Residential Driveways
Single driveways on 1960s bungalows in Vanier and Stanley Park, and double driveways on 1980s and 1990s homes now on their second or third surface. A typical double replacement is finished in one day.
Tear-out, base rebuild and repave
Asphalt Driveway Replacement and Removal in Kitchener
When a driveway or parking area is past saving, Kitchener Asphalt Paving Pros breaks it out, repairs whatever failed underneath and paves it new. We have rebuilt driveways, lots and lanes across Waterloo Region since 2013, as part of more than 2,500 completed jobs.
Most asphalt we tear out did not wear out from the top. It failed because the stone under it was too thin, sat on wet clay or sloped toward the house, and a fresh layer over that base would crack along the same lines within a few winters.
This page explains how we choose between a peel and pave and a full excavation, how deep we dig, where the old material goes and what removal adds to the price. New driveways on gravel are covered on our asphalt driveway paving page.
What we replace
Full Asphalt Tear-Out and Rebuild Services
We remove and replace asphalt on three kinds of property, using two scopes of work: a peel and pave when the base is sound, and a full excavation when it is not.
- Saw-cutting at sidewalks, garage slabs and any asphalt that stays
- Removal and haul-away of old asphalt to recycling
- Subgrade check, soft-spot repair and geotextile where needed
- New Granular A compacted in lifts, then hot mix paving
- Topsoil backfill at the edges and a swept street
Parking Lots and Commercial Pads
Failed sections of plaza, condo and church lots, garbage pads and loading areas. We phase the work so the property stays open, and our parking lot paving crews rebuild to the engineer's design where there is one.
Private Lanes and Yards
Long shared lanes and work yards where trucks have rutted the old surface down to the stone. Rebuilds use the same HL8 and HL3 spec as our private road and laneway paving.
Diagnosis
When Resurfacing Will Not Fix It Anymore
Resurfacing stops working once the damage comes from the base rather than the surface. If the asphalt is cracked in a connected pattern, sinking or heaving, a new top layer will copy those faults within a few freeze-thaw seasons.
This is how we read the symptoms on a site visit, and what each one usually means underneath.
| Symptom | What it says about the base | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Alligator cracking (small connected blocks) | Base is too thin or saturated and flexes under each tire | Full excavation in that area or the whole drive |
| Ruts in the wheel paths | Stone was not compacted or is mixed with clay | Peel and pave, or excavation if the ruts are deep |
| Humps in winter that settle in spring | Frost heave: water is trapped in the base or subgrade | Full excavation with geotextile and better drainage |
| Sunken areas near the garage or along edges | Backfill settled, or downspout water washed out fines | Dig out, compact new stone, redirect water |
| Potholes that return every March | Water reaches soft subgrade through open cracks | Full-depth repair or replacement |
| Water running toward the house | Grade was built wrong and cannot be fixed with an overlay | Replacement with a regraded base |
Isolated damage on an otherwise solid driveway does not need a tear-out. Our patching and pothole repair crews fix single soft spots, and asphalt resurfacing renews a surface that is only worn and grey.
Two scopes
Peel and Pave vs Full Excavation
A peel and pave removes only the old asphalt and reuses the stone below it, while a full excavation removes the base too. The test holes on our site visit decide which one your driveway needs.
The difference in price is real, but so is the difference in what gets fixed.
Peel and Pave: New Asphalt on a Sound Base
If the existing granular is firm, clean and deep enough, we strip the asphalt, regrade the stone to a proper fall and add Granular A where it is thin. The crew recompacts the whole base before paving 60 mm of HL3.
Full Excavation and Base Rebuild
When the stone is mixed with clay or the subgrade is soft, we dig out 250 to 350 mm and start again. Non-woven geotextile goes over wet clay, Granular B is added on very soft ground, and new Granular A is placed and compacted in lifts.
Fixing Grade and Drainage During a Rebuild
A replacement is the one time the slope can be corrected without compromise. We reset the base to fall at least 2% away from the house and, where a driveway slopes down to the garage and cannot be regraded, add a catch basin to take the water.
It is also the only time to add snowmelt, since heated asphalt driveways go in over the new base before paving.
| Scope | Peel and pave | Full excavation |
|---|---|---|
| What comes out | Old asphalt only | Asphalt plus 250 to 350 mm of failed base and soil |
| New base | Regrade, top up and recompact Granular A | Geotextile where wet, then all-new Granular A in lifts |
| Price per sq ft | $5.50 to $8.50 | $7.00 to $11.00 |
| Double driveway on site | 1 day | 2 days |
Stage by stage
Our Removal and Rebuild Process
These are the five stages in the order our crew works them, so you can line them up against any other quote you have. A contractor who skips the subgrade check or compacts the base in one pass is pricing a shortcut.
