I Heart My Tar & Chip Driveway
Back in September 2004, I had a tar and chip (bituminous surface treatment) driveway installed in place of the existing gravel drive that came with our old house. Because there wasn’t (and still isn’t) much web information on tar and chip driveways, I thought I’d briefly summarize my experience.
We called the original contractor (Craig Hup) in, to take a look and let us know our options. Unfortunately, he said that it’s not really possible to patch the driveway; he would have to redo the entire job. And, at current oil prices, the cost of the job would be something like $2/square foot–about double what we paid three years ago.
Some context:
The washout was caused by a flash rainstorm.
The lawn next to the driveway (in the spot near the washout) slopes back towards the driveway–which means that water may not have enough room to run off the driveway, especially during an unusually heavy rain.
After talking with some neighbors (and a couple of other local contractors), it’s apparent that we’re not alone. The recent rainstorm caused damage (potholes or washouts) to several local driveways: gravel, tar & chip, and asphalt alike.
We’re still deciding how to handle it.
What Does Tar & Chip Look Like?
(Photos: tar and chip driveway, completed; installation. More photos coming soon.)
If you’re a city boy, like me, you probably have no clue what a tar and chip road looks like. Well, our driveway looks more or less like a normal gravel drive, except that, in most spots, if you tried to sweep away the gravel, you’d reach a grey, pseudo-solid, conglomerated rock base. (If it were true gravel, you’d hit earth.)
We put slightly too much stone on the drive after it was tarred, so there’s more gravel than we’d ideally like (making look very much like a regular gravel drive). Some people might prefer the way that looks, though.
We also chose to go with grey stone, for a few reasons. For one, it fit better with our house (even though, in a vacuum, I might prefer red stone). More importantly, it was easier (cheaper) to get, and will make future maintenance much less of a headache. Grey is easy to match; I know I’ll be able to re-chip the driveway easily later on. Also, it’s not easy to find a contractor who does tar and chip (see below), so the fewer exceptions to their normal practices (e.g., grey stone), the better.
Why Is It Better?
Advantages of tar and chip over blacktop (asphalt):
- Maintenance. Asphalt requires periodic sealing and repairs; tar and chip is relatively maintenance free–no sealing, and fewer repairs. We have no visible cracks (perhaps the gravel layer hides them?), save for one spot where the substrate wasn’t laid correctly.
- Traction. In wet or snowy weather, the rough surface provides extra grip to foot or tire.
- Cost. Tar and chip costs less to install than asphalt. (In my case, it was half the cost.) I think it cost us just under $1 per square foot.
- Durability. My driveway will last longer than an “equivalent” blacktop drive.
Disadvantages:
- Finding a contractor. The number one problem with tar and chip driveways is: hardly any paving contractors still install them. (See below for reasons.) You may (you will!) have trouble finding someone who even knows what tar & chip is, let alone can install it. I got lucky–and I’ve included my contractor’s contact information below, in case you’re local (NJ).
- Winter shoveling. As with a gravel drive, you’ll find winter snow plowing and shoveling to be harder than with blacktop. But, we have had our driveway plowed several times, and also have shoveled several feet of snow over the past two years, and have had no issues with our tar & chip drive. The worst consequence has been stray gravel getting on the lawn. (But certainly no worse than with the old, pure gravel drive.)
- Weeds. A handful of weeds do manage to come up through our tar and chip driveway, here and there. I’m not sure if it’s because the tar didn’t fully coat some areas during our installation, or whether it’s an inherent property of tar and chip roads… but in any case, it’s not too bad.
- Installation time frame. Installation of a tar & chip driveway requires warmer temperatures than does blacktop, so the “season” of favorable weather is shorter. Where I live, blacktop can be installed through October, but tar and chip can’t be done that late.
Why Doesn’t Everyone…?
So, if tar and chip is so much better than common asphalt, then why doesn’t everyone use it?
Well, you might also ask why we plant non-native grass species in lawns, when they require an unnatural regimen of extreme watering, fertilizing and weed killing.
Or why you can’t get a decent tomato in a supermarket.
Or why coca-cola is a corn product.
The short answer is: corporate profits have driven these trends. (The details on lawns, tomatoes and Coke are not really on-topic here, so I’ll leave it at that.)
Using tar as a binder requires warm-ish temperatures (for the tar to remain tacky). This limits the paving season during which (tar and chip) roads can be laid. Concrete/asphalt manufacturers realized, several decades ago, that by mixing road materials in their plants–rather than on-site–they could extend the paving season, since they could control the temperature within the plant. Today, that’s what they do–mix asphalt in a plant and transport it to the road site.
Which is all fine and dandy–except if you want a product that’s better for you (tar & chip, native grasses, sugar…), instead of better for them (asphalt, Kentucky Bluegrass, corn syrup…).
Contact Information for our Contractor
Our paving contractor was Craig Hup, of Hup & Sons. We’re very satisfied with the job he did on our driveway, so we recommend considering him if you’re planning a tar and chip project. Note that they did not offer an official warranty on the work–which I found odd, since tar and chip should outlast a blacktop drive–but I chalk that up to their perception that it was risky, due to lack of data (i.e., too few installations to know how it would hold up).
You can reach Craig at (908) 832-7878. (And please mention to him that you read my article. 
)
Ron, just a note to say thanks for the driveway info. We also have a tar and chip drieway and now we are fixing some of the bad places. The info really helped answer some questions we had. Wish us luck in trying to find a contractor in Winston-Salem,NC.
Thanks again,
A P
I live in Houston and it is in the middle 90’s 6 / 8 months a year. Would tar and chip work in our area. Also our driveways crack (a lot) because we sit on a lot of clay and it tends to expand and contract with the weather. Thanks Greg
sorry greg, i have no idea. our driveway does great all summer long (80’s, 90’s, july and august)–we never even have to think about it.
our driveway has none of the typical expansion cracks that you see in blacktop. in fact, i remember reading that tar and chip resists cracking much better than ashpalt, because it’s more flexible (which makes sense to me), and can even “repair itself” to some degree (which i remain somewhat skeptical of).
you may want to try the links in my post for more information.
I really appreciate the info on the tar and chip driveway. You are right about the lack of info! I hate to use your blog as a contact but I am in NC and was wondering if there is anyway to find out if AP (previous comment) ever found a contractor? We are getting ready to build our house and wouldn’t need our driveway paved until June/July 2007. Prime time for tar and chip but I may need some help finding a contractor. Thanks again for the info!
