CHOOSING THE RIGHT
PAVING CONTRACTOR

HOW TO SPOT A QUALITY CONTRACTOR

Hiring the wrong paving contractor is one of the most expensive mistakes Long Island homeowners make. A bad job doesn't just look terrible — it costs you thousands in premature repairs. Here's what 30+ years in the business has taught us about separating the pros from the fly-by-night operators.

Red Flags to Watch For

• They give you a quote without visiting your property — a real estimate requires seeing the site
• The price is significantly lower than other quotes — they're cutting corners somewhere
• They won't specify asphalt thickness or base depth in writing
• They want a large deposit upfront before any work begins
• They can't provide proof of insurance or a business license
• They pressure you to decide immediately — "this price is only good today"
• They have no physical address or permanent phone number

Questions to Ask Every Contractor

Before you sign anything, ask these questions and get the answers in writing:

• How thick will the stone base be? (Should be 4-6 inches of RCA minimum)
• How thick will the asphalt be? (Residential should be 2-3 inches)
• Will you compact the base with a roller before paving?
• How long will the base settle before you pave?
• Are you licensed and insured in New York?
• Who will be on-site supervising the work?
• What's included in cleanup and final grading?

What Separates a 5-Year Driveway from a 25-Year Driveway

The difference between a driveway that lasts and one that doesn't almost always comes down to what's underneath the asphalt. The base preparation — excavation depth, stone type, compaction quality, and settling time — accounts for roughly 70% of your driveway's longevity. The cheapest contractors skip or rush this step because you can't see it once the asphalt goes down.

A quality contractor will excavate to the proper depth, lay 4-6 inches of RCA stone base, grade it for drainage, and power-compact it with an 8-ton roller. They'll let it settle if soil conditions require it. Only then does the asphalt go down — at the full specified thickness, machine-rolled for uniform density.

Why the Cheapest Quote Usually Costs You More

We tell every customer the same thing: call us last. Get your other quotes first, then call Ram Asphalt. Compare not just the price, but ask each contractor exactly how thick their base and asphalt will be. The cheapest guy is almost always running 2-3 inches of base instead of 5, or laying 1.5 inches of asphalt instead of 2.5. That saves him money today and costs you a new driveway in 5 years.

Ready for a straight answer from a contractor who does it right? Call Ram Asphalt at (516) 807-1077 for a free, no-pressure estimate. The owner comes out personally.