Asphalt Paving & Seal Coating in Golden, Colorado
We're based here. Our office is on 16th Street, our crews start their day in Golden, and most of the driveways in this town are a short drive from the shop — including the ones up the canyons that other contractors would rather not quote.
A Town Where Two Driveways a Mile Apart Need Different Answers
Golden sits at roughly 5,675 feet where Clear Creek leaves the foothills and meets the plains. That geography is the reason paving here is not the same job it is out on the flats east of Wadsworth. Within the city limits you have valley-floor lots on old creek deposits, benches on the flanks of North and South Table Mountain, and homes climbing Lookout Mountain and Golden Gate Canyon on grades that a paving machine has to be walked up carefully.
Three conditions shape almost every job we quote in this town.
1. Grade, and where the water goes
Flat suburban driveways forgive a lot. Sloped ones do not. On a Golden hillside drive, meltwater doesn't sit — it runs, and it runs along the path of least resistance, which is often the edge of your asphalt. If the surface isn't crowned or pitched to shed water away from the base, that runoff undercuts the shoulder and the edge starts to crumble within a few seasons. On steep drives we also have to think about how the mix behaves during placement, because hot asphalt wants to move downhill before it sets.
This is why we spend longer on the grading conversation in Golden than anywhere else we work. Where the water goes is not a detail. On a foothills property it is most of the job.
2. Expansive clay, and what's actually under the surface
Much of the Front Range sits on expansive clay soils that swell when they take on water and shrink as they dry out. The Colorado Geological Survey has documented these soils across the Denver metro for decades. The movement is strong enough to lift and crack a slab poured on an unprepared base. Golden adds a wrinkle: soil conditions change quickly as you move from the valley floor up onto the mesas and into the canyons, so what worked on one street is not automatically right two blocks uphill.
The practical consequence is that base preparation — excavation depth, aggregate, compaction, drainage — matters more than the thickness of the asphalt on top. It is also the invisible part of the job, which is exactly why it's the first thing a cheap bid quietly removes.
3. Freeze-thaw, roughly 134 days a year
NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Denver–Boulder area record about 156 nights a year at or below 32°F, but only around 22 days where the temperature never climbs back above freezing. The gap — roughly 134 days — is a complete freeze-and-thaw cycle. Every one of them takes whatever water is sitting in a crack, expands it, and makes the crack slightly bigger. Golden's elevation and its position against the foothills mean it generally sees the colder end of that range, and the high-altitude sun that follows a cold night dries and greys the asphalt binder faster than it would at sea level.
That is the whole argument for seal coating on a 2–3 year cycle here rather than the 3–5 years you'll read on national home improvement sites. The advice isn't wrong elsewhere. It's just written for a milder climate.
Golden Neighborhoods & What We See There
Different parts of town bring different problems. Here's roughly what we run into where.
Applewood & Applewood West
Large lots and mature landscaping, with a lot of housing stock built mid-century. Many of these driveways are long, wide, and well past the age where seal coating alone will save them — but plenty are still sound enough for an overlay rather than a tear-out. Worth having someone look before assuming the worst.
Applewood Mesa & Echo Hills
Homes built into the north slope of South Table Mountain, some on engineered platforms. Steep access drives, tight turns, and drainage that has to be planned rather than assumed. These are the jobs where grading takes longer than paving.
Downtown & Pleasant View
Closer quarters, shorter drives, more alleys, and more work that touches the public right-of-way. Also where you're most likely to need a City permit before we start — see the permit section below.
Lookout Mountain & Genesee
Long private drives, real elevation, and winter conditions that arrive earlier and leave later than they do in town. Plowing damage and edge failure are common. Access matters here — we need to know what a loaded truck can physically get up.
Mesa Meadows, Heritage Dells & Golden Ridge
Established residential streets with driveways at the age where a decision has to be made: seal and maintain, overlay, or replace. We'll tell you which one your surface actually needs rather than defaulting to the biggest job.
Golden Gate Canyon & rural Jefferson County
Acreage properties with long approach drives, sometimes gravel that the owner wants paved, sometimes asphalt that's been patched for twenty years. These take planning and a real site visit — there is no quoting one of these over the phone.
What We Do in Golden
Asphalt is the bulk of our work. We pour concrete too, which means when concrete is the better answer for your project, we can just say so.
Asphalt Driveway Paving
New installation and full replacement, with the base prep and drainage planning that a sloped Golden lot needs. Typically drivable within one to three days.
