Tar and chip paving
The country driveway look, locked down
Tar and chip, sometimes called chip seal, is built in two steps. We spray a heavy coat of hot liquid asphalt over a prepared base, then spread clean stone chips on top and roll them down into it while everything is still hot. The asphalt grabs the stone and holds it there.
What you get is a textured surface that reads as stone from the road but does not rut, wash into the ditch or need raking every spring. It suits farmhouses, long lanes and properties where a wide black driveway would look out of place. We can lay it in tan, red or brown depending on the stone.
It is a good middle ground on price and look. We lay it on driveways and long lanes all over the county, including around Preston.
How is tar and chip actually laid?
The base comes first, same as any paving job. It has to be compacted stone or a sound existing surface, shaped to drain, with no soft areas. Tar and chip is a thin skin, so it copies whatever is underneath it, good or bad.
Then the liquid asphalt goes down hot and even across the full width. Stone follows straight away, before the asphalt starts to set, and the roller works it in so each chip is embedded rather than sitting loose on top. Timing is the whole job. Too slow and the stone will not take. It is the same working discipline behind what we do across the Eastern Shore, whichever surface goes down.
Tar and chip or regular asphalt?
It comes down to look, budget and traffic. Tar and chip usually costs less than hot mix on the same area, needs no sealing, and hides tire marks and patches because the surface is already textured. On a long lane that difference adds up quickly.
Hot mix wins where the surface has to be smooth and tight: short town driveways, anywhere you shovel snow off regularly, areas where trucks turn hard, and any lot that has to be striped. The chips can be scraped loose by a plow blade set too low or a wheel turning in place. If you want that smoother finish, a full depth asphalt job is the better fit. How different surfaces hold up over years of traffic is what the federal Long-Term Pavement Performance program has spent decades measuring.
Get a free estimate on tar and chip
A stone finish that stays put, laid by a third generation Eastern Shore paving family.
Call (410) 924-4174How long does tar and chip last and what upkeep does it need?
Expect several years of good service before it wants a fresh chip coat, and that refresh is a simple job because the base is already there. Loose stone sweeps to the edges in the first couple of weeks, and we come back or you can sweep it once traffic has settled the surface.
Drive at sensible speed on it for the first few days and avoid turning your wheels while stopped. Keep the plow blade up a touch in winter, or fit skid shoes. We have laid plenty of these lanes out through the farm country, and they hold up well when the base was built right. On a drive with no bound surface at all, putting in a stone drive is the first step toward one.
Why choose Robert and Son Paving for tar and chip?
Tar and chip is a timing job and not every paving outfit still runs it. We have been doing it out of Federalsburg for decades, on driveways and lanes across Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Queen Anne's counties, as part of a family business now in its third generation.
We hold MHIC #74385 and have been BBB accredited A+ since 2018. All work is covered by a two year warranty and estimates are free. If the lane needs shaping before anything is sprayed, we take care of cutting it back to a proper profile first.
Ask a paving contractor
Straight answers about asphalt paving on the Eastern Shore
What colors does tar and chip come in?
It depends on the stone we use. Tan, red and brown are the usual choices around here, and each one changes the whole look of a property. We can show you what the stone looks like before you commit to it.
Can tar and chip go over my existing driveway?
Often yes, if the existing surface is sound and drains properly. A solid old asphalt drive or a well compacted stone base both work. What it cannot do is bridge a failed base or a low spot that holds water, because the chip coat is thin and follows the shape below.
Does loose stone come off a tar and chip driveway?
Some stone always works loose in the first week or two, which is normal. It sweeps to the edges as traffic settles the surface. After that the chips stay embedded in the asphalt, unlike loose gravel that keeps migrating all year.
Can you plow snow off tar and chip?
Yes, with a little care. Keep the blade slightly up or use skid shoes so it rides over the surface instead of digging into it. A plow set hard down will pull chips loose, the same way it scars any thin surface.
Does tar and chip need sealing?
No. The stone is the wearing surface, so there is nothing to seal. When it eventually looks thin or worn, the fix is another chip coat over the top rather than a sealer, and that is a quick job on a base that is already built.
Do you lay tar and chip outside Federalsburg?
Yes. Preston, Sudlersville, Denton, Hurlock, Trappe, Easton and Cambridge are regular stops, along with the rest of Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Queen Anne's counties and Sussex County in Delaware.