A little prep before the paving crew arrives makes install day faster, cheaper, and smoother — and it protects your new surface from day-one mistakes. Here is exactly how to get your property ready, straight from the Iron Ridge Pavement crew that does this every week across Central Florida.
A week before: clear the calendar and the cars
Plan for your driveway to be out of commission for 3 to 5 days — install day plus the curing window. Arrange to park on the street or a neighbor's driveway before we arrive. Move every vehicle, boat, trailer, and RV off the work area the night before; a crew that has to wait on a car costs you time.
- Confirm where you'll park for the next several days.
- Tell neighbors so nobody blocks equipment access or the material truck.
- Reschedule any deliveries (furniture, appliances) that need driveway access.
Clear the work zone
The crew needs unobstructed access to the whole driveway and a path for heavy equipment. Remove basketball hoops, planters, trash cans, garden hoses, kids' toys, and anything overhanging the drive. Trim back low branches and shrubs that would snag a dump truck or paver — anything under about 12 feet of clearance is in the way.
Handle the sprinklers and drainage
This one matters in Florida, where irrigation is everywhere. Shut off automatic sprinklers for the driveway zones several days before and through the cure — water on fresh asphalt or a freshly prepped base is a real problem. If you have sprinkler heads, valve boxes, or drain lines near the driveway edges, flag them so we can work around them. Point out any spot that floods in heavy rain; drainage is part of a good job and we would rather solve it up front.
Shut the sprinklers off. Water is the number-one enemy of a fresh base and a curing surface.
Mark the boundaries and utilities
Walk the driveway with a clear idea of where you want it to start and stop, whether you want it widened, and how the edges should meet the garage and street. In Florida, call 811 for utility locates before any excavation — for a straight resurface this may not apply, but for a tear-out and re-grade it does, and reputable crews confirm it is handled.
Day-of: people, pets, and expectations
- Keep kids and pets indoors and away from hot asphalt (laid at roughly 300°F) and moving equipment all day.
- Expect noise, a strong asphalt odor, and diesel exhaust for a few hours — close windows on that side of the house.
- Someone should be reachable by phone for any on-the-spot decisions, though you don't need to hover.
- Have your estimate and scope handy so everyone is aligned on the work.
Right after the crew leaves
Barricade the driveway so nobody drives on it by reflex — we'll leave cones or tape, but a trash can at each end helps. Keep off it per the curing timeline in our guide on when you can drive on new asphalt. Do not sealcoat yet; that comes 6–12 months later. Then start the good habits from driveway care — support the edges, clean spills fast, and inspect after storm season.
A few small things that save headaches
Two details homeowners forget: garbage and recycling pickup, and where the mail and packages land. If your bins normally sit at the end of the drive, plan an alternate spot for pickup day, and give the mail carrier and delivery drivers a heads-up so nobody walks across or parks on fresh asphalt out of habit. If you have a floating basketball hoop or portable ramp, move it well clear — those get forgotten until a wheel is rolling over new pavement.
It's also worth confirming the weather. A good crew watches the forecast and will reschedule rather than lay a mat right before a Florida downpour, since asphalt has to be compacted hot and dry. If storms roll in, don't be surprised or frustrated by a same-week reschedule — it protects the quality of your surface.
Quick prep checklist
- Vehicles and trailers moved off, alternate parking arranged.
- Work zone cleared of hoops, planters, cans, toys, hoses.
- Sprinklers off; heads and valve boxes flagged.
- Low branches trimmed for equipment clearance.
- Kids and pets kept inside on install day.
Need a Free Estimate?
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Booked with Iron Ridge Pavement or still comparing quotes? We walk every Orlando-area homeowner through this prep so install day goes clean. Reach us for a free estimate.