I live in North Carolina (Raleigh/Henderson area) and am also looking for someone who does tar & chip driveways. We have a 900 foot driveway that needs to be done. The costs for asphalt are well beyound our means. Tar & Chip seems to be the best for us. Has anyone found any contractors in this area?
i am a paving contractor…main office in west virginia…we also have a branch in the greensboro, n.c. area…i have been in this line of work for 15 years…i learned my trade from men who had been paving for 30-40 years…and i would like to offer my opinion and observations on tar and chip vs. paving…first of all i highly disagree with the assertion that tar and chip will last longer than paving…the number one reason the men i worked with quit offering tar and chip was because it was not a value to the homeowners anylonger…the price difference between tar and chip (which by the way is often referred to as penetration by some) and paving became so close that tar and chip was really almost a rip off…i fully expect driveways i pave to last at least 20-30 years with no major repair needed…i’ve never seen a tar and chip job that can come close to that…i’m not saying it’s not possible….i just personally have never seen it…i have seen tar and chip last approx. 7-10 years before it really starts to tear up….our prices are around $2.50-$3.00 per sq. ft…..tar and chip would be close to $1.75 per sq. ft…..to me it’s just not worth it…just wanted to put my 2 cents in…if you would like to contact me i’m at [email-address-hidden]@yahoo.com …have a great day everyone!
I FOUND YOUR SITE ON LINE AND AM WRITING BECAUSE OF RICK’S RESPONSE. I AM IN THE PAVING BUSINESS, BECAME A FOREMAN FIFTY-TWO YEARS AGO, FOLLOWING MY FATHERS FOOTSTEPS, WHO STARTED IN THE 1920′S. WE HAVE PAVED PLANT MIX AS WELL AS MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF TAR AND CHIP, SLURRY, AND PENETRATION MACADAM. [RICK,] I THINK YOUR EXPERIENCE MIGHT BE IN PLANT MIX ONLY AND NOT IN LIQUID ASPHALT. I WOULDBE ABLE TO SHOW [TAR&CHIP] JOBS DONE OVER FORTY YEARS AGO AND A FEW EVEN LONGER.
PETE SKIPPER —GEORGE SKIPPER&SON INC MASSACHUSETTS
rick & pete, thanks for your informative comments.
(pete, i think you were responding to rick, so i added a few words to your comment which i hope help clarify. if i missed the point, please let me know.)
thanks again!
i would just like to say everything i have learned is due to my own experience and mostly the experience of men like pete, so if he says it i would believe it. experience is everything in asphalt. thanks for putting in all those years so the rest of us can have it a little easier pete.
Is chip seal the same thing or product as tar & chip?
yes, there are many names for tar and chip. among them: “seal chip,” “oil and chip” and “shoot and chip.”
Have an existing asphalt driveway and would love to tar and chip…can this process be done over existing…and being that I’m all for working on projects myself….is there a product that can be purchased for the base (trowelled on) the compacted…. hope to be able to do it on my own …
thanks for any advise or name of any companies in massachusetts
dave
hi dave,
i’m no expert, but i think i remember reading that it’s possible to tar and chip on top of existing asphalt–if the existing surface is in good structural condition.
as for doing it yourself, based on what i’ve seen/read, this is definitely a job for a professional. laying tar and chip essentially requires the same set of skills and equipment as laying blacktop. (for example, from where would you get the hot oil that you’ll need?)
hope this helps! (and maybe someone from massachusetts who reads this can recommend a contractor to you.)
— ron
We have a very long existing gravel drive that needs to be redone. We very much like the look of our driveway, and my husband has just discovered this tar and chip method. I live in Westchester County, NY. Does anyone know of contractors who do that in our area? Also, are there any other home owners or contractors who have more opinions on tar and chip v. gravel? Is a gravel drive cheaper?
This site is very helpful, ! have a driveway about 600ft long along in NH with a good grade, My driveway now has about 8 inches of crushed gravel , but it got muddy at times so me and my builder put down 4 to 5 inches of recycled asphalt ,which works great on a level driveway and you can buy for $6.00 a ton real cheap . but the problem i have is on the steep 2 bends on my driveway i have the recycled asphalt is breaking up will chip seal work good on a steep graded drivewy and stay intact ? or do i have to go with asphalt ? Thanks for any help Richie
PS, Anyone have a number of any chip seal contractors in NH?
Hi,
We need to redo our asphalt driveway. We are deciding if we should do asphalt again or go with tar and chip (like the look). My husband is concerned about some things. If anyone who has a tar and chip could comment - thank you !
1. More weeds in tar and chip than asphalt ?
2. Leaves not blowing off the gravel top as easy as asphalt ?
3. The snow blowing issue being harder on gravel top.
We live in Long Island New York and have a large circular driveway.
Thank you !
tina, i’ll take a stab at answering your questions:
1. well, asphalt doesn’t have any weeds (unless i’m missing something?), and yes, our tar & chip driveway does get some. (i’ll see if i can upload some recent photos of our tar and chip driveway.) so far, it’s been very easy to manage the weeds, by pulling or very light spraying. hasn’t really been a problem for us.
2. haven’t had any problems with leaves.
3. we don’t use a snowblower, but when it comes to tar and chip, my best guess would be that you should treat it like gravel. (in fact, you’ll probably have a thin layer of gravel over the seal chip. for what it’s worth, if we ever re-chip our driveway, we’ll put much less gravel down on top.)
we’ve had our driveway plowed once or twice, and the snowplow scooped up gravel along with the snow. wasn’t a big problem; when the snow pile melted, we just loosely redistributed the gravel.
tina, if you do decide to chip your driveway, please let us know how it goes!
As far as tar and chip lasting, I think the jobs that have been around for 40 years that PETE SKIPPER —GEORGE SKIPPER&SON INC MASSACHUSETTS mentioned above, have had multiple layers at the time of construction and possibly a “sprucing up” with single layers installed every so often. If this is the case, the cost for multiple layers of tar and chip will be more than asphalt paving. I am a asphalt paving contractor in CT and have done a small handfull of tar and chip driveways. They are very nice looking but I know if the cost for either asphalt or tar and chip are the same, asphalt will out perform in the long run. Best way for long lasting decroative driveways is to pave them with asphalt first then chip seal. Maintenance is about every 7 to 10 years by adding another layer of chip seal. It’s more money up front but save in the long run and the benifits are priceless. Gabe from Daly Paving
I have a large concrete aggregate circular driveway in front of my 19th century old home on Long Island.. Can I put tar & chip over concrete, or do i have to dig out concrete first? Also, if I want to widen driveway beyond current borders ( UPS druck is always driving over my flowers), can I do that next to existing driveway? Thanks.
