H&H Asphalt Paving
Smyrna, DE Asphalt Paving & Sealcoating
Driveways, parking lots & sealcoating — installed and maintained by a local crew
across northern Delaware & Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Local Paving
Paving in Smyrna, DE
Smyrna sits in northern Kent County at the Route 13 and Route 1 interchange, a short drive north of Dover, with a historic downtown core that’s aged alongside the rest of the town’s older housing stock. Residential streets near that downtown center typically need resurfacing rather than fresh installation, similar to what we see in other older Route 13 corridor towns.
The Route 13 corridor running through Smyrna has seen real commercial growth in recent years, and new residential development is filling in around the edges of town as well — a combination that puts us doing both renewal work downtown and fresh paving out where new construction is underway. That split, old downtown core against new growth on the corridor, defines most of Smyrna’s paving demand.
Our Process
How we pave a Smyrna driveway
Every job follows the same disciplined sequence — the base and drainage work you can’t see is what keeps the surface you can see from cracking, sinking, or holding water a few winters later.
- 1
Site inspection
We walk the site — a tight driveway in the old downtown core, a first-time install on a new subdivision lot, or a Route 13 commercial property — and evaluate the existing surface, the drainage, and how the pavement will be used.
- 2
Removal & prep
On Smyrna’s older downtown driveways, worn asphalt and any unstable base material are fully removed within tight, established lot lines; on new-construction lots, the freshly graded ground is prepped so the first course goes down over solid material.
- 3
Grading & drainage
The surface is graded to route water off the pavement — important on the flat, sandy coastal-plain ground here, where without a deliberate slope water pools rather than running off to the street.
- 4
Stone base
A compacted stone base is installed or rebuilt — the make-or-break step on new subdivision driveways, where getting compaction right on day one is what keeps a first-time install from settling within a year or two.
- 5
Asphalt installation
Hot-mix asphalt is laid at a depth suited to the job — standard depth for downtown and subdivision driveways, a heavier commercial-grade mix for the Route 13 corridor lots that carry steadier traffic.
- 6
Rolling & compaction
Professional rollers compact the asphalt into a dense, even surface built to stand up to everyday residential use and the steady corridor traffic along Route 13 and Route 1.
- 7
Cleanup & finishing
We clean the site and handle finishing work; striping for commercial and community lots is scheduled once the asphalt has cured enough to hold a line.
- 8
Aftercare
Most residential jobs take one to a few days, whether it’s a downtown driveway or a new subdivision install. Keep vehicles off for at least 48 hours and follow the aftercare we provide.
Services
Our services in Smyrna
Residential driveways
Hot-mix asphalt driveways, resurfacing, and repairs for Smyrna homeowners — built for our region’s freeze-thaw cycles and graded to drain.
Commercial & parking lots
Parking-lot construction, line striping, and sealcoating for Smyrna businesses, HOAs, and property managers — built for traffic and easy to maintain.
Repair, resurface, or replace
The right fix for your driveway
Smyrna splits two ways — older driveways near the downtown core that are due for renewal, and fresh installs on the new subdivisions filling in around the edges of town — so the right fix comes down to the base underneath. If it’s still sound, you have affordable options; if it’s failing, resurfacing over it only buys a little time before cracks reflect back through. Here’s how we tell the difference on a Smyrna property, and what each path means for cost and how long it lasts.
Sealcoat & crack fill
For a sound surface with minor wear, common on the newer driveways going in around Smyrna’s growing edges. Filling small cracks early — and sealcoating a new install once it cures — keeps water and winter road salt out of the base.
Resurface
The call we make most often near Smyrna’s older downtown core: when the surface is worn but the base is still solid, a new asphalt layer over a prepared surface restores an aging driveway for far less than a full rebuild.
Replace
Alligator cracking, sinking, or standing water — common on decades-old downtown driveways — usually mean the base itself has failed. We remove and rebuild the base and drainage so the new surface actually lasts.
Maintenance
Keeping Smyrna asphalt in shape year-round
Spring
Inspect for cracks, potholes, and standing water after a winter of plow scraping and road salt — older downtown driveways tend to show it first — and clear leaves and debris from curb-side drains so runoff has somewhere to go.
Summer
Warm, dry weather is ideal for crack filling and sealcoating, and the right window to seal a new subdivision driveway once it has cured — repairing early keeps water out of the sandy base before fall.
Fall
Clear leaves and debris from driveway aprons and any parking-lot drains, and repair open cracks before the freeze-and-thaw cycle and the first plow pass work them wider.
Winter
Plows and road salt are hard on asphalt edges and curb lines. Use plastic snow shovels, not metal blades, and keep harsh deicers off the surface where you can — especially on tight downtown driveways set close to the street.
Why H&H
Local, licensed, and built on base work
H&H is owned by Henry, a third-generation paving contractor with over a decade in the trade, serving Smyrna and northern Kent County — including Clayton, Cheswold, Dover, and nearby Townsend — plus the rest of Delaware and nearby Pennsylvania. Licensed and fully insured, our crew focuses on the base prep, grading, drainage, and compaction that decide whether an aging downtown driveway or a brand-new subdivision install holds up to Smyrna’s traffic and winter plowing — and we give straight answers on whether repair, resurfacing, or replacement is the best value for your property.
Reviews
What local customers say
“Great job, done in one day. Will have them back each year to coat the driveway.”
H&H customer
“We have a big driveway and a new garage and they had everything done in two days — and the best price ever. So pleased with the work and the professionalism.”
H&H customer
“My driveway was completely removed, widened, stone added, rolled and blacktopped. The crew was all business. It looks unbelievable — I’d recommend H&H to anyone.”
H&H customer
FAQ
Smyrna asphalt paving questions
Do you handle new-construction driveways and community or HOA roads?
Yes — a lot of our Smyrna work is first-time installs on new subdivision lots and the shared roads and community lots that come with them. On new construction the base compaction and grading are what matter most; larger land-disturbing sites are also reviewed by the Kent Conservation District under Delaware’s sediment and stormwater rules, which we account for up front.
Do I need a permit to repave my driveway in Smyrna?
It depends on the work and where it is. The Town of Smyrna regulates work in its right-of-way and new curb cuts, and state corridors like Route 13 and Route 1 fall under DelDOT entrance permits. Resurfacing within your existing driveway usually doesn’t require one, but rules vary — we confirm what applies and pull any permits before we start.
I’m in a newer HOA community — do I need approval before repaving?
Often, yes. Many of the planned communities filling in around Smyrna require HOA approval before you resurface or change a driveway, so the finish stays consistent across the neighborhood. We’re glad to work within those guidelines — it’s worth checking with your association before scheduling.
When is the best time of year to pave in Delaware?
Late spring through early fall. Warm, dry conditions let the asphalt compact and cure properly, which matters in our Mid-Atlantic climate where winter brings plow scraping and road salt.
My downtown driveway is decades old — does it need resurfacing or a full replacement?
It depends on the base. Many of Smyrna’s older downtown driveways still have a sound base under worn asphalt, in which case resurfacing costs far less than a full rebuild. If we see alligator cracking, sinking, or standing water, the base has likely failed and needs to be rebuilt.
How long does asphalt last with Smyrna’s winters?
With proper base preparation and regular sealcoating, an asphalt driveway or lot commonly lasts 15 to 20+ years, even with the freeze-thaw stress and snowplow scraping a full Mid-Atlantic winter puts on it.
Service Area
Where we pave near Smyrna
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