Paving advice
Recycled asphalt for a driveway
What you are really buying, and when it is worth it
Recycled asphalt costs a fraction of hot mix because it isn’t hot mix: it is old asphalt, crushed, spread and compacted cold. It suits a long country driveway or a temporary base; in town, several by-laws require a hard surface.
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The short answer
- What it is: asphalt milled off roads and parking lots (millings), crushed, then spread and compacted cold on your driveway. It is not hot mix.
- Material price: $10 to $30 a tonne depending on the region and supplier, according to soumissionsasphalte.ca (December 2024). Add delivery, the stone base and the laying.
- What you get: a dark, compact surface that stays granular. Edges crumble, the plough blade tears pieces off and dips come back where water sits.
- When it fits: a long rural driveway, access to a shed or a work site, a temporary base before real paving.
- When to avoid it: a house driveway in town, a slope, or a municipality that requires a hard surface.
Recycled asphalt or hot mix: the real difference
| Recycled asphalt laid cold | Hot-mix asphalt (paving) | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Old crushed asphalt, no new bitumen added | New aggregate and bitumen, heated to about 150 °C at the plant |
| Laying | Spread with a grader or by hand, rolled | Spread with a paver, compacted while hot |
| Surface | Granular, tightens up with time and heat | Smooth, closed, waterproof |
| Snow removal | The blade catches and tears the surface | The blade glides |
| Upkeep | Regular top-ups and compaction | Sealed cracks, sealcoat every few years |
| Price | Material at $10–30 a tonne (December 2024 survey), plus laying | $6–10/ft² fully rebuilt (2026) |
Note: hot mixes produced in Québec can themselves contain a share of recycled asphalt aggregate, governed by the transport ministry’s standards. That recycling happens at the plant, in new mix; it isn’t what people call “recycled asphalt” for a driveway.
How much does a driveway take?
Our calculation for a 400 ft² (37 m²) driveway: a 75–100 mm layer is about 2.8–3.7 m³. At about 2 tonnes per cubic metre once compacted, that is on the order of 6 to 8 tonnes of material, or about $60–220 at $10–30 a tonne. Delivery, a stone base if the ground is soft, and compaction cost more than the material itself.
An asphalt driveway that doesn’t crumble: your price after a free visit
Is it allowed in your city?
Several cities we serve require a “hard” surface for residential parking, which cold-laid recycled asphalt doesn’t guarantee:
- La Prairie: asphalt, concrete, interlocking pavers, grass pavers or another permeable material approved by planning.
- Sorel-Tracy: asphalt, concrete, pavers or another hard aggregate surface; on a driveway over 30 m, only the first 10 m.
- Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu: in category E zones, asphalt, concrete, pavers or porous paving within 18 months; crushed stone is accepted elsewhere.
- L’Assomption: gravel is banned inside the urban perimeter.
- Lévis: a house with 5 spaces or fewer can keep a surface treated against dust and mud.
Each city’s rules are on our driveway widening page and in the permit guide by city. When in doubt, ask the planning department whether “compacted recycled asphalt” counts as a surface before ordering.
When recycled asphalt is a good choice
- A long country driveway, where paving 100 or 200 m would be costly: the first metres in hot mix near the road, the rest in recycled asphalt.
- A secondary access: shed, trailer, work-site lane.
- A temporary base at a new house, while the backfill settles before paving; see our new asphalt driveway page.
What makes it last (a little) longer
- A compacted stone base under the recycled layer, as under real paving; recycled asphalt doesn’t replace one.
- A slope that sheds water; water is what creates the dips.
- Rolling in lifts, ideally in warm weather, when the old bitumen softens and binds the grains better.
- Top-ups where it dips, rather than waiting for a pothole.
No neutral source puts a number on the life of a recycled-asphalt driveway; it depends mostly on the base, the drainage and the snow removal. For comparison, a well-built hot-mix driveway lasts 15 to 20 years on average, according to the National Association of Home Builders study.
Frequently asked questions
How much does recycled asphalt cost?
$10 to $30 a tonne for the material, depending on the region and supplier (soumissionsasphalte.ca, December 2024). A 400 ft² driveway takes on the order of 6 to 8 tonnes, plus delivery, base and compaction.
Is recycled asphalt as good as new asphalt?
Not for a house driveway: laid cold, it stays granular, crumbles at the edges and stands up poorly to the plough blade. Hot mix gives a smooth, closed, waterproof surface.
Is recycled asphalt allowed everywhere?
No. Several cities require a hard surface (asphalt, concrete or pavers) for residential parking, such as La Prairie or Sorel-Tracy, and L’Assomption bans gravel inside its urban perimeter. Check with your city before ordering.
Can it be paved over later?
Yes, if it was laid on a compacted base and is well graded: it can then serve as a base course under hot mix. Otherwise, it is redone along with the base.
Sources
- soumissionsasphalte.ca, « Refaire son entrée en asphalte recyclé : avantages et inconvénients » (December 2024): price per tonne.
- Municipal by-laws and pages: La Prairie; Sorel-Tracy, zoning 2222; Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, “Stationnement” sheet; L’Assomption; Lévis.
- National Association of Home Builders and Bank of America, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (2007).
- Hot-mix prices: our 2026 price page.
Go further.
New asphalt driveway: paving your new house’s gravel.
Paving a new house’s driveway or a gravel driveway: when to do it (6 to 12 months after construction), what we add to the builder’s stone, $6–10/ft² in 2026 and the city rules.
Read
How much does an asphalt driveway cost in 2026?
Québec asphalt prices: rebuilding $6–10/ft², resurfacing $3–5.50, plus sealcoating and crack repair. Sources and a project budget calculator.
Read
Asphalt, pavers or concrete: which surface for your driveway, at what price
Asphalt $6–10/ft², concrete about $10–11/ft² as actually paid, pavers $22–35/ft² in 2026. What each surface does in winter and for upkeep, and the cities that require or favour pavers.
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