Three paving bids arrive and the spread between them is large enough that something must be different. The documents are a page each, none of them state the same things, and there is no obvious way to work out which is comparing like with like.
That opacity is the actual problem. Paving is largely invisible once finished, which means quality differences do not appear for several years. Here is what to check before signing anything.
Why The Bids Are Not Comparable
In most cases the low bid is not cheaper for the same work. It is a different scope.
Asphalt thickness is the most common variable. A difference of an inch of compacted depth is a substantial cost difference and it is invisible after completion.
Base preparation is the second. One contractor may include base repair, proof rolling and compaction testing while another assumes the existing base is adequate.
Overlay versus full depth is a scope difference dressed up as a price difference.
And exclusions do the rest. Striping, drainage, tack coat, traffic control and haul off may be in one bid and absent from another.
Until each contractor is bidding the same written scope, you are not comparing prices. You are comparing guesses.
Write The Specification Yourself
This is the single most effective thing a property owner can do, and almost nobody does it.
Decide the scope, put it in writing, and give the same document to every bidder. Even a basic one page specification transforms the process.
State the compacted asphalt thickness required. State whether base repair is included and how additional base repair will be priced if discovered. State whether drainage correction is in scope.
State striping requirements, cleanup and haul off, and the warranty period expected.
Then the bids become genuinely comparable, and any contractor who cannot bid to a written specification has told you something useful.
Ask About The Base, Not The Surface
Contractors talk about asphalt because that is what clients ask about. The base is what determines whether the job lasts.
Ask how they will assess the existing base and what they will do if it proves inadequate.
Ask what the aggregate base depth will be and whether compaction will be tested.
Ask specifically how drainage will be handled, since water is what destroys asphalt. A contractor with no answer to the drainage question is planning to pave over the problem.
A contractor who talks readily about base and drainage is generally more reliable than one who talks only about materials and finish.
Credentials Worth Verifying
Licensing and bonding appropriate to the work and jurisdiction.
General liability insurance, and workers compensation coverage. Ask for a certificate sent directly from the insurer rather than a copy, and check the dates.
Local references from work completed three to five years ago rather than three months ago. Fresh asphalt always looks good. Asphalt that has been through several Oklahoma freeze and thaw cycles tells you something real.
Then go and look at those jobs. It takes an afternoon and it is the most reliable diligence available.
Ask whether the crew is employed directly or subcontracted, and who supervises on site. Continuity of supervision affects quality more than most factors.
Understand The Warranty Properly
Most paving warranties cover workmanship for one to two years, and it is worth reading what that actually means.
Ask what is specifically excluded. Cracking from base failure, drainage issues or subgrade movement is frequently excluded, and those are the most common failure modes.
Ask what the process is for a warranty claim and how quickly they respond.
And consider how long the contractor has operated locally. A twenty year warranty from a business that may not exist in three years is not worth what it appears to be.
Warning Signs Worth Walking Away From
Door to door solicitation offering a discount because they have leftover material from a nearby job. This is among the oldest approaches in the trade and the work is generally thin and poorly compacted.
Pressure to decide immediately, or pricing described as available today only.
A substantial deposit demanded before any work begins. A reasonable deposit for materials is normal on a large job. Most of the contract value upfront is not.
No written contract, or a contract with no specification attached.
No local address, or a phone number that goes to voicemail during business hours.
And an unusually low bid with no explanation for how it is achievable. Contractors handling full sitework and infrastructure scopes can normally explain exactly where their number comes from, line by line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do paving bids vary so much in price?
Usually because the scope differs rather than the price. Asphalt thickness, base preparation, whether the work is an overlay or full depth, and exclusions such as striping and drainage all change the number substantially and are invisible once work is complete.
What should a paving contract specify?
Compacted asphalt thickness, base preparation and how additional base repair is priced, whether the scope is overlay or full depth, drainage work, striping, cleanup and haul off, cure time and the warranty terms with exclusions stated.
What questions should I ask a paving contractor?
How the existing base will be assessed and what happens if it is inadequate, what the aggregate base depth will be, whether compaction is tested, and specifically how drainage will be handled. Drainage is what determines service life.
How do I check a paving contractor's references?
Ask for local jobs completed three to five years ago rather than recent work, then go and look at them. New asphalt always looks good, whereas a surface that has been through several freeze and thaw cycles reveals the quality of the base work.
Should I be cautious of door to door paving offers?
Yes. Offers based on leftover material from a nearby job are a long standing approach in the trade and the resulting work is typically thin and poorly compacted. Pressure to decide immediately and large upfront deposits are further warning signs.
First Water Contracting
Turn-key sitework & paving across Oklahoma