Utility locates through Ontario One Call
Ontario law requires locates before any digging, so we book them through Ontario One Call first. They mark utility-owned lines only; tell us about private lines such as sprinklers, landscape lighting or a gas line to a garage.
Breaking out and hauling old asphalt
We saw-cut where new asphalt will meet the sidewalk, garage slab or a neighbour's driveway, then lift the old surface with a skid steer and load it straight into dump trucks. Plywood goes over walkways the machines must cross.
Inspecting the subgrade on Kitchener clay
With the base exposed, we proof-roll it and watch for soil that pumps or ruts under the weight. Soft spots are dug out and backfilled with stone, and fabric goes over clay that stays wet.
Rebuilding the base in compacted lifts
New Granular A goes down in layers, each compacted with a vibratory roller or plate before the next. Dumping the full depth at once leaves loose stone at the bottom that settles in the first spring.
Paving, rolling and final edges
Saw-cut joints get an SS-1 tack coat, hot mix is placed and rolled while hot, and the open edges are tamped to a firm shoulder. We backfill the edges with topsoil so the new asphalt is supported.
Pricing
Replacement Cost and How Removal Affects It
Driveway replacement in Kitchener typically costs $5.50 to $8.50 per sq ft for a peel and pave and $7.00 to $11.00 per sq ft for a full excavation, before HST. Removal, disposal and new stone are the costs a new gravel install does not carry.
- Removal depth: older driveways often hide an overlay on top of the original, doubling the tonnes to break out and haul
- Disposal and trucking: every load of asphalt and soil is a truck trip to a recycler or receiving site
- New base material: a full excavation can need several loads of Granular A, plus fabric on clay
- Access: narrow side yards or no room for a dump truck mean smaller loads and more hand work
- Curb and apron changes: widening at the same time needs a City permit
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Single driveway, about 400 to 500 sq ft, peel and pave | $2,800 to $4,500 |
| Double driveway, about 800 to 1,000 sq ft, peel and pave | $4,800 to $8,000 |
| Full excavation and rebuild, any size | $7.00 to $11.00 per sq ft |
| Partial replacement or small area | $2,500 minimum |
Why us
Why Our Rebuilds Outlast Quick Overlays
A rebuild lasts because the base is fixed, and our quote proves it before you sign. These four points separate a replacement from a cosmetic layer.
Base First
We diagnose why the old driveway failed and fix that cause, whether it is thin stone, wet clay or bad drainage. A rebuilt driveway on a sound base lasts 15 to 25 years.
Written Scope
Your contract lists the excavation depth, base depth, fabric, asphalt thickness and drainage work. If the exposed base turns out worse than the test holes showed, we show you before any extra work is done.
1-Year Labour Warranty
Because we built the base, settling or cracking from it is ours to fix for 12 months. Overlays a customer chooses over a failed base are excluded, which is why we are honest about when one will not last.
WSIB and Insured Crews
Excavation is heavy work with trucks and machines on your property. Our crews are WSIB covered and work under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
FAQ
Tear-Out and Replacement Questions
Homeowners in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge ask us these before booking a replacement.
How long does a full driveway replacement take?
A typical double driveway is removed, rebuilt and paved in one day. A full excavation or a large driveway takes two, and you should plan 2 to 4 weeks of lead time plus utility locates before that.
Can you replace only part of my driveway?
Yes. We saw-cut a straight joint around the failed area, tack the cut face and compact new asphalt against it, so the seam stays closed. The new section looks darker for a season or two until the colours even out.
Will removal damage my curb, lawn or walkway edging?
Not if the edges are cut first. We saw-cut along concrete, lay plywood where machines cross walkways and backfill disturbed lawn edges with topsoil. Please move planters, bins and vehicles out of the way, and tell us where buried sprinkler or lighting lines run.
Do I need a permit to replace a driveway in Kitchener?
Usually not if the driveway keeps the same size and the curb does not change. Widening the apron or boulevard or cutting the curb needs a City permit, explained on our driveway paving and widening page.
Should I replace or resurface my driveway?
Replace it if the cracks are connected, the surface is sinking or water runs toward the house. If the structure is solid and only the top is grey and rough, an overlay costs less and adds 8 to 15 years.
Free quote
Get a Replacement Quote Based on Your Base
Every replacement quote starts with test holes, so the price reflects what is actually under your asphalt. We visit within 2 to 3 business days across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Puslinch.
- Base check and failure diagnosis on the site visit
- Peel and pave or full excavation, priced and explained
- Old asphalt recycled and excess soil hauled to approved sites
- Shop
- 324 Stirling Ave S, Kitchener, ON N2M 3H6
- Monday to Saturday
- 7:00am to 9:00pm
- Sunday
- 9:00am to 9:00pm