The first step to choosing the right asphalt contractor is knowing when to outsource the work beyond municipal paving crews. Contractors (like us) are focused solely on installing, repairing, and replacing asphalt — it’s all we do. Municipal crews have much more on their to-do list, like roadside landscaping, cleaning up public roadways, and putting up traffic navigation signs.
If you’re a municipal engineer or infrastructure project manager, you’re well aware of elements like code compliance and budget restrictions; work with a paving partner that knows about these elements, too. Public roadways and paved surfaces get far more traffic than residential surfaces. The asphalt contractor you work with needs the experience, tools, and quality materials to create paved surfaces that stand up to high volumes of wear and tear.
If this feels like you’re heading into a job interview when researching asphalt paving contractors, that’s because you are. Whether it’s in-person or virtually, schedule an interview in real-time to ask your chosen paving contractor more questions. Get a better sense of the team you’re working with and who you’ll be communicating with the most. Ensure that you have clear answers to all of your questions before starting work and that everyone is on the same page.
Below are just a few interview questions that will help you determine the best fit for your project, so you don’t end up with less-than-quality work or cost overruns.
- How is your asphalt manufactured?
- Do you have specialty equipment on hand or will you need to rent it?
- What is the projected timeline to complete this project?
- Will you be able to work with our budget?
- What will happen if there’s a scheduling delay or cost overrun?
- Do you offer maintenance programs? If so, what do they include?
- Are your licenses and certifications complete and current? Can you prove it?
Once those questions have been answered, it’s time to collect bids from commercial asphalt paving contractors — here’s what information those bids should include.
Contractor Information
Even before the bidding begins, a reputable asphalt paving company should provide references, a portfolio, licensing and insurance information, and contact information. Red flags include a lack of recent reviews or the inability to provide references. This is also information that good contractors include in their bid proposals.
Project Scope
Project managers should also include information on project timelines, locations of job sites, and different phases in bid proposals. This allows for everyone to make any accommodations for disruptions to business or residents. Well-defined project scopes as part of the bidding process ensure that equipment rentals and labor scheduling is optimized.
Materials Needed
Budget can make or break the success of an asphalt paving project, and much of that budget goes towards materials. Ask the contractors you work with to include a list of required and potential materials, line by line. That way no confusion could delay work later down the line.
Total Cost
Both stakeholders and contractors need to be on the same page regarding the estimated cost of the asphalt paving project. Don’t overlook extraneous costs like insurance, permits, and even a margin for overruns. If one contractor’s total cost is lower than others, this is a red flag that something is amiss with the bid proposal — or with the contractor.
Make the Bidding Process Easy
From the early planning stages to completion, asphalt paving projects take a lot of work to get done right. The provider you choose needs to have more than just asphalt, equipment, and labor. They should also have well-maintained equipment (plus spare machines) and well-trained, safety-conscious work crews.
If the asphalt paving project bidding process seems complex, that’s because it is. However, the good news is that working with the right paving partner can streamline that process and give you peace of mind that your paving project is in the right hands.
At Leritz Busy Bee, we have earned a solid reputation you can trust. For 30 years, we have kept projects on schedule while managing to keep business interruptions to a minimum, and most importantly, the work we do stands the test of time, so reach out to us if you’re ever in need of asphalt paving.