I really like the chip seal type of asphalt driveways but I am finding it difficult to find any contractors in Connecticut who have a proven track record with this process… Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You can put tar & chip over concrete as well as existing asphalt and stone. But it will only hold up as good as the base is applied on. If the existing is heaving it will still be there after the tar & chip install. As far as widening your driveway, first the area needs to be excavated of all organic material. then a layer of stone should be added and compacted to grade with existing concrete or asphalt, etc. then chip seal over entire area.
My experience with tar and chip: I grew up in a house that had a tar and chip driveway put down in the 40’s. Obviously an excellent quality job, it even had iron edging to contain the chips and give it a sharp edge. It did not need repairing until a few years ago, and then just some of the sides needed to be re-done, mainly where water would run during storms.
More recently, I have had my driveway done (Three shots of tar and chip) and here are my pros: I like the ‘old fashioned’ look- it suits my house and it adds more character than asphalt, which reminds me of parking lots. I have never seen a crack in it (18 years). There are cons, too: it is hard to get as tidy an edge as asphalt. Weeds do come up, particularly on the edges. Bits like oak tree pollen get ‘caught’ on it, so it does not stay as ‘clean’ looking. Children can not roller skate or skate board on it as well. Snow plows are a no-no on mine- the one time we used one it scraped it too much. Also, there is a place on my drive where water runs in a storm and that does tear it up badly over a couple of bad winters. I have pot holes there now that need repairing.
Also, if you have it done in the summer months, you have to let it “cure”, because the tar remains tacky underneath the chips for several days, and a fast moving UPS truck can really leave a track. Bottom line: I love the country look of it, so put up with the cons for that reason.
Hope this helps someone.
my name is charles dougherty and i am a tar & chip coating contractor from fort worth tx i work in all of texas, colorado, and new mexico and yes i am a licence contractor in new mexico.my company name is CD PAVING & SEAL COATING i am a black top paving contractor as well. but i do a lot of tar & chip seal work. if anay one would like a great job done please call 817-690-6071
charlie@cdpaving.net
http://www.cdpaving.net
I am looking at laying down a chip seal driveway here in Alaska… I currently have 3 inches of recycled asphalt which works great but doesn’t hold together… It has been suggested if I use a chip seal process with my recycled asphalt rather than “chip” that it will look great and last a long time…
STONE DRIVEWAYS OF NEW ENGLAND IS A COMPANY BASE IN CONN. GREAT WEB SITE THEY DO TAR & CHIP tHEY ONLY WORK IN A BIG PART OF CONN.
Responding to Ken’s question of April 13: I don’t know where in CT you live but I am in Fairfield County (Danbury area). I received a flyer in the mail from East Coast Paving, LLC-203.577.3338. They do Bituminous Concrete Driveways. I am under the impression they are the same as T & C (but I may be wrong)! Hope this helps.
True “Tar and Chip” is hard to find these days, When most people refer to tar and chip today I believe they are refering to an asphalt emulsion type liquid that coats the existing pavement, aggregates are spread through a chip spreader and rolled in place. Asphalt emulsion based liquid is a byproduct of oil refining. True TAR is a byproduct of Coal refining. Tar is resistant to oil, chemical solvents, salt and water. Emulsion being oil based is not resistant to above. Givin a well prepared base nothing beats the cost effectiveness of tar and chip. I believe everyone is talking in general terms when it comes to calling Chip seal “Tar and Chip.” It is true Chip seal is skid resistant, self healing, and less expensive than paving. Can be installed on a primed (oiled) stone base or asphalt base.
We called the original contractor (Craig Hup) in, to take a look and let us know our options. Unfortunately, he said that it’s not really possible to patch the driveway; he would have to redo the entire job. And, at current oil prices, the cost of the job would be something like $2/square foot–about double what we paid three years ago.
Some context:
The washout was caused by a flash rainstorm.
Our driveway is properly sloped, width-wise, but the lawn next to it (in the area near the washout) slopes back towards the driveway; which means that water may not have enough room to run off the driveway–especially during an unusually heavy rain.
After talking with some neighbors (and a couple of other local contractors), it’s apparent that we’re not alone. The recent rainstorm caused damage (potholes or washouts) to several local driveways: some gravel, some tar & chip, and some asphalt.
We’re still deciding how to handle it.
Can I assume from John Alberty’s comments that “tar and chip” is not the same as “oil and chip”? I thought these terms meant the same thing. I too have a long country drive and would like something that does not look like a parking lot and is cost effective.
Hi - I have a long (300 ft.), steep driveway, gravel over a good hard packed base coarse, with excellent run off. Does anyone have experience with contractors here in New Mexico? Sounds as though tar and chip would be a good way to reduce rutting - hate the look of regular asphalt.
Thanks,
Bobbie C.
UPDATE: we had another contractor (Hicks Paving, of Hampton NJ; apparently the same family as C.H. Paving) come in and look at the hole in our driveway, but they were pretty unhelpful. (the guy spoke with my wife, and wouldn’t give her any straight answers about our repair options; he just seemed kind of ticked off that his company didn’t get the original driveway job, three years ago.)
so we’re still looking. in the mean time, i’m going to try to get a half-yard of coarse 1″ stone, and see if i can temporarily patch the hole with that.
I have a country driveway that was initially covered by “cow base”. It was a very poor application, leaving a bumpy drive and eventually holes. We had road base applied, which helped, but with the amount of rain we get in Louisiana, we have soft spots and holes caused by runoff. How would tar and chip last under these conditions? What must be done to prepare the driveway for the application of tar and chip?
I had chip sealed my drive way 3 years ago on friday harber washington by a company who has offices threw out the united states .They used 2 layers of gravel and a polymer oil I beleave was called crs1
I ALSO LIVE IN WINSTON-SALEM, NC AND CURRENTLY HAVE A GRAVEL/(UNWANTED GRASS) DRIVEWAY THAT I CANNOT STAND TO EVEN LOOK AT. DID YOU FIND A TAR AND CHIP CONTRACTOR NEAR OR IN W-S?
