Tar & Chip Driveways in Arvada, CO
$2 to $5 per sq ft · rustic textured finish · lower cost than smooth asphalt
Want the rustic, gravel-like look without the potholes and washouts that come with plain gravel? Tar and chip sprays an asphalt emulsion binder and rolls crushed stone into it, giving a textured surface at $2 to $5 per square foot, usually less than smooth asphalt.
Where Tar and Chip Actually Makes Sense
Long driveways with light daily use, mountain or foothill properties where a rustic look fits the setting better than blacktop, and homeowners who want something more durable than gravel without the smooth, uniform look of asphalt. It's a common choice in some of the older, larger-lot parts of Arvada and up toward Golden, where the terrain and the aesthetic both lean that direction.
The tradeoff is edge durability and load capacity under constant heavy daily traffic, which is why we'd usually steer a driveway that parks two cars every single day toward asphalt instead. It's not that tar and chip can't handle it, it's that the edges wear faster under that kind of repeated turning stress.
Tar and Chip vs. Asphalt: Side by Side
| Tar & Chip | Asphalt | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per sq ft | $2 to $5 | $4 to $8 |
| Surface | Textured, embedded stone | Smooth, poured |
| Sealcoating needed | No | Yes, every 1-2 yrs |
| Best for | Long, lightly used drives | Daily heavy traffic |
Tar & Chip Questions
Is tar and chip cheaper than asphalt?
Usually. Tar and chip runs $2 to $5 per square foot versus $4 to $8 for asphalt, though the gap narrows on smaller driveways once mobilization costs are factored into both.
Does tar and chip need sealcoating like asphalt does?
No. The rock-embedded surface doesn't take a sealcoat the way smooth asphalt does. Maintenance is mostly about occasional re-chipping in high-wear spots rather than a full resurfacing cycle.
Can you shovel snow off a tar and chip driveway the same as asphalt?
Yes, though we'd recommend a rubber-edged shovel or a plow blade with a rubber edge, since a metal edge can dislodge loose stone at the surface over repeated seasons.
Related: unsure which fits your driveway? See the full cost comparison, or read about standard asphalt paving.