Many homeowners can take a crack at driveway repair on their own
Driveways are an essential part of our daily lives that we take for granted—and understandably so, as they can last for 20 to 30 years without much thought. However, cracks and chips in concrete or asphalt driveways can form from years of baking in the sun’s UV rays, heavy rains and snowfall, and daily use by multi-ton vehicles. It’s important to repair these cracks when they’re small, as they can grow and expand over time, posing a risk to your vehicle’s wheels, anyone walking on the pavement, and the foundation of your driveway itself.
You can certainly hire a pro to repair your driveway, but for many homeowners, fixing cracks in concrete or asphalt is a totally doable DIY project. Not sure how to fix driveway cracks? Our guide breaks down the process into three easy steps, with specific guidance based on the size of the crack and the type of driveway.
Before you can start work, inspect your driveway carefully to understand the type of cracks—and the extent of the problem. Small hairline cracks require a different approach from filling a pothole, for instance. Those smaller cracks may also be more manageable as a DIY project, but repairing a larger crack could require professional assistance.
Analyze the extent of the problem as well. Repairing a few driveway cracks makes sense, but if your driveway is old and covered in cracks, it may be more prudent to skip this job and replace or repave it instead. Just be prepared for a much larger project total. Repairing a concrete driveway costs an average of $1,775 with professional help, but the cost to repave a driveway is significantly higher: $6,800 on average.
Once you’ve determined the extent of the problem, you’re ready to tackle the solution. Read on to learn how to fix driveway cracks in a day.
To start, you’ll need to thoroughly clean the areas of the driveway you’ll be repairing. That means removing weeds, grass, and moss. You can pull weeds by hand (wear gloves!) or use a small garden tool or screwdriver to uproot them. Here’s how to get rid of moss on your driveway if it’s becoming a problem.
Remove large debris from the surface of your driveway with a leaf blower or push broom. Next, take a garden hose or, for dirtier driveways, a pressure washer to thoroughly clean the concrete or asphalt, removing smaller debris. Renting a pressure washer costs about $90 a day, but there are some pros and cons of DIY pressure washing to consider before trying to use such a powerful tool as a beginner. If you’re nervous about using a pressure washer, call a pro or stick with a garden hose with a nozzle on the jet setting.
Start by spraying the center of the driveway and washing debris outward toward the sides. If your driveway is on a slant, start at the highest point and then move downhill. After the entire driveway area is wet, apply a thin layer of eco-friendly driveway detergent, then work the cleaner into the surface of the concrete with a push broom. Follow up with a final washing using the hose or pressure washer.
You can also use a shop vacuum to remove remaining debris from larger cracks before filling them.
The size of the crack will impact how you approach the problem. Fixing large cracks in a driveway, for instance, is more involved than repairing a hairline crack. The material of the driveway—concrete vs. asphalt driveways, for instance—will also have some bearing on how you fix driveway cracks.
Note: We recommend wearing long sleeves and pants, a dust max, gloves, and eye goggles when handling cement products.
Hairline cracks may appear shortly after your driveway is installed, especially if the concrete doesn’t cure properly. They can also appear over time from natural wear and tear from vehicles.
Fixing hairline cracks in your driveway is fortunately easy. Just purchase a refiller for hairline cracks at a home improvement store or online and apply to the cracks according to the instructions on the product packaging.
That said, if your entire driveway is covered in hairline cracks, it may be easier to reseal the entire driveway:
Resealing an asphalt driveway costs between $275 and $820.
Resealing a concrete driveway costs from $1,000 to $7,000.
Small cracks under ¼ of an inch wide—yet larger than hairline cracks—require extra work. For concrete cracks, purchase a concrete filler and apply it with a caulking gun. Use a pointing trowel or putty knife to work the filler deeper into the crack to ensure it’s filled completely.
Alternatively, you can make a cement mixture (1 part cement to 3 parts sand) to fill small cracks. Mix it in a bucket with a little water to form a paste. You’ll also want to make cement paint (cement plus a little water) in a separate bucket. Apply the cement paint inside the crack, let it sit for roughly an hour, and then apply the cement and sand mixture over top of the crack, using a putting knife to pack it in and level the mixture. Make circular motions with the trowel to blend the cement mixture with the existing concrete surface.
For an asphalt driveway with thin cracks, you can buy a patching product that is self-leveling. Apply it as directed by the bottle (they’re usually squeezable). Apply it on a dry morning, let it set up for the day, and seal it in the evening.
Larger concrete cracks—between ¼ and ½ inches require a vinyl concrete patching compound. Follow the instructions for the compound to prepare it correctly, then pour it directly into the cracks.
Use your putting knife to work the compound in deeper, adding more of the mixture as necessary. Once the crack is filled, smooth out the surface with the putty knife.
If your concrete driveway has cracks that are wider than half an inch, you’ll need to take a different approach. Purchase a concrete backer rod and install it into the crack. This cuts down on the amount of filler you’ll have to apply in the gap.
After forcing the flexible backer rod into the crack, patch the crack as you would a small or medium-sized crack, with either concrete filler, a cement mixture, or a vinyl concrete patching compound. Level and smooth the surface with your trowel, let it cure the appropriate amount of time (depending on the mixture used), and then seal the crack.
For asphalt driveways with large cracks, you can follow a similar process, using a foam backer rod and a water-based acrylic filler. Let it cure for a day, then seal the asphalt.
If your driveway has potholes, we recommend calling a professional driveway repair company near you to tackle the project.
You might have fixed the cracks in your driveway, but your work is not done. After the filler has cured, we recommend sealing your driveway. More importantly, make a plan for ongoing driveway maintenance to minimize cracks and chips in the future.
For starters, check out our driveway cleaning guide, and make a point to regularly seal your driveway. How often you seal your driveway depends on various factors, but to stay on the proactive side, you could do it every other year.
Just pay attention to the weather and time of year before tackling this project—here are the best times to seal your driveway. While it’s a totally doable DIY task (here’s how to seal your driveway on your own), you might want to leave this one to the pros if you’re not experienced in sealing an entire driveway surface.
Here are a couple of other helpful resources, depending on what type of driveway surface you have:
For concrete driveways: Tips to prevent concrete from cracking
For asphalt driveways: Complete guide to asphalt maintenance
Repairing hairline cracks and even small to medium-sized cracks in your driveway is a doable task for a DIYer. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and dedicate a Saturday morning to the project, you’ll have your driveway looking good as new in no time. Fixing large cracks and filling potholes, however, is often better left to a driveway professional. They’ll even be able to advise when it makes more sense to replace your entire driveway rather than take a piecemeal approach to fixing cracks.
After fixing cracks in your driveway, you’ll also want to seal the entire surface. If you’re not comfortable with this work, you can also find a local driveway sealing company to handle the project.
Yes, it’s possible to repair driveway cracks. Hairline cracks are the easiest to fix, but you can also fix cracks up to half an inch wide (or even a little larger). While you can repair bigger cracks than that, we highly recommend hiring a driveway professional. In the case of multiple large cracks, driveway repair might be out of the question. In that case, replacing your driveway would make more sense.
The best material to fill driveway cracks depends on whether you have a concrete or asphalt driveway and how large the crack is. For small hairline cracks, you can purchase specialty hairline refillers at a hardware store. For small or medium concrete cracks, you can use a concrete filler or even a cement mixture. Asphalt driveways require specialty patching products, like a water-based acrylic filler. If your driveway has a wide crack, you’ll need to install a backer rod (concrete or foam) before applying your filler of choice.
Fixing hairline cracks in a concrete driveway is easy. Clean the driveway using a hose or pressure washer, then apply a specialty hairline crack filler you can purchase at a hardware store. Let it cure according to the packaging instructions, and then follow up with a sealant to prevent further cracking.
If your driveway has a few minor cracks, it makes much more sense to repair them by filling them and sealing the driveway. Driveways with multiple large cracks, chips, and potholes may require more work—and could indicate something structural going on underneath the driveway. In those cases, replacing your driveway may make more sense. If you’re unsure, consult with an asphalt or concrete driveway professional near you, who can advise on the right course of action.
