Asphalt Paving in Byron Center, MI

Asphalt paving in Byron Center is mostly for family homes in newer subdivisions. Byron Center grew from 3,777 residents in 2000 to 7,431 in 2020, and Census estimates show nearly 96 percent of its housing is owner-occupied. More than a third of households include children, and average household size runs just over three people. That adds up to driveways carrying several cars, bikes and basketball games, and homeowners who often want them wider.

Township rules

Byron Center is an unincorporated community inside Byron Township, which has its own Inspection Services department and offices on Byron Center Avenue. Driveways that meet a county road need a Kent County Road Commission permit, since the Road Commission requires one for any work in its right-of-way, including residential driveways.

Widening and pads

If you are adding width or a side pad, the new section has to be dug to the same depth and built on the same compacted base as the existing driveway. Otherwise the seam between old and new settles and cracks. We saw-cut the old edge clean and tie the new asphalt in.

First-time maintenance

A lot of Byron Center driveways were built in the 2000s and 2010s and are now due for their first round of crack sealing and a sealcoat. HomeGuide recommends sealing new asphalt after it has cured, then resealing every few years. Fall crack sealing before winter is the cheapest way to protect them.

Builder-grade drives

Some subdivision driveways were built quickly with a thin base. Signs of that include early cracking along the tire paths and sinking at the edges. When we see it, we explain whether targeted repairs will hold or whether replacement is the better long-term spend.

Basketball, bikes and chalk

Family driveways get used for more than parking. A smooth, even surface with a gentle slope is safer for play and drains better. If your driveway doubles as a court, we can set a flatter section near the garage where the grade allows, while still moving water off the surface.

Costs

National guides list sealcoating at about $1 to $2 per square foot, with a typical two-car driveway around $400 to $800 in HomeGuide's figures. New asphalt runs roughly $5 to $12 or more per square foot. The written estimate sets the price.

Timing

We pave from late spring through early fall, when the ground is firm and warm. New driveways should cure several months before the first sealcoat. Late summer and fall are when crack sealing does the most good.

Edges and lawns

New subdivision lots often have thin topsoil at the driveway edge. After paving, we recommend building soil up against the edge and seeding it so the asphalt has support and plows do not catch it.

Checking the base

At the estimate we walk the drive, probe the tire paths and edges, and look for low spots. That tells us whether sealing and patching will hold, or whether the base needs work.

Call (616) 984-1897 or

Get a Free Estimate

for a free Byron Center estimate.