FAQ

First Class Paving is located in Sonoma County, California providing residential and commercial paving services to the surrounding areas including:

• Santa Rosa
• Petaluma
• Rohnert Park
• Cotati
• Windsor
• Healdsburg
• Sebastopol
• Sonoma
• Napa County
• Marin County
• Mendocino County

Our services are not limited to these specific areas and we would be more than happy to discuss your project. You can reach us at (707) 799-2276 or fill out our contact form here.

Yes we do! We’re happy to come out and assess your job for free and provide a competitive quote. You can contact us or call us at (707) 799-2276 to set up an appointment.

We recommend a minimum ambient air temperature of 50 degrees. In the Sonoma County area, this often means waiting to start on cooler days, although we can usually begin preparing the site early.

In the Santa Rosa area and the North Bay in general, most asphalt is ready to drive on within 24 hours depending on the weather. Asphalt will take longer to cure in shaded areas or in cooler weather.

With proper care and maintenance, you can typically expect 15-20 years of service from your new asphalt. You can contact us regarding ways to maintain and extend the life of your asphalt.

Asphalt sealcoating is a cost effective way to increase the lifespan of your asphalt paving installation. A properly applied seal coat will help prevent water penetration to the asphalt below and reduce oxidation. In addition, it helps guard against any gas or oil spills on a driveway or parking lot installation. It also preserves or enhances the visual appeal of the asphalt, giving it a fresh new look.

Asphalt driveways should be sealcoated every 3 years. If your driveway gets above average use or is exposed to a lot UV ray, snow or chemicals, you consider doing it every 2 years. Regular sealcoating can extend the life of your driveway by 2 or 3 times as much as without sealcoating. An asphalt driveway will typically last 15-20 years so an inexpensive sealcoat is a great investment.

Yes, you can install asphalt over a concrete base. Asphalt needs a solid, stable layer below and concrete can provide just that. However, larger concrete installations have expansion joints built-in by design to allow for expansion and contraction due to temperature. As with any asphalt underlay, any cracks below will eventually lead to cracks in the asphalt surface. Your asphalt contractor can assess the concrete as a base layer and prepare the concrete to minimize cracking due to concrete shifting.

Asphalt has several advantages over concrete in driveway applications:

Installation Time

Asphalt driveways can typically be installed in one day with an extra day needed for curing before it’s ready for use. On the other hand, concrete can take 2 or 3 days to pour and a week to cure before being available.

Better Durability

The quality of a concrete pour is very much determined by the proper mixture and installation process. Any deviation can result in flaking and cracking whereas asphalt is more flexible with tighter controls on the mix and application. As a result, asphalt is less prone to poor installation issues and is therefore more reliable. In addition, asphalt is less likely to crack over time.

Lower Maintenance Costs

Any cracks that develop in asphalt can easily be patched by the homeowner, even with no DIY experience. Crack sealants are readily available at any home improvement store so maintenance is easy and inexpensive. In addition, regular maintenance can extend the life of the asphalt by 20 years or more. On the other hand, concrete can’t be repaired as easily as asphalt. There are no “heat and patch solutions” available for concrete so any cracks or defects are challenging to fix.