Asphalt Paving, Repair and Sealcoating in Fort Lauderdale

What South Florida Sun, Rain and Ground Do to Asphalt

Asphalt in Broward County wears out differently than pavement up north. There is no freeze and thaw cycle here, but the local mix of heat, water and soft ground does its own steady damage. Knowing which force is working on your lot makes it much easier to judge a repair proposal.

Sun and heat

Year-round ultraviolet light dries out the binder that holds asphalt together. The surface fades from black to a chalky gray, loses flexibility and starts to ravel, with loose stones collecting along curbs and in drive aisles. On hot afternoons the softened surface also scuffs where delivery trucks turn their wheels in place.

Afternoon storms and a shallow water table

From late spring through fall, heavy afternoon storms dump a lot of water in a short time. In much of Broward the water table sits close to the surface, so a low spot can stay wet for days. Water that finds a crack soaks the base below, and a soft base is what turns a hairline crack into a pothole.

Sand over limestone

Much of the county is built on sandy fill over limestone. Sand that is not compacted well, or that washes out through a broken pipe or an undermined drain, leaves voids under the pavement. The result is a dip, a sinking patch around a catch basin, or a depression that keeps coming back after it is patched.

Salt air, tree roots and hurricanes

Near the coast, salt air and blowing sand add to surface wear. Ficus, banyan and other shade trees push roots under lots and lift the pavement in ridges. Hurricanes and tropical storms bring flooding, fallen trees and heavy cleanup equipment, and lots often show new cracking and settlement in the weeks after a storm passes.

Repair, Overlay or Full Replacement: How to Tell Which You Need

Most lots do not need to be torn out, and most owners do not want to pay for more work than the pavement calls for. The right answer depends on how much of the surface is failing and whether the problem is on top or underneath.

When repair is enough

If the damage is limited to a few potholes, isolated alligator cracking around a dumpster pad or a soft spot near a drain, cutting out those areas and patching them with new asphalt is usually the sensible move. The rest of the lot can then be crack filled and sealcoated to slow down the next round of wear.

When an overlay makes sense

An overlay places a new layer of asphalt over the existing surface after the edges and failed spots are milled and repaired. It fits a lot that is worn, faded and cracked across the top but still solid underneath. Curb height, drainage and door thresholds matter here, which is why milling along curbs and at entrances is often part of the plan.

When the lot needs to come out

If cracking runs across most of the lot, if patches keep failing, or if the pavement moves when a heavy truck drives over it, the base is likely the problem. Laying fresh asphalt over a failed base only buys a short break. Full replacement removes the old pavement, corrects and compacts the base and rebuilds the slope so water leaves the lot.

Request a site visit

Send the property address and a quick note on what the lot needs, and the contractor will follow up to set a site visit.

Four kinds of asphalt work

Most requests that come through this site fall into four kinds of work. Some lots need new asphalt laid from the base up or over the old surface. Others need targeted repair of potholes, failed patches and sunken areas. Many simply need sealcoating to protect a surface that is still sound, and nearly every commercial lot needs its striping refreshed on a regular basis. Pick the service that sounds closest to your situation to read more, or send the address and the contractor will sort out which mix of work the pavement calls for.

One honest note: most single-family homes in Broward County have concrete or paver driveways, not asphalt. Asphalt work here is mostly parking lots, private roads in gated communities, plazas, office parks, warehouse yards, churches and schools, along with a smaller number of homes with asphalt drives. If your driveway is concrete, this is probably not the right place for it, but if you are not sure what you have, send a photo.

What a Solid Asphalt Proposal Should Spell Out

Two proposals for the same lot can look far apart until you read what each one includes. A clear written scope makes it possible to compare offers fairly and avoids surprises once work starts. Before signing, look for these items in writing:

• The work area, with square footage or a sketch showing which sections are included
• Milling depth and where milling happens, such as along curbs, gutters and entrances
• How base repair is handled, including how soft areas are found, dug out and priced
• Compacted asphalt thickness after rolling, not just the amount delivered
• The asphalt mix type for drive aisles, parking stalls and any truck areas
• Tack coat between the old surface and the new layer
• Drainage and slope corrections, including work around catch basins and low spots
• When sealcoating can follow new asphalt, since fresh pavement needs time to cure
• The striping layout, including stalls, arrows, fire lanes and accessible parking
• Phasing and traffic control, so tenants, residents and customers can still get in
• Who pulls any permit the city requires and who handles inspections
• Exclusions, such as concrete curbs, sidewalks, landscaping, irrigation and signage

Scheduling Around Rainy Season, Hurricane Season and Business Hours

Paving in Broward County is a year-round trade, but the calendar still matters. The drier months from late fall into spring give the most predictable working days. From late spring through fall, afternoon storms are common, so crews tend to start early and plan to finish placing asphalt before the clouds build. A good contractor watches the forecast closely and will move a day rather than pave on a wet base.

Hurricane season runs from June through November. Work planned during those months should allow for delays when a storm threatens, and contractors are often busy with cleanup and emergency patching after one passes. If the work is not urgent, planning it for the drier months usually makes scheduling easier.

For businesses, the bigger question is how to stay open. Most commercial lots can be phased, paving one section at a time while customers park in another. Entrances can be done in halves so traffic keeps moving. Restaurants, plazas and offices along busy corridors like Broward Blvd or Cypress Creek often ask for night or weekend work, and condo associations usually need notice posted for residents well ahead of time. Ask how the contractor plans the phases, how long each section stays closed and when cars can return.

Cities across Broward County

The contractor works properties across Broward County, from the beach towns east of Federal Highway to the newer communities out west near the Everglades. Each area has its own mix of pavement, from older strip centers and condo lots near the coast to large association roads and office parks inland. These are some of the cities where requests come in most often.

Your property is somewhere else in Broward County? Send the address anyway. Lauderhill, Plantation, Davie, Tamarac, Margate, Hollywood and the rest of the county are worth asking about.

Keeping a Broward Parking Lot in Shape Between Projects

Routine upkeep costs far less than early replacement, and in this climate it makes a visible difference in how long pavement lasts. A simple maintenance plan covers a handful of recurring tasks.

Sealcoat on a steady cycle

Sealcoating shields the surface from sun and water and restores the dark color that fades in South Florida light. Many lots are resealed every few years, with high-traffic lots on a shorter cycle. Restriping is usually done right after sealcoat so the layout stays crisp.

Fill cracks before the rain gets in

Cleaning and filling cracks before the rainy season keeps water out of the base. It is one of the least expensive things an owner can do and one of the most effective.

Watch drainage, oil spots and trash enclosure pads

Keep catch basins clear and note where water stands after a storm, since standing water points to a slope or base problem. Oil and fuel drips soften asphalt, so treat stains in parking stalls before sealing. Dumpster pads take heavy point loads from trucks every week, and many owners switch them to concrete instead of patching the same asphalt over and over.

Fort Lauderdale Asphalt Questions