We are building a house in georgia that sits back in the woods with a long winding drive. I like the idea of tar and chip and have some questions. Is it possible to line the driveway with bricks to give it a straighter edge? If so, would you put the bricks down before the tar or after? Also, several people mentioned recycled asphalt. Is the asphalt broken in peices and layed like gravel? Is that a good, inexpensive alternative to laying gravel before the tar? thanks..
We finallly did the tar and chip driveway in June. It has been down for a month now and looks lovely. We treid to save a little money (very long drive) and did an unnoticeable section of the parking area with only gravel. I wish now we had spent the extra, the tar and chip is far superior. The real test will be winter, and how it will hold up to ploughing. Numerous people have commented on it’s looks, and have siad why doesn’t everyone do the same, which made me laugh in light of what was written above. We used Nika and Sons contractors here in Westchester County, New York. He has been specializing in this for years, and his advice was spot on when we were looking for quotes. If anyone tells you that they can simply pour gravel and roll it in to hot asphalt, stay away. My only quibble so far is that I am surprised that the weeds are able to force their way through, especially at the edges, so I am just going to have to get a weed sprayer.
In response to Maria Haas above, I would think you have to place the brick after the job is done. They will be grading, etc,,, and the process of spraying would make your bricks look terrible. It would be impossible for the spray not to get on the bricks. I think they can lay over asphalt, other comments above indicate that that is so. Also, in regards to ploughing, I have already determined that I will have to get someone in who is good and reputable at it, which probably will mean spending more money this winter, but it will be worth it.
Do you mind me asking what you paid for your driveway? We have 250 feet of driveway to pave and need to cut corners where we can. Also, why can’t they pour tar and put gravel over it and roll? what other work is involved?
To Maria again, I suggest you call a contractor who can tell you what is involved. I can tell you that our drive was basically double the cost of doing solely gravel, including grading, etc…but obviously you will get a lot more in the long run for your dollar.
To Linda, thanks for the info..
Also, I have noticed that some driveways on the edge are straight and some are not…do some people doing the driveways use forms to keep the edges crisp and straight?
I live just west of Boston and am in need of a tar and chip contractor to do my 3800 square foot drive.
The drive is now tar and chip but in need of a new coat.
Does anyone have any recomendations?
Thanks
Ray
Does anyone know of a contractor in Georgia that does tar and chip? I have been asking around here and no luck so far
Hello,
My husband and I are fixing up a very modest, older home. We have been talking about what to do with the driveway—we have a circle driveway in front of the house and we want whatever we do to compliment our antique house/barn. Our neighbors are thinking about putting in a tar and chip driveway and it sounds interesting to us—but here is my question: Is this type of driveway tricycle friendly? (Our daughter is just learning to ride her first bike.)
Thank you,
Jessica
Hi there
We are the best asphalt and bitumen chip seal firm in the world but unfortunately we only cover Scotland. Seems there is a lot of work needin done in the US, maybe we will sail over.
In my opinion chip seal is an economic solution to a large scale resurfacing need and is only of value if it is not more than 20% of the cost of an asphalt overlay. Tar chip driveways require periodic maintanance and again only give value at 20% of asphalt cost. At today’s costs (UK) 500sqy of 2.5 ” asphalt overlay should be £12-£15/sq.y Chipseal shoulb be £3 ish /sq.y
gavin
Jessica,
I wouldn’t recommend tar and chip with your daughter in mind. If she falls there is a good chance she will get a few good scratches unless you use a rounded stone. Your driveway may need maintenance a bit sooner than it would if you were to go with a fractured stone since rounded stone tend to come loose from the oil a bit sooner than fractured stone, but rounded stones may be more forgiving on a person. Plus with asphalt you can draw on your driveway with chalk. I’m sure your daughter and you would enjoy that time also. Just my 2c.
Gavin,
20%? Wow! In Connecticut, tar and chip driveways are very comprable in price compared to an asphalt overlay. Don’t know if your asphalt price is really high and the oil is low but boy do I wish it cost only 20% of the cost of an asphalt overlay. Asphalt driveway paving sells for $2-5 and oil and stone goes for $1.50-3.50. Lets take your example, 500sqy (4500 sq ft) thats about 500 gallons of oil needed to install 1 layer chipseal. If it were asphalt the job would call for about 70 tons. Not sure what you pay for materials but my cost for oil itself is well over 50% the actual cost for asphalt. In my experiences the two diffrent choices really last about the same amount of time also. So in Connecticut the money value is alot higher than 20%.
Gabe
just a quick note, to say that i agree with the second point that gabe makes (above), but disagree with the first.
jessica: i don’t think tar & chip is much of a hazard. true, it’s a little rougher than blacktop, but i wouldn’t exactly call it sharp. more importantly, your daughter should be able to ride her bike/tricycle just fine on it–especially if you don’t put too much loose stone on top of the tar & chip surface. (we made the mistake of putting too much–looks nice, but all that gravel can get annoying sometimes–like when we have to shovel snow.)
as for cost: i recently spoke with a reputable contractor here in NJ, and the cost of oil has driven up the cost of both asphalt and tar & chip. we paid about $1/sqft. to install our tar & chip driveway 3 years ago; it now costs $2/sqft (and rising).
hope that helps. if anyone else who reads this has recently installed a tar & chip driveway at their home, would you mind leaving a comment and letting us know the approximate cost per sqft in your region? much appreciated!
I live in Gainesville, GA and am looking at a Tar and Chip driveway. I like the look and think it will fit in very well with the environment that my house is in (500 foot driveway through woods, on lake lot - chalet style house).
I have only been able to identify ONE contractor in the Atlanta area (Asphalt Management) that will do or has done Tar and Chip in the past. I contacted them and the person on the phone tried desperately to convince me that it was not a good idea! He said it would be CHEAPER to blacktop (2/3rds the price) than to Tar and Chip - even tough the rough estimate was for around $1.50 per square foot for Tar and Chip. I asked on Monday for them to come out and do a formal estimate for Tar and Chip - but haven’t heard back on when they would be up my way to do so yet.
Does anyone know of another company that will do Tar and Chip in the north Atlanta area?
