Driveway Contractor Interview Questions: What to Ask

Why the Right Questions Matter

Your driveway is the welcome mat to your home and the most-used piece of real estate you own. A botched install can cost thousands to fix and dent curb appeal overnight. The fastest way to avoid surprises is to treat the first meeting like a job interview—because it is. The questions below are the ones Drivewayz USA project managers wish every homeowner asked. Use them verbatim or adapt them to your project; either way, you’ll spot the pros, the pretenders, and the red flags before you sign anything.

15 Minutes of Prep That Saves 15 Grand

Before the contractor arrives, do three things:

1. Measure the approximate square footage (length × width).
2. Photograph problem areas—cracks, pooling water, crumbling edges.
3. List your “must-haves” (wider apron, RV pad, decorative border, etc.).

Bring this info to the walk-through. Contractors love prepared homeowners because it signals you’re serious—and they’ll reciprocate with straight answers instead of sales fluff.

The Ultimate Driveway Contractor Interview Questions Checklist

1. “Are You Licensed, Bonded, and Insured for Driveway Work in My City?”

Forty-three U.S. states require a contractor’s license for flat concrete or asphalt exceeding $500. Ask for the license number and verify it on your state’s contractor board website. Next, request a certificate of insurance showing at least $1 M general liability and workers’ comp. If the crew member shoveling asphalt trips and breaks an ankle, you don’t want the claim landing on your homeowner’s policy.

2. “How Many Driveways Like Mine Have You Installed in the Last 12 Months?”

You want a specialist, not a “we-do-it-all” handyman. Ask for the addresses of three recent jobs within five miles. Drive by them on a Saturday and look for standing water, tire marks, or unraveling edges. If the contractor hesitates, move on.

3. “Is Your Crew Employees or Subs?”

Employee crews are covered by workers’ comp; subs may not be. If subs are used, demand proof they carry their own insurance and that the contractor holds a valid “wrap” policy that covers gaps.

4. “What Grade of Concrete or Asphalt Will You Use?”

For concrete, request 4,000 psi minimum, 6% air entrainment for freeze zones, and #4 rebar on 18-inch centers. For asphalt, insist on 9.5 mm Superpave surface course over 19 mm binder course—no “plant tailings” or recycled-only mix. Get the mix design in writing; legitimate suppliers happily provide it.

5. “How Will You Prep the Base?”

80% of driveway failures start below the surface. Ask for 4–6 inches of compacted crushed concrete (RCA) or CA6 gravel, laser-graded to 1% slope away from the garage. Require a plate-compactor pass every two inches; no “drive-over with the truck” nonsense.

6. “What Finished Thickness Are You Quoting?”

Residential concrete should be 5 inches thick for passenger vehicles, 6 inches if you park a ¾-ton truck. Asphalt needs 3 inches compacted (2″ binder + 1″ surface). Anything less is a red flag. Ask where they measure—at the center or the edge? (Edges taper; insist on center-point calipers.)

7. “How Will You Handle Drainage?”

Standing water + freeze cycles = potholes. Ask for a drainage plan: slope percentage, swale location, or trench drain. If your neighborhood has a homeowners’ association, ask if the plan meets their storm-water rules.

8. “Where Will You Place Expansion Joints?”

Concrete expands; without relief cuts it cracks where it wants. Ask for joints every 8–10 feet in both directions and at any inside corner. For decorative stamped driveways, request “zip-strip” joints that blend with the pattern.

9. “Do You Use Rebar or Mesh—and at What Spacing?”

Welded-wire mesh is cheaper but ends up at the bottom of the slab where it does nothing. #4 rebar on chairs provides 1½-inch cover and ties the slab together. Ask for a photo mid-pour; if you don’t see steel, stop the job.

10. “What Sealer Do You Apply and When?”

Concrete should cure 7–14 days before sealing. Ask for a breathable silane-siloxane sealer (not glossy acrylic) rated for 10 years. Asphalt gets a coal-tar or asphalt-emulsion sealcoat after 6–12 months, then every 3–4 years. Get the brand and data sheet.

11. “What’s the Start and Finish Date—Weather Permitting?”

Demand a written timeline: prep day, pour day, saw-cut day, seal day. Ask what happens if rain is forecast. Pros own tarps and pop-up tents; amateurs pray.

12. “Who Pulls the Permit?”

In most cities the contractor pulls the permit; if they ask you to do it, they’re probably unlicensed. Ask for the permit number and post it on-site before work starts.

13. “Will You Call 811 for Utility Locates?”

Hitting a gas line can shut down the whole block. Ask for the ticket number and verify the spray-paint flags are in place before excavation starts.

14. “What Does Your Warranty Cover—and for How Long?”

Concrete should be warrantied 5 years against major cracking and spalling; asphalt 2 years against raveling and potholes. Read the fine print: “limited lifetime” often means prorated after year one. Ask if warranty transfers when you sell the house.

15. “What’s Your Payment Schedule?”

Never pay more than 30% down. A typical schedule: 25% on day one (materials), 50% on pour day, 25% on final walk-through. Hold back 10% for 30 days to be sure no settling occurs. Refuse cash-only or “today-only” discounts.

16. “How Will You Protect My Property and Clean Up?”

Ask for plywood tracks across the lawn, daily magnet sweeps for nails, and power-washing of the street. Get it in writing; photos of a pristine jobsite speak louder than promises.

5 Instant Red Flags to Walk Away From

• “We have leftover asphalt from another job.” Translation: low-grade millings dumped on your driveway.
• No contract, just a handshake. Verbal agreements dissolve the moment oil hits concrete.
• Pressure to decide today for 20% off. Legitimate contractors are booked weeks out.
• No physical address on the estimate. PO boxes make them disappear when things go wrong.
• Asks you to pull the permit. Shifts liability onto you.

How to Compare Bids Apples-to-Apples

Create a simple spreadsheet: column A lists each line item (demo, base, concrete psi, rebar, joints, sealer, warranty). Paste each contractor’s specs into columns B, C, D. Highlight any cell that differs. A $1,000 price gap usually traces back to thinner concrete, fewer joints, or no sealer—easy to spot when specs are side-by-side.

Making the Final Decision

Score each contractor 1–5 on price, schedule, references, and gut feeling. Double-weight references; past performance predicts future results. Sleep on it, then call two past customers and ask: “Would you hire them again?” If both say yes without hesitation, you’ve found your pro.

Quick-Fire FAQ