{"id":687,"date":"2025-12-24T02:13:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T10:13:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/?p=687"},"modified":"2025-12-24T02:13:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T10:13:37","slug":"questions-you-must-ask-before-hiring-a-paving-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/questions-you-must-ask-before-hiring-a-paving-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Paving Company"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your driveway is a big deal.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s more than just a place to park your car. It\u2019s the handshake of your home, the first thing people see. You need it to look good, be safe, and last for a very, very long time.<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s be honest, the world of paving can be confusing. You\u2019ll see quotes that are all over the place. How do you know who will do a great job and who might cut corners, leaving you with cracks and puddles in just a couple of years?<\/p>\n<p>You ask the right questions.<\/p>\n<p>Being prepared is the best way to protect your investment. Before you even think about hiring a paving company, make sure you ask them these things.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Part 1: The \u201cWho Are You, really?\u201d Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before talking about asphalt, you need to know who you\u2019re dealing with. These first questions are total deal-breakers.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Are you fully licensed, insured, and have WCB coverage?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The only right answer to this question is \u201cYes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Think of it this way: liability insurance protects YOUR property. If a machine accidentally cracks your garage foundation, their insurance pays for it, not you.<\/p>\n<p>WCB (WorkSafeBC) coverage protects YOU. If a worker gets hurt on your property, WCB covers them. Without it, you could be facing a massive lawsuit. Don\u2019t be shy \u2013 ask to see their paperwork!<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> Can I see some of your local projects?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>A good paver will be proud of their work and happy to show it off.<\/p>\n<p>Ask for addresses of jobs they just finished. This shows you what their fresh work looks like.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the pro tip: also ask for addresses of jobs they did 3 to 5 years ago. This is the real test. It shows you how their work holds up to our weather over time.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> Who is actually doing the work? Your own team?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This is an important one. A company that uses its own, dedicated crew has way more control over the quality of the job. You know who is showing up and that they work to the company\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n<p>If they use subcontractors, that\u2019s okay, but you should ask how they make sure the subs are qualified and insured.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Part 2: The \u201cHow Will You Build It?\u201d Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is the technical stuff, but I\u2019ll make it simple. The answers here are what separate a driveway that lasts 20 years from one that fails in 2.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong> What\u2019s your exact process for the foundation?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You wouldn\u2019t build a beautiful house on a soft, sandy foundation, right? The same goes for your driveway. The gravel base underneath is everything.<\/p>\n<p>Ask them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How deep will you dig? (You need to get rid of all the soft topsoil).<\/li>\n<li>How much gravel will you put down? (6-10 inches is a good amount for a driveway).<\/li>\n<li>How will you pack it down to make it rock solid?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong> What will the <em>compacted<\/em> thickness of the asphalt be?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Notice the word \u201ccompacted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Think of it like making a snowball. You start with a big, fluffy pile of snow and pack it down tight. Asphalt is the same. A paver might lay down 3 inches of fluffy, hot asphalt, but after the heavy roller flattens it, it might only be 2.25 inches thick.<\/p>\n<p>For a driveway, you want 2 to 3 inches of <em>final, compacted<\/em> asphalt.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li><strong> What kind of asphalt mix are you using?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It\u2019s like baking. A cookie and a cake both start with flour, but the recipes are totally different.<\/p>\n<p>Asphalt is the same. The \u201crecipe\u201d for a residential driveway that just sees cars is different from the recipe for a commercial parking lot that has heavy trucks driving on it. A good contractor will use the right mix for your specific project.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Part 3: The \u201cNo Surprises, please\u201d Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These final questions make sure your experience is smooth and professional from start to finish.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n<li><strong> Will I get a detailed, itemized contract?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>A price scribbled on a napkin is a huge red flag.<\/p>\n<p>A professional will give you a detailed contract that is a roadmap for your project. It should clearly state the exact scope of work, the depth of the base, the thickness of the asphalt, and the payment schedule.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"8\">\n<li><strong> What kind of warranty do you offer?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>A warranty is the company\u2019s promise to stand behind their work.<\/p>\n<p>Ask what it covers (it should be for problems with their workmanship) and, just as important, what it <em>doesn\u2019t<\/em> cover. And always, always get it in writing.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"9\">\n<li><strong> How will you protect my property?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Paving involves heavy, messy machines.<\/p>\n<p>Ask them what the plan is to make sure that heavy roller doesn\u2019t crush your sprinkler heads, crack your walkway, or leave oil stains on your garage floor. A good crew respects your whole property, not just the driveway.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hire With Confidence<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The process of hiring a paving company can feel like a lot, but it doesn\u2019t have to be.<\/p>\n<p>A great contractor won\u2019t just tolerate these questions; they\u2019ll welcome them. Their willingness to be open and honest is the best sign that you\u2019re dealing with a true professional.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t just go with the cheapest price. Go with the best long-term value.<\/p>\n<p>At Dhillon Bros Paving, we build our business on answering these questions clearly and honestly. We invite you to ask them. <a href=\"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/contact-us\/\"><strong>Contact us today<\/strong><\/a> for a free, detailed estimate and see what it\u2019s like to work with a team that puts quality first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your driveway is a big deal. It\u2019s more than just a place to park your car. It\u2019s the handshake of your home, the first thing people see. You need it to look good, be safe, and last for a very, very long time. But let\u2019s be honest, the world of paving can be confusing. You\u2019ll &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/questions-you-must-ask-before-hiring-a-paving-company\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Paving Company&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":688,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paving-company"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":689,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687\/revisions\/689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhillonpaving.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}