Thanks,
Rick Warford
My wife called three paving contractors in our area to get estimates on paving [blacktop] our 2000
foot long driveway. Two of them priced it at $20,000 (81/2′ Wide X 3″ thick). The third guy
wanted $15,000 to go 2” thick and $24,000 to go 3” thick. To be honest with you, I thought
that these prices seemed extremely economical. We do have a good gravel base down, so
I thought that might have made a little difference. I guess that if I had a question, then
it would be…..what is the advantage of going 3” instead of 2”. We live in western Kentucky,
and our winters don’t get extremely cold like up north, so do I really need to go 3″? By the
way, I’m not totally opposed to chip and seal, especially since we live in the boonies. I, like
everyone else on here, am not sure if I could find anyone to do it.
Tar and Chip info, VDOT (VA Dept of Transportation) uses tar and chip method on nearly all of its highways, they also use it on it as a resurface method on its interstate systems, like I-81, I-95, I-77 and so on, a company called Slurry Pave contracts this to them ( I dont think that company does driveways though, to small of jobs for them). But naturaly a asphalt paving contractor will play tar and chip down because there is way less profit in there for them( because there sitting there with a million dollar asphalt plant to pay for) . Its much cheaper to tar and chip, its around a $1.00 to $1.50 a sq ft to tar and chip, you can double that price to asphalt pave. And guess what, they both have in them materials in the, ( liquid asphalt and stone ), no rocket science here. A good driveway is all about the base, if it has a good base under it, crusher run stone or old asphalt driveway or old concrete drives, then it is a good base for tar and chip and leave the other half of you driveway money in your pocket.
Ric.
This outpouring of drivel would get you tarred and feathered in Scotland. You are either a “tar chip cowboy who cant lay asphalt or you have been brain washed by same.
Wise up sir
Well Gavin, We have been in the family Rock Quarry buisness for over 50 years and Im just stating the facts there scotty. There all on the VA Highway Dept web sites under highway specs. Im not trying to sell either method because Im not in the buisness of selling either one, we just sell the stone for both types of mix and tar and chip is a lot cheaper method than the asphalt pavement that you must be trying to push, to pay for your equipment. You dont have one of those big old fossel fuel oil burning , smoke spuing, million dollar, hot mix asphalt plants do you. And a couple of other points while on the subject. Beware of asphalt pavers selling you 2″ of asphalt and only giving you an 1 1/4″ thick job. A 2″ paving job means after compaction. You can have a testing lab pull some core samples if in dought of a finished job to make shure you get your moneys worth. Another common tactic by paving companys is to just pave your driveway with a topping mix, its pretty but dont let a truck drive onto it. If hot mix paving then use a good 4-6″ of base stone such as crusher run or 21-B,compacted, 2″ of binder or course mix and 1 1/2″ of topping mix. You can check your states highway specs on there web sites for subdivision street specs for a good idea of what you should do on your own driveway or roads. And they will have info on tar and chip methods as well. I myself always watch who is giving me there 2 cents worth of information because as always, what ever there selling is always the best, and thats why you should get you trusted information from someone thats not trying to sell just there product or pay there big payments. And again as stated, or rock products are in both mix designs so it does’nt matter to the quarry people which method you choose, let your bank account decide the one thats right for your own use. And as the scotty said, WISE UP
As an asphalt paver with quite a bit of experience i would like to say again…i do not believe in tar and chipping residential driveways. As evidenced by Ron’s washout it just does not hold up like a full depth paving job. The expense may seem so much higher but…if i put your driveway in i expect it to last 20 years or so. And i’m gonna do everything possible to help you make it last. Can you imagine tar and chip after 20 years? I’m almost convinced guys are going into tar and chip like they do spraying driveway sealer on your driveway. It looks good long enough for your money to get taken. Just my personal opinion on it.
Rick,
Thanks for your comment–your paving experience and insights are very much appreciated.
I wanted to point out that, after investigating the cause of our driveway washout, I’ve concluded that the driveway failed because of poor drainage, not because of a deficiency in the job (or in tar & chip in general). I’ve heard of similar failures in my neighbors’ blacktop installations, when the grading around the driveway was faulty and too much water destabilized the base coat, causing failure (cracks and fissures).
Despite the washout, we have to say that we’re quite happy with our driveway, and if we could go back in time, knowing what we know now, we’d still go with tar & chip. (The only change might be that we’d leave less loose gravel on top afterwards. Oh–and we’d try to fix the lawn grading around the driveway, too.
)
That said, I absolutely agree with you: because tar & chip is becoming more popular, there are probably a lot of contractors who now claim to know how to do it, but are pretty clueless. Then again, I’ve met a few clueless asphalt contractors too, so I guess homeowners have to do their homework (get references!) either way.
Thanks again,
- ron
I am currently looking for contractors who do tar & chip driveways in Eastern CT. Iwould be very grateful for any help at all!
Thanks
Bob
Rick. At last a man who knows the score. After enduring the babaling outpourings of Ric Lambert, the tar/chip gypsie it was most refreshing to hear your valid opinion
well done and good luck
Ron or anyone else who wants to chime in,
I live in a rural pacific northwest area (100 miles west of Seattle, WA) with a 400′ driveway that ends in a 100′ x 75′ parking area. We live in a floodplain, next to a river (yes, we built there on purpose..our house is on 15′ pilings). A couple of weeks ago we had an epic flood (parking area was under about 5′ of water). When the river subsided, it took about 6″ off the top of our gravel leaving us with the base rock. Do you think tar and chip would stand up any better under flood conditions than just using untreated gravel lay down? My wife is dead set against using asphalt as she wants to maintain a rustic look.
Any opinions or information would be most appreciated.
Thanks
RickH
Hey Rick, Yes to your question as to the tar and chip driveway as the liquid asphalt ( the tar ) acts as a bonding agent to glue the gravel together and help hold them in place and still give you that stone suface that you desire. Although neither method will withstand any rushing flood waters as they will wash out state highways as well that have several inches of asphalt surface. But it should hold up just fine in waters that dont have much current. Ric Lambert
This is very interesting, thanks for everyone’s post. I’m in East Tennessee and have a parking lot approximately 1,800 sq ft that has been graveled for nearly 80 years. There have been many, many layers of gravel spread over those years and the surface is very hard packed. Is this method [tar & chip] something I could consider rather than traditional asphalt? There is not a great deal of traffic that uses the lot but it does get some. Thanks.
