Asphalt Paving Contractor in Pottsville, PA

Driveway Paving for Pottsville's Older Homes

Pottsville's story starts with anthracite coal and an iron furnace on the Schuylkill River. The city's long-range plan describes densely built streets near downtown and the stately homes along Mahantongo Street. It also names single-family developments such as Greenwood Hill and Forest Hills.

In Census estimates, attached row homes and twins make up about 37 percent of the city's homes. On an attached lot, a paved area can sit close to the house and the lot next door. The pitch has to carry water away from the foundation. Pottsville's code also bars rainwater drained from buildings from flowing over the sidewalks.

On an older property, we check what sits under the old surface before we quote. A driveway patched many times may need a rebuilt base before new asphalt goes down. When the base is still sound, asphalt resurfacing can be the better fit.

Steep Ground and Runoff in Pottsville

NRCS soil maps put steep hillside soils under nearly a quarter of Pottsville. Some are extremely stony, and on the shaly slopes bedrock sits about 15 inches down. Over half the city is mapped as an urban land complex, where buildings and pavement cover much of the soil. The maps also show strip mine land and mine dumps inside the city limits.

On a gravel driveway, heavy rain pulls stone downhill and cuts ruts down the middle. Gravel driveway regrading rebuilds the crown so water sheds to the sides again. On asphalt, a steep grade calls for a firm, compacted base and a planned path for the water.

Heavy rain has hit Pottsville hard before. The city reports that flooding in August 2018 damaged the Progress Avenue culvert. Parts of the city drain through combined lines that carry storm water and sewage together. We plan the pitch of each job so runoff has a clear path to follow.

What Permits Apply to Paving Work in Pottsville?

Pottsville's Zoning and Code Enforcement Office, on the first floor of City Hall, issues zoning and building permits. The city code requires a building permit from that office before curb or sidewalk work begins, repairs included. Where the City Engineer has fixed a grade, curb and sidewalk work waits for the engineer's grade and location. We can tell you which office to call for your job.

The same code calls for portland cement concrete on new sidewalks along paved city streets. An existing asphalt sidewalk may stay until it is repaired or replaced. At that point concrete is required, with a few exceptions the city approves. If your project includes sidewalk installation, we plan around those rules from the first visit.

A driveway inside a state highway right-of-way needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit before it is built or changed. That covers driveways onto roads such as Route 61 and Route 209, and the application goes in the owner's name. State rules call for a written erosion and sediment control plan once a job disturbs 5,000 square feet of ground. Before any digging, Pennsylvania law requires a call to 811 three to ten business days ahead.

Business Lots and Landscaping in Pottsville

Pottsville is the Schuylkill County seat, a city of about 13,000 people. Its plan calls downtown the government and business hub of the county. The same plan steers drive-through and other auto-oriented businesses toward the Route 61 corridor. We handle parking lot paving for businesses and developments, plus sealcoating to protect a lot once it is down.

Our landscaping side covers landscape design and patio installation for Pottsville homes. The city's forms page lists a Shade Tree Permit, so ask City Hall before tree work near the street. Paving still comes first for our asphalt paving and landscaping company, in Pottsville as everywhere else we work.