Pothole & Asphalt Repair in Baytown, TX

Pothole and asphalt repair is about the ground under the hole. On the Gulf Coast, water gets into a crack, soaks the base and the clay below, and every car that crosses pumps a little more fine material out. The surface breaks into pieces and a pothole opens. Throwing cold patch in the hole buys a few weeks. A repair that lasts removes the wet, broken material and rebuilds it.

Types of repair

• Cold patch: a temporary fill for emergencies and small holes
• Hot patch: hot-mix asphalt placed and compacted in a cleaned-out hole
• Saw-cut or full-depth patch: the failed area is cut square, dug out to firm ground, rebuilt with stone and paved, so the edges seal and the patch carries load like the rest of the pavement
• Edge repair: crumbling edges rebuilt and supported so they stop breaking off into the lawn or ditch

Common trouble spots around Baytown

The same spots fail again and again: dips over driveway culverts, the low corner of a lot where water stands, dumpster pads, and entrances where trucks turn. Each of those needs the cause fixed along with the patch, whether that is a crushed pipe, a drainage low spot or a section too thin for the loads it carries.

Patch, overlay or replace

If repairs cover a small share of the surface, patching is the right call. If the whole surface is cracked but firm, patching the worst spots and overlaying can make sense. If failed areas are everywhere, we will say so and price replacement as well, so you can compare.

Crack filling as prevention

Most potholes start as a crack that let water in. Filling cracks with a hot-applied or rubberized filler before they widen is the cheapest repair there is; HomeGuide lists crack filling at about $0.50 to $3 per linear foot. On the Gulf Coast, the best time is during a dry spell, when cracks are open and the filler can get deep into them. We pair crack filling with sealcoating or do it on its own between sealcoats.

Emergency repairs

When a pothole opens at a business entrance, a temporary cold patch can keep traffic moving until a permanent repair is scheduled. We tell you which repair is temporary and when the permanent one is planned.

After the repair

New patches should be sealed with the rest of the surface at the next sealcoat, and joints should be checked a year later.