It would probably work, as long as the gravel base is compacted enough. Normally the first layer of gravel that is applied is done so over ground that is virgin soil or has been compacted in lifts. The reason for this is so that the base is firm and there will be no settling.
I would have a qualified contractor check this out. Assuming it is ok, the asphalt cement would then be applied. Loose stone would be the next layer, adhering to the asphalt.
I know there is a lot written here, but if you would like some more information, you can visit tar and chip driveways.
Thanks for your response Susan. The base is extremely compacted but there is about a one inch layer of loose gravel still remaining on top. A local paving company wanted $8,000 to asphalt the lot which I really can’t justify at this point. I also just don’t like the look of the same ole plain black asphalt. Come spring I will be looking into the tar and chip method with enthusiasm. Again thanks to all. Michael
Just wante to thank Ron for writting the article about Tar and Chip. Regarding the weeds that come up try using Premitol Weed Killer and mix it with Kerosene and spray that on your driveway were needed and it will kill them for about four months before they back. Good Luck
Has anyone ever tried laying a base of reclaimed asphalt and then compacting in a layer of peastone on top? I live in Maine, and like others, have been unable to find anyone who will do a traditional ‘tar and chip’ driveway. I’ve been trying to think of possible alternatives and was wondering if the reclaim would provide a stiff enough base for durability but be flexible (sticky) enough to take an imbedded coat of stone on top, thus a similar look to the tar and chip. I know it would not be as durable but perhaps others have used this material and know if this would work. Thanks for all the information. It has really been helpful. Someone could really do well by specializing in this process. Thanks, Cathy
Cathy
Pea gravel onto road planings would not work, however if the planings were placed and compacted to falls and load bearing, then a double dressing of bitumen/gravel would provide a reasonable surface (but not for life)
Hi, I am the president of my home owners association and our developer has jumped ship (so to speak) leaving us with approx. 1.5 miles of dirt and gravel roads. Would tar and chip work for this type of application and do you know of any contractor in the DFW area of Texas that does this kind of work?
charlie dougherty is my name and i am a tar & chip contractor from fort worth please call me 817 690 6071 or email at chrldghr@aol.com my co. name is CD PAVING & SEAL COATING
First and foremost the driveway in the picture above could have been easily reparied please dont be fooled. All the contractor had to do was patch the “washout” with hotmix or “blacktop asphalt” as some refer to it as, wait about 3 weeks and come back and shoot one or two layers of chipseal overtop of it, preferably two shots. The reason for waiting three weeks is because anytime you have down fresh hotmix it has a tendency to absorb and suck emulsion into it unless the hotmix is given atleast a little bit of time to cure. If you just shoot back overtop of hotmix a minute after you put it down, in a few days youd have nothing but loose rock over your patch because the emulsion would literally be sucked into the hotmix. The company I work for who has been making emulsion and chipsealing for over 85 years owns and operates three asphalt emulsion plants in an undisclosed state. We make all cationic asphalts…crs2, crs2P, crs2L, crs2H, cms2 and crs1 we dont even mess with anionic asphalt because it gives contractors to much trouble. These are all different types of liquid asphalt, some for chipseal paving, some for “tack” underneath hotmix asphalt and some for slurry paving. People who own hotmix plants have NO clue what liquid asphalt is all about, or what kind of sweat and blood goes into making it. Any joe blow with capital can put up an asphalt plant with a permit set up a batch computer, press a button and produce hotmix. But emulsion has so many variables if your not paying attention for a split second you can ruin a whole batch, and risk having bad viscosity residue on your storage tank walls(big no no) which makes your liquid asphalt to thin to pave with, that is just one of 200 examples off the top of my head. The company I work exclusively chipseal paves, slurry paves and nothing else. So here are the FACTS on chipsealing:
1. It WILL last if it is done right the FIRST time, there are no second tries in chipsealing, if its not right the 1st time it never truly will be.
2. The contractors are scarce because alot of people attempt and fail at chipseal paving due to lack of know how and understand, so thats why they are like needles in a haystack when trying to find a good contractor that knows chipseal
3. The old ancient rumor “poor mans asphalt” is completely not true. As a matter of fact asphalt emulsion is 100% asphalt, where as hotmix is 40% asphalt, the rest is screenings, 3/8 inch rock etc… So if you run the numbers if you have a chipseal road PROPERLY installed you are getting 100% asphalt where as with blacktop mix you are only getting 40% true asphalt.
4. It’s all about your expereince in it and understanding of it, alot of people think its the “throw and go” paving. It is actually the complete opposite. Hotmix paving is throw and go as far as im concerned. Dump it in the paver, set your screed men and push the truck away until its empty. Unlike chipseal where you have to go back over the same road as many as 4 or 5 times to get a finished product. I worked for apac for 10 years before coming to this company which I have worked for the last 15 years so I know hotmix too. Chipseal plays out alot of variables that alot of contractors cannot understand. I couldnt understand it until I spent 5 years asking questions to the man that owns the company, and I still dont understand everything to this day. For example: its 67 degrees outside. what is the ground temperature? Is the rock wet or dry? Whats the application rate of emulsion if the temperature is 87 degrees outside? Do I need to set the rate of asphalt higher, or just kick up the rock on the chipper to make sure it is there to stay? Are there clouds in the sky that block the sun from hitting the aspahlt? Did the asphalt break from the last shot before I covered it up? If not the road may bleed and turn black 4 weeks from now. Do I need to let this last shot sit for a while and break before I get them to cover it with rock? There are literally a million variables to making a chipsealed road last.
5. Yes a chipseal road can literally repair itself. In the cold winter months, if you have any cracking at all, the following spring, when temps. rise high enough the cracks will bond back together. Liquid asphalt is VERY flexible
6. I’m not giving away any more trade secrets, my supervisor would kill me if he found out.
First of all if it was from the ground up, it should have been atleast 3 layers, which is a mat and split seal. For people who dont understand that is one layer of big rock and two of pea size. Our company prefers to put down a big rock layer and then 3 layers of little rock, but there are different strokes for different folks as to what they want. Another thing for ANYONE getting chipseal done, ALWAYS ask for the asphalt emulsion load ticket. If they try to sell you polymer modified asphalt make sure on the ticket it says either crs2P or crs2L both of which are polymer modified asphalts. If it says CRS1 or CRS2 or anything without a P or L in it and they are saying it\’s polymer it IS NOT.. They are charging you for something you are not getting to make profit. And another thing is if the contractor you had used CRS1 Shirley, that asphalt is not rated AT ALL for chipseal paving. It is made ONLY for a bonding agent underneath hotmix paving. It has nothing to do with chipseal. And im actually in awe someone put that on your driveway.
