'driveway rules' (you think I'm kidding?).

All that could be just a few pieces of paperwork and some permit fees, or it could be a nightmare.

Or you might somehow luck out and your town has no restrictive BS and maybe your house plans already include the driveway in the permit/specs/approvals.

But yeh, although it ain't rocket science (usually ), you typically dig down far enough to get to firm dry dirt/rock. Not topsoil or muck. And the digging depth has to be at least as far down as the desired depth of the asphalt layer plus the base and subbase underneath that. About a good 12 inches deep or so is usually close to where it ends up (barring soft spots and such). Cause the top of the driveway has to end up even with or slightly lower than the garage and transitioning smoothly to the roadway/sidewalk/curb/etc.

Just putting asphalt on top of 'dirt' usually means it is all cracked and crumbling in a few short years.


Price? Call some paving contractors and get estimates. My SWAG is around $5k if there are no soil/ground complications. Got some neighbors who need a driveway done or redone? Pool up and the contractor will usually give a little better price than having to show up men and equipment for just one 'small' job.

 

[ihredo4]

It will cost you but better to do it right the first time than to have to tear it out and do it right the second. Here (Idiotnois) we have to go down 12-18" to have a solid base. Good luck on your search.