Asphalt Repair in Homestead, FL

Asphalt repair covers anything short of repaving: potholes, sunken areas, broken edges, cracks and utility cuts. In Homestead the pattern is familiar. Water gets into a crack during the wet season, softens the base underneath, and traffic pushes the surface down until it breaks into a pothole. Filling the hole with cold patch gets you through a few weeks. Fixing the base under it is what makes the repair last.

Patching methods

• Cold patch: bagged material pressed into a hole. Quick and cheap, but temporary. HomeGuide lists $2 to $4 per square foot.
• Hot patch: the hole is squared and cleaned, then filled with plant-fresh hot mix and rolled tight. HomeGuide lists $2 to $5.
• Saw-cut, full-depth repair: the damaged area is cut out in a clean rectangle, the base is dug out and rebuilt, and new asphalt is placed and rolled. HomeGuide lists $4 to $12 per square foot. This is the repair we recommend for most potholes and sunken spots.
• Infrared repair: heaters soften the old asphalt in place, fresh mix is raked in and it all gets rolled as one piece with no seam. HomeGuide lists $2 to $6. Best for surface defects where the base is still firm.

Cracks

Not every crack needs the same treatment. Single long cracks from shrinkage or a seam can be cleaned and filled with a rubberized filler. Expect roughly $0.50 to $3 per linear foot for crack filling, going by HomeGuide. Interconnected cracks in a web pattern, often called alligator cracking, mean the base below has failed and that section needs a full-depth repair. Filling alligator cracks only hides the problem.

Edges and the swale

Many Homestead driveways have no curb, so the edge of the asphalt meets grass and the swale directly. Water running along that edge and tires dropping off it break the asphalt away a piece at a time. We cut back to solid pavement, rebuild and compact the base a little wider than before, pave the edge with a sloped finish, and recommend bringing soil or sod up to meet it so it is supported.

Roots and utility cuts

Royal palms, ficus and other large trees push roots under pavement and lift it into ridges. Where a root can be cut safely, the area is excavated, the root removed and the section rebuilt. Utility trenches for water, sewer or cable are another common failure line; they settle when the backfill was not compacted. We excavate, compact the trench in lifts and repave it flush.

Commercial repairs

For businesses, a pothole is also a liability and a tripping hazard. We handle single repairs and lot-wide repair programs, and can mark out every failed area in a lot so you can see the scope before deciding. HomeGuide notes that most contractors charge a minimum of $100 to $250 to bring out a crew, so grouping repairs into one visit saves money.