It basically comes down to about a 20 to 25% price difference between blacktoping and chipsealing. Some people prefer blacktop while other prefer chipseal. There is not as much of a market for chipseal as there is for hotmix, so thats why the contractors are scarce. However you will see alot of people attempt to do chipseal within the next 3 or 4 years because of the price of hotmix going up so much. But that will not last long as soon as the price of crude oil goes back down/or the economy adjusts to it, the chipseal contractors will be scarce again and everyone will go back to hotmix. The asphalt market always balances itself out.
My name is Pat Gorman, I own Gorman Paving. My company is based in Gainesville VA, we hold a class A state contractors, we are members of the BBB in good standing, we are second generation paving contractors with state of the art equipment and a large experienced crew. We are paving contractors, specializing in, both asphalt as well as tar and chip. We service all of Virginia and would be willing to mobilize for larger projects, such as sub divisions, parking lots etc. If anyone would like an estimate or some more information, please visit our web site http://WWW.GormanPaving.com or simply give us a call at (703) 257 - 3880
Dear Missing Name . Thanks for backing me up in defense of other than plant mix. Dad started only 82 years ago so we have 3 years less than your boss but i can assure you that it has been a challenge to hold up values for a good job while competing with people who grab the money and run. We offer penetration McAdam with a chip seal rather than just a thin chip on top of dirt and have had jobs last as long as 50 years. Not as pretty as a new drive but still in service
Hi, I live north of Los Angeles and also looking for a Tar and Chip Contractor??? (I don’t know where to start) Also we have strict oak tree enforcement issues here and I was wondering if anyone knew the effects of tar and chip under oak trees? (I have twelve in my front yard) THANKS!
Hi Shannon,
I am not sure where to you can find a contractor in your area. However, regarding the Oak Trees……
Typically, you are not supposed to change the grade or disturb the roots of trees. The area this applies to is directly under the entire canopy of the tree. That extends out to the furthermost branch tips.
By excavating for the driveway in this area beneath the tree canopies (if they do fall there), the tree roots would be disturbed. However, at times there is a looser interpretation in that one side can be disturbed out a certain distance from the tree trunk.
In addition, sometimes the trees are not healthy. You might consider contacting Bartlett Tree Company. I have worked with them in Virginia, and I believe they have locations in California. They will give you a professional opinion, and normally city zoning commissions respect this.
Susan
Looking to have my drive tarred and Chipped. Anyone know any good contractors in Bucks County PA?
This has all been informative. I live in Waterloo, IA, and am looking for a tar & chip contractor in northeast Iowa.
Pete - Yeah you have been around 82 years because your heart is in it, your after quality and then the dollar, and thats the only way to be around for 82 years BOTTOM LINE! And our company, even though we are fairly sized has problems every once in a while with other contractors. Alot of times we will have jobs stolen from us by someone who has never dealt with or even used liquid asphalt for reasons other than tack. Several times we have seen people just put a mist of liquid on a road as if they were tacking it and cover it with 3/8s haha… Quick story about a job we had stolen from us about 2 years ago.. it was a 7 mile subdivison, it called for a mat and triple seal. Well we put our price in, and somehow a contractor that was local who only did hotmix saw our prices and just thought to himself “wow these guys are making a killing doing this chipseal stuff.” So anyways he contacted another liquid asphalt producer (blacklidge emulsions) and got a price on liquid asphalt, ofcourse they priced the liquid so low we couldnt even produce it for that amount… just to send us a “message” if you know what I mean… (all it told us was they were stupid for selling that much liquid for the amount they had it priced at). So to make a long story short, the guy paved alllll 12 miles of the subdivison in 45 degree weather, and you being around since the 1920s you know it takes very warm weather to make chipseal work. And about a year ago the entire subdivisons roads dissapeared, an engineer came and told them the contractor to repave them. Needless to say noone has seen the contractor since, he dissapeared just like his roads did. And guess who was in there repaving it? Us. the people whos bread and butter is chipseal, and the only ones around who have any business putting it down. So, the moral of the story is.. those guys that “take the money and run” thats EXACTLY what they do, you dont have to worry about guys like that, those problems usually take care of theirselves one way or the other. Actually Pete i’ll tell you what im noticing here lately in the past month, alootttt of hotmix contractors are struggling, our price on liquid base last month was 415$ a ton. And rumors of 475$ a ton are floating around. So what does this do? Push everybody that owns a paving machine into wondering about chipseal. We have had alot of calls lately about how busy we are staying with it, we dont lie or try to cover anything up… we say just as busy as we were 15 years ago. Regardless, you will always have competition, dont worry yourself over it to much, because half of them have no idea how to work with liquid asphalt, although they claim to they really have no clue. It takes employees who have been around it for years to know whats right and wrong when paving. Just let them have at it… if they can put it down cheaper than you can, all the tells me is they are putting down less quality and that my friend.. will catch up with them at one point or another.
Is it possible to lay an apron of Belgian Block or pavers, and then apply chip and tar to the main part of the driveway?
Basically an aesthetic thing to keep the edges nice and tight.
Also, does anybody have a contractor in Fairfield County, CT
Hi Dan,
I don’t see why you couldn’t do that if you want to. I know asphalt driveways are used in conjunction with Belgian Block….in my experience, the Block is laid first.
You might consider a more rustic driveway border also. Perhaps some beds used along the driveway broken up here and there with a large boulder. To simplify things, the majority of the beds could just have groundcover. I think the rustic look of the tar and chip and the looseness of the groundcover, along with larger rocks would look nice.
Susan
That sounds cool.
I’ve heard that in the East you have to lay down 6″ of asphalt to prevent cracking. Do you need to excavate that deep for chip & tar?
You do not have to lay 6″ of asphalt,
2″ is enough.
Dan, you can put tar and chip against the blocks as long as you hire someone who is competent. As far as asphalt goes, 2 inches is enough for about 10 years with continued maintenance. I would suggest 2 layers of asphalt 4-4.5 total compacted inches. However, the base prep work is very very important. For a driveway that will last without much problems make sure there is an 8-10 inch gravel base under your finish of choice.
