Resurfacing
An overlay is half the price. It is also the wrong answer half the time.
Resurfacing puts a fresh 40 mm of asphalt over your existing driveway. On a sound base it is excellent value and lasts twelve to fifteen years. On a failed base it looks perfect for one season and cracks in exactly the same pattern by the second spring. Everything depends on what we find underneath.
What resurfacing actually involves
The existing surface is cleaned and any failed sections are cut out and patched to level. Where the new asphalt meets the garage apron or the municipal sidewalk, we mill down a strip so the finished height does not step up — a driveway that gains 40 mm at the garage door becomes a garage that floods.
Then a tack coat, then 40 mm of HL-3 surface course, machine-laid and rolled. Edges are cut clean and the perimeter is re-graded so water still leaves the surface where it should.
The whole thing takes one to two days. You can walk on it the same day and drive on it after about 48 hours.
How we decide whether you qualify
We probe the existing driveway in several places to find soft spots, look at how the cracking is distributed, and check whether the grade still carries water off the surface. Three findings rule out an overlay:
Widespread alligator cracking. If it covers more than roughly a third of the area, the base has failed and new asphalt on top will fail with it.
Soft or spongy sections. If the surface flexes underfoot or under a vehicle, there is a void or saturated base beneath it.
Water pooling. An overlay follows the existing shape. If water sits in a low spot now, it will sit there afterwards, and standing water is what kills driveways.
If any of those are present we will say so and quote the rebuild instead. It is a bigger number and an easier sale to walk away from, but it is the honest answer.
Overlay versus full rebuild, in money
Resurfacing a 600 sq ft driveway runs roughly $2,400 to $4,200. Rebuilding the same driveway runs roughly $4,800 to $7,800. If the base is sound, the overlay is clearly the better buy and you spend the difference elsewhere.
If the base is not sound, the overlay is $3,000 that buys you eighteen months and then you pay for the rebuild anyway. That is the entire calculation, and it is why the site visit is not a formality.
Pricing
Ranges we actually quote across the GTA in 2026. Your number depends on square footage, access, disposal and what has to come out first — all confirmed on site.
| Work | Price | Typical project |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt resurfacing | $4 – $7 / sq ft | $2,200 – $4,500 for a typical two-car driveway |
| Milling at transitions | Included | Garage apron and sidewalk edges cut down to level |
| Section patching first | From $250 | Failed areas repaired to level before the overlay |
| Full rebuild instead | $8 – $13 / sq ft | When the base does not qualify for an overlay |
Ranges are for planning, not a quote. Get your exact number →
Questions
How do I know if my driveway can be resurfaced?
The short version: if the cracks are individual lines rather than an interconnected pattern, the surface does not flex underfoot, and water drains off rather than pooling, you are probably a candidate. We confirm it by probing on site before quoting.
How many times can a driveway be resurfaced?
Usually once, occasionally twice. Each overlay adds height, and there is a limit before the driveway sits above the garage apron and the sidewalk. Past that point the old material has to come out.
Will the old cracks show through?
Not immediately. Reflective cracking can eventually telegraph up from large cracks below, which is why we cut out and patch the worst sections before overlaying rather than paving straight over them.
Is resurfacing the same as sealing?
No. Sealing is a coating a few millimetres thick that protects the surface from oxidation. Resurfacing is 40 mm of new asphalt — an actual new driving surface.
When can I drive on it?
About 48 hours in normal conditions, longer in hot weather. Keep sharp point loads like jack stands and kickstands off it through the first summer while it hardens.
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