Should you repair or replace your driveway?
Updated August 2026
← Every repair-or-replace call
Seal and patch while the cracks are under about 1/4 inch and the base beneath is solid; tear the driveway out once the surface has alligatored, heaved, or begun sinking. Crack-filling with a sealcoat runs $200–1,000 on a typical two-car drive, and pothole patching another $300–1,500. A full replacement is $3,000–10,000 depending on square footage and material. Asphalt lasts 15–25 years and concrete 25–40, and whether you land at the top or bottom of that range comes down almost entirely to whether water got underneath.
The short version
The surface is not what you are evaluating; the base is. Asphalt and concrete both fail from below, when water works through cracks, saturates the gravel base, and then freezes or washes it out. Everything on top loses its support. A crack you can still fill is a crack that has not done that yet, which is why sealcoating asphalt every 2–3 years and filling cracks each fall keeps a driveway in the cheap column for decades. Read the pattern rather than counting cracks. Straight cracks, even plenty of them, are surface fatigue and take filler. A web of interconnected cracks in small squares, called alligatoring, means the base has already failed and filler only hides it. Same story for a section that has heaved, sunk, or ponds after rain: repaving over a bad base fails inside a few seasons.
Your situation, decided
| Situation | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cracks from hairline to 1/4 inch, surface even | Repair (fill and seal) | A $200–1,000 job that keeps water out of the base |
| A pothole or two, rest of the drive solid | Repair (patch) | Patching runs $300–1,500 and blends into a sound surface |
| Alligator cracking across large areas | Replace | The gravel base has failed and filler will not hold |
| Concrete slab sunk but not broken up | Lift, then reseal | Mudjacking or foam lifting is $500–1,500 before a tear-out |
| Asphalt past 20 years, gray and brittle | Judgment call | Weigh one more sealcoat against a $3,000–10,000 repave |
| Crumbling edges, center still intact | Repair | Edge repair and a compacted shoulder, not a new driveway |
What each path costs
Repairs typically run $200–1,500; a replacement is $3,000–10,000 installed. Asphalt driveways last 15–25 years and concrete 25–40. Sealcoating asphalt every 2–3 years is what keeps you in the $200–1,000 repair band instead of the replacement one. Price your own number on the home maintenance cost calculator before you commit either way.
The repair-or-replace call is easy when you know the unit's age and service history. OnOtto keeps both, plus the maintenance that delays this decision for years.
Start your home's service log, freeFrequently asked questions
How often should asphalt be sealcoated?
Every 2–3 years for most driveways, and no sooner. Sealer is a sacrificial wear layer that blocks UV and water; applied too often it builds up and cracks off in sheets. A brand new asphalt drive should cure 6–12 months before its first coat. Expect $200–500 doing it yourself and $500–1,000 for a contractor on a two-car drive. Holding the sealcoat interval is the single habit that puts asphalt in the 20-year camp rather than the 12-year one.
Can cracked concrete be repaired, or does the slab come out?
It depends on whether the two sides still line up. A crack with both edges at the same height is stable; clean it, fill it with a polyurethane or epoxy sealant, and it stays that way for years. A crack where one side sits higher has moved, meaning the base under it moved, and filling only conceals the problem. Slabs that sank but stayed intact can be lifted for $500–1,500. Sealing concrete every 2–5 years slows the freeze-thaw damage that starts it.
What does alligator cracking mean?
It is the pattern that ends the repair conversation. Interconnected cracks in small squares, like reptile skin, mean the asphalt has flexed so many times it fatigued clean through, and that happens only after the gravel base below softened or washed out. Filler poured into it disappears within a season. A small alligatored patch can be cut out and rebuilt with fresh base for $300–1,500. If the pattern covers much of the drive, budget the $3,000–10,000 replacement.
Is an asphalt overlay cheaper than a full replacement?
Meaningfully, when the base is sound. A 1.5 to 2 inch overlay costs roughly $2–4 per square foot against $4–8 for a tear-out and repave, and it delivers 8–15 years. The conditions are strict: no alligatoring, no heaving, no drainage problems, and enough height at the garage slab and the street apron to add material. Overlay a failing base and you have bought a smooth surface that cracks along the same lines within two winters.