Seal Coating
Our specialty, using Masterseal Asphalt Emulsion Sealant. Up to a 3-year warranty, exclusions provided in writing before work starts.
Crack Filling
The highest-return maintenance job there is in this climate. Sealing cracks stops water reaching the base, which is where a driveway actually fails.
Overlay & Patching
If the base is still sound, an overlay costs a fraction of replacement. If it isn't, we'll tell you — an overlay on a failed base is money thrown away.
Commercial Lots
Paving, overlay, striping and repair for Golden businesses, HOAs and multi-family properties. We can phase work so sections stay open.
Concrete Patios & Flatwork
Patios, sidewalks, slabs and concrete driveways, poured on a properly prepared sub-base so Colorado's soil movement doesn't crack them.
Permits in Golden: What Actually Applies
Most homeowners are surprised by this one, so it's worth being clear. Resurfacing or sealing a driveway entirely on your own property usually doesn't require a City permit. What triggers a permit is work that touches the public right-of-way — the strip between private lots where the street, curb, sidewalk and utility mains sit.
The City of Golden issues Right-of-Way (ROW) permits for construction work in the right-of-way, and the requirement is broader than people expect. According to the City, ROW permits are also needed for placing dumpsters, storage pods, and stored landscape equipment, and for sidewalk and lane closures. If a job needs a dumpster parked on the street, that's a permit.
| Situation | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Seal coat or resurface, entirely on your property | Generally no City ROW permit. Verify with the City if any part of the work reaches the sidewalk or curb line. |
| New or widened curb cut / apron | Touches the right-of-way. Expect a ROW permit and City review of the design. |
| Dumpster, POD, or equipment stored on the street | City of Golden requires a ROW permit for these specifically. |
| Sidewalk or lane closure during work | ROW permit required. |
| Driveway meeting a state highway (e.g. SH-93, SH-58, US 6) | Falls under CDOT's State Highway Access Code, not just the City. A CDOT access permit may be required and must carry written CDOT approval to be valid. |
| Any excavation | Utility locates through Colorado 811 before digging. Free, and required by state law. |
The timing detail that catches people out
Golden asks that ROW permit applications be submitted at least three working days before work begins, except for emergencies such as sewer or water repairs. The City also charges an investigation fee for work performed without a permit. Three working days is not long, but it is long enough to lose a booked crew day if nobody starts the paperwork.
City of Golden permits: (303) 277-8702 · building@cityofgolden.net · applications go through the City's online permitting portal.
We handle the permit conversation as part of scheduling rather than leaving it with you the week before. If your job needs one, we'll tell you at the estimate, not on the morning the crew shows up.
Permit rules change. The details above reflect the City of Golden's published guidance and CDOT's access code at the time of writing, and are a starting point rather than legal advice — always confirm current requirements with the City or CDOT for your specific property.
Golden & Foothills Driveways
Our own photos from our own job sites.
Reviewed by Golden-Area Homeowners
4.6from 29 Google reviewsAn Evergreen homeowner noted it can be hard to get contractors to make the drive, and found Larry “respectful, responsive, very fairly priced” on a tricky driveway.Lindsey MastersGoogle review · Evergreen, CO
Praised “fine work on my long driveway, at a great price” and recommended the company without hesitation.James LeClairGoogle review
Called it “a very nice and careful job resealing our driveway” at a reasonable price.Doug HodgsonGoogle review
When to Book Paving Work in Golden
Colorado's season is shorter than most of the country, and shorter still once you gain elevation. Booking early gives you the widest choice of dates.
Sealer needs dry weather and warm pavement to bond, which is why nobody reputable seals a Golden driveway in November. If someone offers to, that's worth a second thought.
Frequently Asked
Do I need a permit to repave my driveway in Golden?
How much does an asphalt driveway cost in Golden?
How often should I seal coat in Golden?
Will you come up the canyon or onto Lookout Mountain?
My driveway is cracked. Does it need replacing?
Should I use asphalt or concrete for my Golden driveway?
How soon can I drive on it?
Do you work with Golden businesses and HOAs?
Get a Free Golden Estimate
We're local, so scheduling a look at your property is easy. Tell us what you've got and we'll come out, look at the base and the drainage, and give you a written price with no obligation.
Golden, CO 80401
We Also Serve
Golden is our base, and we work across the west and north Denver metro from here.