We are currently in the process of building and are going to have a 325′ driveway. There is about 50′ that is steep. I am wanting to put in “tar pit and gravel” driveway (as we call it in Alabama). My only concern is the steep area. My husbands truck is 4×4 and can climb a rock face, but mine is only 2WD. Will my truck spin on the gravel?? Our last home had a flat tar pit & gravel road, and my truck had no problems. However, there was always loose gravel, which makes me concerned. Any advice?
Does anyone know of contractors in my area (Central AL)?
I have had a crusher run drive for years. I had crusher run poured on the drive after getting worn asphalt removed. I did not realize crusher run could have been poured over the old asphalt drive. The crusher run has held up well, but I think it may need another layer soon. I would like to get a red brick color on the drive, and have heard of tar and chip and macadam driveways. Would either of these give the redbrick color? Is there any one in Southeast Alabama who does these kinds of driveways. Lately I’ve seen warm up tracks around baseball fields that appear to be made from brick color gravel. Does anyone know what these gravel are and if they would do well over an existing crusher run driveway?
I also have a large Driveway and a circular in front of the house that I am wanting to get Tar and Chip. If you know of a contractor in the Central Alabama area….please let me know…
Thanks!
I live in northern Illinois south of Chicago. I have a 500 foot long (8 foor wide) tar & chip driveway (w/ 3 layers of tar covered by 3 layers of chips) that gently declines in grade and blends into my 3,000 square foot blacktop parking space in front of my garage and house. I made sure that my road grader operator building the original driveway had the black dirt (organic material) peeled off of my driveway lane down to a clay base. Then, I trucked in 2 and 1/2 inch -3 inch gravel for the initial base of my driveway until the gravel was 4-6 inches deep. I topped this gravel layer off with another 2-3 inches of road mix gravel (smaller sized gravel with crushed limestone also in it). I wanted to make sure that the road grader placed a nice crown (a slight ridge in the center of the driveway) on the center of the driveway so that the rains (and melted snow) would drain or flow off the sloped driveway. The solid base of your driveway is very important so that is why I started with a clay base, covered over by large sized gravel, followed by smaller sized gravel interspersed with crushed limestone so it would all sort of “lock together in place” like a jigsaw puzzle.
Then, I waited for three years while I drove my cars and my heavy grain trucks over this gravel driveway so it would be firmly packed down solid. Then, I went over it with 3 layers of tar & 3 layers of chips (called an A-3 surface, I believe). My township road commissioner said to go with 3 layers of alternating tar & chips for the best results and the greatest longevity. I waited until I knew our local rural township roads were soon going to be tarred & chipped. I then called our local township road commissioner (a great guy) and asked him if he would ask for me if the firm doing the township roads would be interested in doing my long driveway since they were already going to be near me and their equipment was already out next to me. The tar & chip company said that they would cut me a very low price since they were already out next to me doing the townships roads. This was twenty years ago. The price I paid back then for the 3 layers of tar & chips was about $1 per square foot while my blacktop parking space was about $2 per square foot back then (and concrete would have cost me $3 per square foot back then).
The tar & chip part of my driveway has held up superbly. After 18 years had gone by, I added one more layer of tar & one more layer of chips (for a total cost of 30 cents per square foot) just to “dress up” or maintain the driveway. I am sure that I got it done cheaply because the tar & chip company was in my neighborhood once again anyway doing our townships rural roads. I will get an occasional tuff of grass or a weed that takes root somehow in the tar & chip driveway but it is insignificant in scope and amount. I just spray a weed killer or Round-Up weed killer on the errant tuff of grass or weed. When I plow the snow off of my tar & chip driveway in the winter time with my 22 horsepower tractor with a snow blade, I have two tiny little 1/2 inch wide “runners” welded on my snow blade that keeps the blade up about 1/2 inch above the driveway so I don’t peel off a thin layer of some of the stone chips that are imbedded in the tar base of the driveway. It works like a champ. I don’t have but a few handfuls of chips that get plowed off to the side by the snowplow into my yard.
With the blacktop section of my driveway and parking space, I have to seal it with a blacktop sealer about once every third or fourth year. That is a pain to do and it costs me about $220 for the liquid oil-based sealer needed to seal off the 3,000 square feet of blacktop that I have. I do it all myself with a pushbroom, 5 gallon buckets of sealer, and I wear my grubbiest cloths because I know that I will get blacktop sealer on my old jeans and ragged old tennis shoes each time.
My advice is: Call your local township road commissioner for his advice and help in obtaining the services and best prices from a tar & chip company that he uses each year for your township’s roads. Tar & chip your driveway at the same time that they have their equipment and men out there and you will save at least 30%-50% on what they would otherwise quote you or someone else to do your driveway. Good luck.
I own gallager asphalt located in fort worth texas and would be happy to help with any prices or questions you may have.We have 3 chipseal crews that work 7 months out of a year. Contact H.Gallagher 1800 490-1875 or gallagherharry1@gmail.com or http://www.gallagherpaving.com
Hey Rich (and others) thanks for all the details. I just started my search for someone to do a similar job at my place, 400′ gravel drive, 6700sf total. First contractor I called immediately told me macadam “had been outlawed”. Guess this doesn’t bode well. He was nice enough to tell me who locally was “licensed” to do it though.
Can anyone recommend a tar and chip company in central NJ (Monmouth County)?
I am the owner of Vollmer Tar and Chip, Inc. We specialize in tar and chip for residential and commercial use in the Elk County, PA area. We offer services to the surrounding areas. If anyone is interested in a free quote please do not hesistate to call us at (814) 335 - 4234. “Don’t get left in the dust!”
With the price of asphalt rising sky high, chip seal is becoming more popular. I love chip seal because it looks more natural and is lighter which is ideal for the desert. Also I can lay more than asphalt at a better price. I am licensed, bonded and insured and would love to give a free quote also. I am located in Arizona. I am listed in the yellowpages and am a member of the BBB. My name is Leonard Jeffery and my business is Pro-Pave Inc. My number is 602-741-5415.
Can someone give me a definitve spec for a tar and stone drive for the UK. A friend of mine has had one laid today and is worried about the work carried out. The contractor sprayed tar