TAR & CHIP DRIVEWAYS

Significantly lower total cost on larger driveways

On larger driveway projects, tar & chip installs significantly faster than hot-mix asphalt, reducing labor time, equipment hours, and overall project cost. Tar & chip driveways typically have a shorter service life than asphalt, averaging around 10 years compared to approximately 20 years for asphalt. While asphalt does last longer overall, tar & chip is typically installed at roughly 50% of the initial cost of asphalt and does not require recurring sealcoating or maintenance. When total installation and maintenance costs are compared over a 10-year period, tar & chip is often approximately 60% less expensive than asphalt, while avoiding ongoing upkeep and access restrictions. While asphalt does not automatically require full removal or milling down at the end of its typical 20-year service life, it quite often does. When asphalt driveways reach the point where they need to be redone, structural failure, accumulated thickness, or widespread surface deterioration can make removal or milling necessary. When this occurs, costs increase substantially, whereas tar & chip surfaces can be renewed indefinitely through resurfacing without ever requiring removal or milling, keeping long-term lifecycle costs significantly lower by comparison.

Immediate usability

Unlike asphalt, which requires extended curing time with restricted vehicle access, tar & chip can be driven on immediately after installation.

No sealcoating requirements

Asphalt is designed to be sealcoated every few years to protect the surface. Tar & chip never requires sealcoating, eliminating a major recurring maintenance requirement.

No recurring access shutdowns

Sealcoating asphalt driveways requires restricting access while the sealer dries. Tar & chip eliminates this issue entirely.

Superior traction, especially in wet conditions

The textured stone surface provides significantly better traction than smooth asphalt, particularly on hills, curves, and during rain or freezing conditions.

Stronger, longer-lasting repairs

Asphalt repairs commonly crack along seams within a year, allowing water intrusion. Tar & chip remains pliable and bonds to existing material without rigid seams, resulting in repairs that resist cracking and last longer.

Easier and less expensive repairs

Asphalt repairs typically require mobilizing nearly the same crew size and paving equipment as initial installation. Tar & chip repairs can often be completed by one or two people with minimal equipment. In many cases, professional-quality repairs can even be performed by property owners using basic tools and materials readily available from a home improvement store.

Repairs that blend naturally

Asphalt patches are visually obvious due to color and texture differences. Tar & chip repairs use the same stone as the original surface, allowing repaired areas to blend quickly as traffic seats the aggregate.

Forgiving edges with no backfilling required

Tar & chip edges are not elevated above surrounding ground like asphalt edges. Vehicles can drive on and off the surface without damaging edges, and no edge backfilling is required.

An indefinitely renewable paving system

Asphalt eventually must be completely removed due to structural failure or accumulated thickness. Tar & chip is a thin, flexible surface that can be maintained indefinitely through localized repairs and periodic resurfacing without milling or removal.

Far greater resistance to cracking

Tar & chip’s flexible binder system absorbs movement instead of cracking. This makes it far more resistant to general cracking and reflective cracking than rigid asphalt surfaces.

Lower surface temperatures and reduced glare

Black asphalt absorbs heat and can reach surface temperatures of approximately 150–165°F on hot summer days, radiating heat and increasing glare. Tar & chip’s lighter stone surface absorbs less heat and has a matte finish that reduces glare, making it a noticeably cooler driveway surface.

A more natural appearance

Many property owners prefer the stone texture and lighter appearance of tar & chip over black asphalt, especially on rural, estate, and wooded properties.