Pavement is a general term that refers to any hard surface, road or street. This can be brick, concrete, or asphalt. Asphalt is a specific kind of pavement, made from the combination of bitumen, gravel and sand.

There are several things you can do to separate the wheat from the chaff and inform your final decision. We recommend online research, speaking with some of their clients, viewing their finished projects in person and meeting the people behind the pavement. And, of course, weighing the value they’re offering versus the cost.

A great place to start is by reading Google reviews. Are they mostly positive? How responsive is the contractor? Are they replying to reviews, regardless of whether the feedback is good, bad or mixed? Are there any reviews that alarm you?

You could then look at their website. Assess their capabilities, experience, equipment and certifications. Check out their work: does it look outstanding? Can you see evidence of pride in their craftsmanship?

If you’re able to visit a few of their finished projects, how does the work look in person? How’s it holding up?

Speak with their clients. How’s the relationship? Do they hit deadlines? Are they courteous and responsive? Do they clean up as they work or do they leave wrecks in their wake? Do they look like professionals or hungover pirates?

When it comes to reviewing bids, look for foresight, detail, and, when applicable, options. Bids with options for your consideration show an aptitude for planning and adaptability.

Lastly, ask the contractor to walk you through their bid. If they can answer your questions quickly and clearly, they probably know their stuff. Long pauses or vague answers can be red flags.

Six reasons: aesthetics, price, time, location and use case, and material properties. Here’s the scoop.

1. Aesthetics. Sometimes the choice is simply a matter of looks and personal preference. Unlike asphalt, concrete can be colored and stamped; virtually all colors and shades are achievable. If you’re after a specific texture or color scheme and don’t mind paying for the upgrade, concrete is probably the way to go.

2. Price. As with most products, price is often the largest factor. Concrete is roughly twice the cost of asphalt per square foot, and that’s before colors and stamping patterns enter the equation. While asphalt has about half the expected lifespan as concrete, the upfront cost of asphalt is much easier for private businesses to swallow. Plus, most businesses don’t plan to stay in one place for 40 years and won’t reap the full benefit of such a long-term investment – especially since the difference in property value between the two substrates is usually a wash.

3. Maintenance. Concrete is relatively maintenance-free when compared to asphalt, with the exception of colored concrete which requires periodic resealing to keep its shine. When it comes to a traditional concrete slab, there’s virtually no maintenance. Stripes on concrete need to be repainted every few years, whereas seal-coating and striping should happen roughly every two years with asphalt. The inconvenience can be a nuisance.

4. Time. Job-site prep for asphalt is quicker than concrete since it doesn’t require forms to contain the material. Forming is a time-consuming process and a must for concrete installation, and installation of the asphalt material itself generally goes more quickly than concrete. In other words, the overall project duration is typically shorter with asphalt, causing less disruption for your business.

5. Location and use case. Asphalt is unsuitable for certain surfaces such as front porches and beams. Concrete can handle high pressure per square inch (PSI)  and is very rigid. This is why we build concrete pads to support dumpsters, electrical panels, generators and other heavy objects. Concrete also maintains a lower temperature in sunlight. So when people go barefooted in summer months (think boardwalks and sidewalks near water), concrete won’t toast their toes. 

Lastly, concrete can be pumped with a boom truck, which can reach locations that are inaccessible to dump trucks and other paving equipment.

6. Material properties. There’s an obvious reason you don’t see bridge pillars and walls made of asphalt: we all like it when roofs stay well above our heads, not falling down on them. 

Asphalt is temperature-cured. While it forms a hard surface after compaction and cooling, it’s best to think of asphalt as a highly viscous material. A bit like lava, though much easier to control. Concrete, on the other hand, undergoes a chemical reaction that permanently transforms its material properties upon curing.

In other words: when using both concrete and asphalt, keep the black stuff underfoot, the gray stuff overhead and everyone will stay safe. 👌🏻

With a typical paving company, you’ll find multiple cooks in the kitchen. 

One person estimates your job, another writes the bid and another manages the project.

It’s no wonder things often fall through the cracks, unmet deadlines sail past and the left and right hands don’t always talk to each other.

With Sommerset, your salesperson, estimator and project manager are all wrapped up in one person. You get continuity, clarity and efficiency. No hidden costs, no detail missed, no mysteries and no migraines. Quality, timeliness and superb communication are our priorities from first impression to final clean-up.

Think of us as the Swiss army knife of paving. Not too big, not too small. Each blade purpose-built for commercial, municipal or residential work. A range of capabilities from civil engineering and seasoned craftsmanship to leaders who bring an innovative attitude to every problem.

We’re family-owned and woman-led. Relationships are everything at Sommerset: we’ve found it’s virtually impossible not to go above and beyond when you’re surrounded by friendly and tireless teammates. And because our family’s legacy is on the line, we treat every job like it’s our own road or driveway. In other words? It’s personal.

Last but not least: we’re actually nice, happy people. We enjoy each other and our craft. If you watch our team at work, you’ll see smiles for miles. 

Why does this matter? Because happy people are motivated people, and motivated people bring their A-game, resulting in grade-A pavement.

Naturally, our nickname is Happy’s Paving. Head over to our Clients page to see what our happy customers have to say.