What is asphalting?
As an Amazon Associate, AsphaltTons.com earns from qualifying purchases. Product links below are sponsored. Planning estimates only — not contractor bids.
What is asphalting? In everyday speech it means paving or resurfacing with asphalt mix — delivering hot mix, placing it with a paver (or carefully by hand on small jobs), and rolling it dense. It is the process of putting asphalt on the ground, not the name of the rock-and-binder product itself.
If someone says they are “asphalting the driveway,” they usually mean a full pave or overlay, not a quick sealcoat or a bag of cold patch. For the product definition, see what is asphalt.
Estimate how many tons you need →What asphalting typically includes
- Prep — grade, compact base, fix drainage; mill or remove failed pavement when needed.
- Place — hot-mix asphalt trucked from a plant and spread to the planned thickness.
- Compact — rollers lock the mat while it is still workable.
- Cool / open — traffic timing is a crew call based on mix and weather.
How that mix is produced: how is asphalt made. Heat on paving day: how hot is asphalt when paving.
Asphalting vs similar work
- Sealcoating — thin protective coating on existing asphalt; not new structural thickness.
- Patching — localized repairs with cold or hot patch.
- Millings placement — recycled RAP spread and compacted; related but not the same as plant HMA paving. See what is asphalt millings.
- Overlay — new asphalt over existing pavement that is still sound enough to leave in place.
When homeowners hear “asphalting”
Quotes may say pave, overlay, resurface, or asphalt the driveway — same family of work. Ask what thickness, what happens to the old surface, and whether base work is included. Cost drivers are local; start with how much is an asphalt driveway and size tons with the driveway calculator or home tool.
Bottom line
What is asphalting? The act of paving or resurfacing with asphalt mix — prep, place, roll. It is how you get a driveway surface; the mix itself is asphalt. Plan thickness and tons, get local bids, and keep sealcoat and patch work in their own category.
FAQ
Is asphalting the same as tarring?
People say “tar” casually. Modern driveway paving uses asphalt mix with bitumen binder, not coal-tar pavement.
Can I asphalt a driveway myself?
Full asphalting needs plant mix, a paver or skilled hand work, and rollers. Most homeowners hire a paving crew and handle only small patches themselves.
How many tons for asphalting?
Tons = area × thickness × density. Use the asphalt calculator; confirm density and waste with your supplier.