As a customer, it’s difficult to determine whether you’re paying just the right amount for a service, especially for construction services such as asphalt paving.
Asphalt paving services in temperate places like Salt Lake City can be done for a low cost since asphalt dries quickly. But how can you be sure that you’re paying a fair price for the service? Here are the factors affecting asphalt paving costs. Here are the factors affecting asphalt paving costs:
Total Square Footage
Projects that take up a lot of surface area is bound to be laborious and resource-consuming, so don’t be surprised if you are given an expensive quotation. You can also use construction calculators that are available online to get an estimate of the whole project, using a benchmark density of 148 pounds for every cubic foot. If you need a large number of materials, you can get a reduced rate for bulk purchases. Don’t forget to consider depth as well, since this will affect the number of materials needed and the time required to complete the project.
Asphalt Quality
The quality of the asphalt also affects the price, with higher-quality asphalts tending to be more expensive. If your budget is a little tight, you may want to hold off on the project until you can afford good quality asphalt. Otherwise, you may end up paying more in the long run when the cheap asphalt breaks. But if you have to do the asphalt paving now, consult with a construction professional on how to minimize costs without sacrificing too much of the quality.
Transportation Costs
Another thing you need to take into consideration is the distance of the construction site from where you bought the asphalt. The bigger the distance, the more you have to pay for transportation costs, especially if you are renting trucks to do it. As much as possible, purchase the asphalt from a facility nearest your house or the construction site.
Asphalt Type
Asphalt can come in different forms, such as hot mix, cold mix, and recycled. Hot mix asphalt must be used immediately after you buy it, and this will affect transportation costs since you need special equipment to keep the asphalt hot. This type of asphalt is mainly used for permanent applications. On the other hand, cold mix asphalt is more of a temporary fix, but it is easier to transport and work with.
Permits
Before you build on your property or on any plot that connects to a public road, you need to secure permits from your local municipal hall. In doing so, you may incur additional costs that will increase the price of the whole project.
Obstructions
If there are obstructions beneath the soil or in the path of the target paving area, you may need to pay extra for the necessary work to remove them. You can do this yourself, but for bigger and more complicated obstructions, you may need to call the professionals.
Now that you know the main factors affecting asphalt the cost of paving construction, you can negotiate better with the contractor you’re working with.
