Costs & Financing Options for Paving or Repaving Your Driveway

There are five major signs that it is time to repave your driveway. These include big cracks, ruts, potholes, chunks of eroding pavement, a weathered and aged appearance, or missing pieces of brick or cobble. The end of summer is generally one of the best times of the year to repave your driveway because it has cooled down enough from the hottest part of the summer but is still warm enough to avoid freezing.

The cost of repaving your driveway depends on both the size of the driveway and your choice of materials. The project can cost an average of $1,000 to $10,000 and up though, according to HomeAdvisor, so some homeowners may need to find outside financing in order to complete the home improvement project.

Cost to Pave or Repave a Driveway

Asphalt or blacktop driveways are the cheapest to install and repair. The cost of installing an asphalt driveway is generally around $3 to $4 per square foot, while repaving it costs around $1 to $3 per square foot, on average. So, installing a 1,000-square-foot asphalt driveway could cost between $3,000 and $4,000 while repaving it would cost around $1,000 to $3,000.

Installing concrete driveways usually costs more than asphalt at around $6 per square foot while repaving should be slightly cheaper. Brick and cobble driveways can be many times more expensive to install, from $10 to $70 per square foot, depending upon the cost of the individual stones or bricks.

The total cost of paving or repaving your driveway includes the materials, tools, and labor costs if you are not going to do the work yourself.

How to Pay for Paving or Repaving Your Driveway

Personal Loans for Repaving a Driveway

Personal loans are a common method for homeowners to finance a new driveway or to repave an existing driveway. A personal loan is an unsecured loan, which means there is not an asset that serves as collateral for the loan, and can be used as a home improvement loan. This makes the loan riskier for the lender, so interest rates typically are higher than they would be for a secured loan. The application process, however, is much easier, and borrowers can get the proceeds from their loan within a couple of days.

The interest rates and loan terms on personal loans can vary dramatically among lenders. So, it’s especially important to do your research and make sure that you are choosing the right personal loan for you. Interest rates typically vary from around 5% to 36% and loan maturity can range from two to seven years.

Lenders also charge origination fees that can range from 0% (no origination fee) to 7% of the loan amount. Borrowers who have credit scores above 720 have the best options when choosing lenders and tend to get the most competitive rates and loan terms.

If you only qualify for a personal loan with high fees or a high interest rate, this can be an expensive option for repaving a driveway. But, if you do qualify for a low-cost personal loan, it may be a good choice.

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Using Home Equity to Repave a Driveway

A home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC) are other ways that homeowners can finance their driveway improvements. Both of these options allow homeowners to borrow against the equity they have built up in their homes. Since the debt obligation is secured by the borrower’s home, lenders typically charge a lower interest rate than they might for an unsecured personal loan. Home equity loan rates are currently as low as 4.09% and HELOC rates are as low as 4.75%.

Borrowers may have to pay loan origination fees equal to 2% to 5% of the loan amount, although some lenders do not charge these fees or may waive these fees for current customers. In addition, it’s important that homeowners are sure they can meet all of the monthly payment obligations. The lender can foreclose on your home if you cannot make the payment on your home equity loan or HELOC.

With that in mind, homeowners who want to repave a relatively small asphalt or blacktop driveway may find that the borrowing cost and risk of the home equity loan or HELOC are not worthwhile.

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The Cheapest Way to Pay for a New Driveway

Saving the money and paying cash for your driveway repair is the cheapest financing option. Paying cash lets you avoid both the interest charges as well as the high origination fees. It could take you a few months or longer to save the money, but it might be better than getting a loan for a relatively small home improvement project.

Finally, you might be able to finance your driveway repair with a line of credit from the paving company or a home improvement center. Many home improvement centers have promotional financing offers that give you 0% interest for an introductory period.

If you take a financing offer like this, however, it is important to pay off the debt during the promotional period. Otherwise, interest usually accrues from the date of purchase at rates of over 20%.

Weighing Your Options

Repaving your driveway can fix wear and tear and can add curb appeal to your home. The project can be relatively inexpensive if you have a small driveway and use asphalt or blacktop surfacing.

The cost, however, can be much higher if you have a particularly large driveway or use more expensive materials. Saving the money and paying cash for the repair is the cheapest option, but there are a few other financing alternatives if you don’t want to wait to start the repairs.