Driveway Patching & Pothole Repair
Quality Asphalt & Maintenance fixes potholes, alligator cracking, and sunken patches before they spread across your driveway. Our driveway patching service repairs damaged asphalt the right way.
What Our Driveway Patching Service Covers
A driveway doesn't fail all at once. It starts with a hairline crack, a soft spot near the garage apron, or a low corner where water pools after every rain. Our crew inspects the full surface, not just the obvious hole, because the damage you can see is rarely the only damage that's there. When we patch, we use hot mix asphalt with proper compaction, not a bag of cold patch thrown in a hole and forgotten.
Depending on what we find, driveway patching may include:
- Full-depth removal and replacement of failed asphalt down to the base
- Pothole repair with properly compacted hot mix asphalt, not cold patch
- Asphalt patching around sunken sections caused by poor drainage or base failure
- Driveway crack repair on cracks too wide or too deep for standard crack filling
- Base regrading where water has washed out the gravel underneath
- Edge and apron repair where plow blades and tire turning do the most damage
Every patch is tied into the surrounding asphalt and compacted properly, so it holds instead of popping back out after the first freeze.
Why Michigan Driveways Develop Potholes
Potholes aren't random. They're the direct result of water getting into asphalt and Michigan giving it a hundred chances a year to freeze and expand. A small crack lets moisture into the base layer, that moisture freezes, expands, and pushes the surface up or breaks it apart from underneath, and the next thaw leaves a gap where asphalt used to be.
Traffic load speeds this up. Vehicles, especially heavier trucks or trailers, flex asphalt that's already weakened by water, and plow blades catch any edge that's started to lift. A few things make driveways especially vulnerable here:
- Repeated freeze/thaw cycles each fall, winter, and spring
- Standing water from poor slope or clogged drainage along the edge
- Rock salt and deicers working their way into existing cracks
- Plow contact on raised or uneven sections near the street
Driveway patching stops the cycle by removing the damaged asphalt and rebuilding that section properly, instead of leaving a weak spot for the next thaw to reopen.
Our Patching Process, From Inspection to Finish
We don't quote a patch job over the phone based on a photo. Every driveway gets a walk-through first, because the right repair depends on what's happening under the surface, not just what's visible on top.
- Step 1
On-site inspection
We walk the driveway, check the depth and spread of each pothole or crack, and look for the underlying cause, whether that's drainage, base failure, or normal wear from age and traffic.
- Step 2
Honest scope and estimate
We explain what we found, what we recommend, and why, including whether a patch is the right call or whether a larger section needs attention. You get a clear estimate before any work starts.
- Step 3
Removal and rebuild
We cut out and remove the damaged asphalt, address the base underneath if it's compromised, and install new hot mix asphalt compacted to match the surrounding driveway.
- Step 4
Finish and walkthrough
We clean the site, check the repair against the rest of the surface, and walk you through care during the cure period so the patch holds through its first Michigan winter and beyond.
Signs Your Driveway Needs Patching Now
Some damage can wait for a scheduled sealcoating season. Other damage gets worse every week it's left alone. Here's what tells us a driveway needs patching before anything else.
Potholes forming or deepening
Any hole that's holding water, growing wider after rain, or catching your tire when you pull in is past the point of a quick fix and needs proper pothole repair.
Cracks wider than a quarter inch
Hairline cracks are a job for crack filling. Once a crack opens up and you can see loose material inside it, water is already getting into the base and patching is the right move.
Sunken or soft spots
If part of your driveway feels spongy underfoot or sits visibly lower than the rest, the base beneath it has likely failed and needs to be rebuilt, not just resurfaced.
Water pooling after every rain
Standing water that doesn't drain within a few hours is doing damage you can't see yet. It's often a sign the surface needs patching and regrading before it turns into a pothole.
What Happens If You Wait, and When We'll Say No
A small pothole doesn't stay small. Left alone through a Michigan winter, water finds its way deeper into the base with every freeze and thaw, and a repair that would have cost a few hundred dollars in October can turn into a full section replacement by spring. Patching early is almost always the cheaper path.
That said, we won't talk you into patching a driveway that's past the point of patching. If more than a third of your driveway shows cracking, sinking, or repeated patch failure, we'll tell you straight that asphalt repair vs. replacement favors a full resurface or new installation, because patching a driveway that's structurally done just wastes your money on a short-term fix.
Here's how we think about it on-site:
- A handful of isolated potholes or cracks: patching makes sense and extends the driveway's life.
- Widespread alligator cracking across the whole surface: resurfacing is usually the smarter investment.
- Base failure under a large section: we'll discuss full-depth reconstruction instead of another patch.
- A driveway under five years old with isolated damage: often a drainage fix paired with a small patch, not a major repair.
Other Residential Services That Protect Your Driveway
Patching fixes existing damage. Pairing it with the right maintenance keeps new damage from forming in the first place. Here's how our residential services work together.
Driveway Sealcoating
Our 100% coal tar free sealcoating shields newly patched and existing asphalt from salt, sun, and water, extending the life of every repair we make.
Crack Filling
Catching small cracks early with hot-applied crack sealing keeps them from ever growing into the kind of damage that needs patching.
Concrete
From driveway aprons to walkways, our concrete team handles the flatwork that surrounds and supports your asphalt driveway.
Get Your Driveway Patched Before Winter Makes It Worse
Every pothole and open crack on your driveway is an invitation for Michigan's freeze/thaw cycle to do more damage. Our Professionals in Pink will walk your driveway, give you an honest assessment, and patch it right the first time, with no upsell on work it doesn't need.
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM