Chesapeake Paving

Job went very well, once we got an estimate and set a date. They came on time, did exactly what they said they would do, and finished on time. They left the yard clean and undisturbed, except for a few bits of crushed rock here and there. Old driveway turned out to have been repaved about 4 times, so there was a lot of old paving to remove, which added to time required to complete the job, but they did not raise price and completed job in one day as promised.

I received another bid for $2,200, but they were only repairing the cracks in the existing driveway, and adding the additional space. Cheseapeake did a wonderful job, and I would recommend them highly. They were professional, and the owner was there throughout the entire job, and patiently answered all my questions.. My driveway looks great! Will use them again.

I dealt with the manager throughout the whole job. They explained what they were doing. They explained why the driveway was like this. They were extremely professional. They did a great job. So far everything has stayed in place. We got a lot of estimates, and theirs seemed average.

(12/08/2009) The job went very well overall. Art returned my original call for an estimate promptly and gave me an estimate the next day. The work was scheduled a few days after that. I was not present while the work was performed, nonetheless, the job was carried out as specified (special grading instructions). The finished driveway looks good and drains away from the garage as requested. UPDATE (05/23/2010) After living with this driveway for nearly six months, I now feel that the quality and workmanship were inferior. Specifically, the driveway is very soft in some places. Despite six months of curing, I cannot park on it in warm weather (e.g. 80+ degrees) without leaving dents. I'm not talking about heavy vehicles here - I have a 2004 Hyundai and 2009 minivan. My little 4x8 foot trailer (less than 500lbs) leaves dents. The tires from my friends motorcycle left dents yesterday after 10 minutes! In addition, the seams in the asphalt are eroding. I am constantly sweeping up aggregates (pebbles, small stones) from the seams that did not adhere well when the driveway was installed. I now have shallow depressions all over the seams. I've been hoping that sealing the driveway would help stop this erosion, but I can't seal it until it hardens (stops denting). Unfortunately, it seems that will never happen, so I'm stuck watching more dents form and more of the seams wear away. I expect this driveway will last no more than three to five years - far short of the expected life span of a typical asphalt driveway.

The first estimate was performed without talking with the homeowner; the homeowner subsequently requested a second visit to redo the estimate with the benefit of adding in specific driveway specification requirements from talking directly with the homeowner. Chesapeake Paving graciously agreed to do this, and subsequently provided an amended estimate that exactly reflected the homeowner's detailed requirements. The pricing remained very competitive with the second quote, so Chesapeake Paving was selected to install the driveway. Chesapeake arrived exactly when they promised, and completed the driveway exactly when promised as well. They also provided additional information on maintenance of the driveway for long term life of the asphalt. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone needing a new or repaired driveway, but i would also emphasize the importance of providing all relevant details to the contractor so they can give you a valid price for the job.

Art was very responsive when I phoned for an estimate. He came the next business day, and provided the estimate verbally and in writing quickly. He was articulate in explaining his approach compared to the other bidder who was going to dig up only parts of the driveway and use patching fabric. I suspect both approaches are legitimate ways of repairing the driveway, as the other bidder is highly reputable, but Chesapeake's bid was $1,600 less than the other company. They charged roughly the same price for the driveway itself, but the other company added $800 for the widening and $550 for pulling out the bush. Given the heavy equipment that is brought in for this type of job, I knew digging out a bush was not a big job, so appreciated Chesapeake accommodating that request. They were able to schedule the job quickly, and Matt Baker and his crew worked diligently the day they were here. I appreciate that Matt called me out at a couple of points during the job (first to see the cause of the settlement once they dug up the driveway) and how they would address it so it wouldn't happen again, and again when the driveway was outlined and widened with the gravel poured, before paving, then again at the end. They were very professional, and Matt was articulate about what he found and his assessments. We were very happy with the result and they were a pleasure to work with.

I used Angies list to contact 5 firms - all rated in the top 10 in the list. 2 firms did not respond, one firm's quote was at least $800 more. Another firm (Collegiate) seemed to specialize more in sealing that replacing. The estimator was knowledgeable but taciturn, and I had to coax information out of him, based on what I had learnt from the other estimators - though I had the feeling that he was more honest than the others. (eg, the other company claims to lay down a layer of stone all over the driveway, this firm does it only where required to level the surface- which makes sense since a layer all over is not even feasible if the surface height is to be maintained). The job was done on time, and I had no complaints - I examined the surface thoroughly and they fixed the few 'flaws' I spotted. At this time it is too early to comment on the quality of the job - it will be 2-3 years before I can tell if they did a good job. Overall I am quite happy with the work. Though not Excellent, I have given them an A because of "grade inflation"

The equipment showed up on the days Mr. Baker scheduled, each of the workmen was professional and the driveways were completed in 2 days as scheduled. Brian Baker stopped by as they were completing the work to give me details about the new asphalt and how to take care of it. He left each homeowner a booklet with directions for care of the new drives. Each of the homeowners is satisfied with the work done. We had an excellent experience and would highly recommend this company. I feel certain they will do more driveways in our neighborhood in the future.

They were professional, responsive and answered all my questions. Their pricing was reasonable as well. The quality of their work was good and I was satisfied with their service.

Called and scheduled an estimate. He arrived a few minutes early (before I was home) and did the estimate without me. He emailed me the estimate. I accepted by signing and faxing back the estimate. I was called the same day to schedule the work. He said that they would come on the following Thursday, probably in the morning between 8-8:30am. They actually arrived at 11 because both clients for the day were given the morning timeframe--he apologized for the mix up profusely. Took about 2 hours to complete the job. I was given a chance to inspect the work which was good. I was pleased with how well they paved right up to the brickwork without messing up brickwork. I was given a booklet about how to care for the new driveway, when to seal it, etc. The price was exactly what was quoted. I have a one-warranty on material and workmanship. Good experience.

Poor. I joined Angie's list to get contractors to call me back. So much for the $44.

They were responsive. We had an issue on the side and they came back out and fixed it. They were fast; they got the whole thing done in the morning. They dug up the whole driveway and they build it from the scratch. They were professional.

I contacted the owner, Art Baker, several times to schedule appointments for an estimate. The job was to repair and repave a long driveway (1200 SQ YDS). The first appointment he did not show up or call to cancel. He said he lost my contact information and address. The next appointment was scheduled and again he did not show up, although he did call to let me know he wasn't sure of the time. Mr. Baker was pleasant enough, but the bottom line for me was that if he had this much trouble keeping track of appointment details, then the work was likely to be compromised too. I told him that I was no longer interested in having his company bid the job. From other reports on Angie's List it appeared that they were a reliable vendor. My experience was completely different.

Excellent. I had two other companies I contacted, one from Angie's List and another used by a neighbor. Both other companies had higher estimates and would do less work. They wanted to just take off the top layer of asphalt and repave while Chesapeake took it down to the ground, reset the base, and put completely new asphalt on top. Cheaspeake also widened the driveway according to my specifications.

The whole job went very well from first contact through finish. I was contacted by the estimator, who came out a few days later right on time. The crew arrived at 8 AM on the scheduled day with a crew of five and all the right equipment and materials. They quickly got going, carefully cutting the pavement so the remaining pavement would not be damaged when the other pavement was removed. They quickly removed the necessary material, graded as necessary, put in the crushed stone, tamped it carefully and then laid the asphalt. All materail that was removed was loaded on their truck for disposal. They kept the whole site clean and swept up the driveway when they were finished. During the operation the supervisor was available for any questions, and in fact, encouraged me to ask him if I had any questions or needed something done "just so." They performed as a team clearly used to working together. The job was done efficiently and I was very pleased with the result.

This was one of the most positive experiences we have ever had with contracting work on our home. We called several asphalt companies (all of which were recipients of high grades on Angie?s list). Many never returned our calls. Matt, however, called back right away and promptly came out and gave an estimate. It took several weeks to obtain other estimates, and we called Matt many times throughout that time period. He was always responsive, patient, and informative. Moreover, when all was said and done, Chesapeake?s estimate was by far the best! Once we decided to have Chesapeake do the work for us, Matt had us on the schedule, and the crew was out here the following week. Art and the guys were great. They had a great attitude about letting us watch them every step of the way and graciously answered all of our many questions. They were respectful of our property and meticulous about their work. No detail was overlooked. The extra work they did to grade in front of our mailbox was over and above any expectations we had. We could not be more satisfied with the job.

The service was great. The workers were timely and professional. The job foreman, Brian, laid out exactly what would be done. I was concerned about the large maple tree next to the driveway as the roots had destroyed the old driveway, but I wanted to preserve the tree. The workers contoured the driveway to minimize root damage/removal.

They are a great company. Their estimate was the same as other companies we received estimates from and they did more for the money. They were in and out in approximately 4 hours.

This only took one day, because there was a crew of five guys with very positive attitudes toward their jobs. They finished in a timely fashion and the price was reasonable.

Matt from Chesapeake Paving was timely with the estimate & very informative. His price was competitive & he was easy to work with. The asphalt crew, lead by Brian, was wonderful. Professional, respectful & pleasant. I highly recommend them.

The quote request had a prompt response, the scheduling was easy, the crew was on time, efficient and professional. A quality job for a quality price.

He was very prompt in calling me back and came when he said he would to give me an estimate. He sent me an email with the estimate and I believe we are going to hire him.

We were very pleased from the beginning with Chesapeake Paving. Matt came as scheduled, talked with us about what was needed and what they could offer and sent a good estimate. They were able to do the job immediately, were punctual and completed the job as promised. The entire crew was friendly, efficient, hard-working and knowledgeable. They welcomed my husband's interest in watching; Brian took quite a bit of time to answer all our questions and to give us detailed instructions for taking care of our new driveway, including a helpful brochure. They had to do quite a bit of excavating and grading, perhaps more than they anticipated. We are very pleased with the driveway, and our neighbors have commented on how good it looks.

Excellent job. Arrived on time; completed job on time; cared about property. Very professional.

I called to get an estimate and within a few days someone came to look at the work we wanted done and emailed an estimate. They offered a $150 discount if the estimate was approved and signed within 7 days. Upon signing and faxing back the estimate, I called and set up an appointment for the work. The work was done within 2 days. They arrived exactly when they said they would and the workers were pleasant. They finished in the time that they gave me and cleaned up thoroughly. The supervisor, Brian supplied me with a booklet to explain the dos and don'ts after paving and gave me helpful information about sealing the driveway next year. I would definately recommend this company.