Capital city, fifty inches of rain

Asphalt Paving in Olympia, WA

From century-old downtown lots to westside cul-de-sacs, the pavement here lives or dies by drainage.

Free on-site estimates
Itemized written quote: base depth and asphalt thickness spelled out
Paving scheduled around the South Sound wet season

Paving in the Capital

Asphalt paving in Olympia means working across ground with very different histories. Almost 30 blocks of downtown sit on the Carlyon Fill, more than 2 million cubic yards of sediment dredged from Budd Inlet in 1910 and 1911. The hills to the east and west are shaped by the Vashon glacier, with drumlins, kettle lakes and dense till close to the surface, while the south end runs toward gravel outwash plains near Tumwater. Each of those settings drains differently, and the way a driveway or lot is built should change with it.

Rain, cold nights and short dry seasons

Olympia averages about 50 inches of precipitation a year, with November through January the wettest stretch and July the driest. The city's freeze window runs from about October 8 to May 3, and roughly 78 nights a year drop to freezing. That combination of long wet periods and frequent light frosts is hard on asphalt. Water seeps into cracks, freezes, and pries them wider, and saturated base rock loses strength under tires. We build every Olympia job to get water off the surface and out from under it.

Older neighborhoods and newer subdivisions

Olympia has 25,642 housing units according to the 2020 census, from early-1900s homes near downtown and the Bigelow and South Capitol areas to newer subdivisions on the westside and in the southeast. Older driveways tend to be narrow, steep or patched many times, and many sit under mature trees whose roots have lifted the edges. Newer driveways are more likely to need crack sealing and sealcoating to keep them young. We size the job to what the pavement actually needs.

City rules at the street

The apron where your driveway meets the street usually sits in public right-of-way. Olympia Municipal Code Chapter 12.20 requires a permit from the city engineer to dig in public property, including a bond, inspection notice and restoration to the city's Engineering Design and Development Standards. The code also restricts cuts into street pavement that was built or rehabilitated within the previous five years, which can affect plans to move or widen an approach on a recently paved street. Separately, Chapter 12.36 makes the abutting owner responsible for repairing an unsafe sidewalk when the city gives notice. Anything that touches the street gets cleared with the city before a date is set.

Our Olympia services

New driveways and full replacements on till, outwash or fill
Overlays for worn but sound pavement
Pothole, root heave and edge repair
Crack sealing before the rainy season
Sealcoating in the dry months
Parking lot paving and striping for downtown and Westside businesses

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What to Know in Olympia

Downtown is built on fill. More than 2 million cubic yards of sediment were dredged in 1910 and 1911 to create the Carlyon Fill, adding almost 30 blocks of downtown Olympia on reclaimed land.
Long freeze window. Olympia's freezing window typically runs from October 8 to May 3, with about 78 nights a year at or below freezing and a January mean minimum of 33.2 degrees.
Heavy winter rain. The city averages about 50 inches of precipitation a year. November through January are the rainiest months and July is the driest.
Right-of-way permits. OMC 12.20 requires a city engineer permit to dig in public property and bars cuts into pavement built or rehabilitated in the prior five years unless Public Works approves, with a restoration fee either way.

Asphalt Overlay & Resurfacing in Olympia, WA

Our Services in Olympia, WA

Olympia Questions

Can I widen my driveway apron in Olympia?

Often, but the apron usually sits in city right-of-way, and digging there requires a permit from the city engineer under OMC 12.20. If the street was paved in the last five years, cutting into it needs Public Works approval. We check before planning the work.

Why does my downtown lot settle in places?

Part of downtown sits on dredged fill from 1910 and 1911, and soft or uneven fill can settle under pavement. We probe soft areas and rebuild the base where needed rather than simply overlaying.

Who fixes the sidewalk next to my driveway?

Under OMC 12.36, when the city finds a sidewalk unsafe it can notify the abutting property owner to repair it. We can rebuild the asphalt up to the property line and tell you what the city requires beyond it.

When is the best paving season in Olympia?

Late spring to early fall. July is usually the driest month, and dry, warm ground lets new asphalt compact properly.

Free Estimates in Olympia, WA

Free estimates for driveways and lots in Olympia.

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