New driveways on builder base
New-build owners in Hespeler and east Galt book asphalt driveway paving to finish a gravel or base-coat driveway. Grade and pave over a sound base runs $4.00 to $6.50 per square foot before HST.
Cambridge asphalt paving
Driveway Paving in Cambridge, ON: Galt, Preston and Hespeler
Kitchener Asphalt Paving Pros paves and repairs driveways, lanes and yards in Cambridge for homeowners, small landlords and industrial owners along the Highway 401 corridor. Cambridge was formed in 1973 from Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Blair, and each one still has its own kind of driveway.
Galt and Preston have stone and brick homes on narrow lots with side and shared driveways, Hespeler and the east side are full of builder-finished driveways in new subdivisions, and the 401 business parks need truck-grade pavement. The ground helps: much of Cambridge sits on sand and gravel outwash that drains far better than Kitchener clay.
We have paved across Waterloo Region since 2013 and finished more than 2,500 jobs. In Cambridge that means planning hand work on tight century lots, waiting out settlement on new ones and checking the Grand and Speed river floodplains before any regrading.
Cambridge services
Asphalt Driveways and Repairs Across Cambridge
Cambridge customers book four services from us more than any others. Each card links to the page with full specs and prices for that job.
Driveway sealing
Driveway sealing in Cambridge keeps older Galt and Preston surfaces from ravelling under road salt. Our coal-tar-free driveway sealcoating goes on every 2 to 3 years once the asphalt is a year old.
Patching and potholes
Shared and side driveways often break up where cars turn in from the street. Asphalt patching and pothole repair cuts out the failed area and rebuilds it to full depth.
Industrial yards and lanes
Yards and access roads near the 401 are built on our private road, laneway and industrial yard paving spec, with an HL8 binder course under the HL3 surface.
Century homes
Paving Older Homes in Galt and Preston
Older homes in Galt and Preston usually mean narrow side driveways, tight access and more hand work than a suburban job. Galt's 19th-century stone houses and the brick homes along Preston's older streets were built before two-car driveways existed.
Narrow side driveways
Many drives run between the house and the lot line with under 3 metres of width. We use a smaller roller and plate compactor and hand-place asphalt along foundations and fences.
Shared or mutual driveways
Some Galt and Preston homes share one driveway on a registered right-of-way. Both owners sign the contract, and we plan the centre joint and slope so neither house takes the other's water.
Stone foundations and drainage
Old fieldstone and limestone foundations do not like water pooling against them. We grade the new surface at least 2% away from the wall and toward the street or lawn.
New builds
New Subdivisions in Hespeler and East Galt
In newer Cambridge subdivisions such as River Mill in Hespeler, builders often hand over a gravel driveway or a thin base coat of asphalt. The final surface should wait until the lot has settled, usually 1 to 2 years after move-in.
Why settlement matters
Trenches for water, sewer and gas laterals are backfilled during construction and keep settling through the first winters. Paving too early locks a dip into the new surface right over the service line.
What we check first
We probe the base for soft spots, check the slope at the garage slab and curb, and look for builder base that is thinner than 150 mm. Weak areas are dug out and rebuilt with Granular A before we pave.
Over a sound base coat we tack and lay a 40 to 50 mm HL3 surface lift. Over gravel, it is a full grade and pave with 60 mm of compacted HL3.
Rivers
Grand and Speed River Floodplain Considerations
The Grand River runs through downtown Galt and the Speed River through Hespeler and Preston before the two meet in Cambridge. Low-lying properties near either river can sit in a Grand River Conservation Authority regulated area, where regrading needs a permit.
- Raising a driveway, adding fill or changing grades in a regulated area needs a permit under Ontario Regulation 41/24 from the Grand River Conservation Authority.
- A same-grade replacement is usually simpler, but we still check the GRCA mapping before quoting riverside properties.
- Excavated soil goes to approved sites under Ontario's excess soil rules, and old asphalt goes to recycling.
Riverside lots also tend to have higher groundwater in spring. We add base depth or geotextile where the subgrade stays wet.
Industrial
Commercial and Industrial Paving Along the 401
Cambridge's industrial land along Highway 401, from the Hespeler Road interchange to the Maple Grove Road and Pinebush Road areas, carries some of the heaviest truck traffic in the Region. Pavement here is built in thicker layers than any driveway.
Truck lanes and loading pads
We build to 150 mm of Granular A over 450 mm of Granular B, with 60 to 75 mm of HL8 under 40 mm of HL3. Tractor-trailer yards follow the site engineer's design.
Private lanes and yard roads
Access roads behind warehouses get 50 mm of HL8 and 40 mm of HL3 over a two-layer granular base. See our industrial yard and private road paving page for the full build.
Phased work around shifts
Plants that run around the clock cannot close a yard. We pave in sections, often on weekends, so trucks keep moving to the docks.
Service area
Getting to Cambridge From Kitchener
Cambridge is 20 to 25 minutes from our Kitchener yard, by Highway 8 and the 401 to Hespeler and Galt, or by Homer Watson Boulevard and Fountain Street to Preston and Blair. We book site visits within 2 to 3 business days anywhere in the city.
To keep hot mix on schedule, we group Cambridge jobs by community on the same days. Paving usually follows 2 to 4 weeks after you sign, plus utility locates and any City curb work.
FAQ
Cambridge Paving Questions
These are the questions Cambridge homeowners ask us most, and most of them come from the city's mix of old and new housing.
Can you pave a shared driveway between two Cambridge homes?
Yes, as long as both owners agree in writing. We price the job as one driveway, set the slope so water drains to the street rather than either house, and both owners sign the contract.
How long should I wait to pave a new-build driveway in Hespeler?
Wait about 1 to 2 years after move-in, so the lot goes through at least one full freeze-thaw season. We then probe the builder base and fix soft spots over the service trenches before paving.
Do you seal driveways in Galt and Preston?
Yes, we seal driveways across Cambridge with coal-tar-free sealer. A typical double driveway costs $250 to $450, and our driveway sealcoating service explains how often to reseal.
How wide can my driveway be in Cambridge?
The City's limit is 7 metres, with at least 45% of the yard kept as landscaped space. Any new or altered access also needs a City Access Permit.
Does sandy Cambridge soil mean a thinner base?
No, we still use 150 to 200 mm of compacted Granular A for a car driveway. Sandy outwash drains well and heaves less, but it shifts under load if the base above it is thin.
Free estimate
Book a Cambridge Paving Estimate
Tell us whether you are in Galt, Preston, Hespeler or Blair and what you need done, and we will book a site visit within 2 to 3 business days. Every Cambridge job carries our 1-year labour warranty in writing.
- Access Permit drawing and width check for widenings
- GRCA regulated-area check on riverside lots
- Hand work planned for narrow and shared driveways
- Shop
- 324 Stirling Ave S, Kitchener, ON N2M 3H6
- Monday to Saturday
- 7:00am to 9:00pm
- Sunday
- 9:00am to 9:00pm