What is Chip Seal?

Chip seal (also called tar and chip) is a durable pavement surface made by combining hot liquid asphalt binder with layers of small, crushed aggregate stone. The stone is spread evenly over the liquid asphalt and rolled firmly into the base to form a weather-resistant surface.

Common across Texas for country lanes, long residential driveways, and ranch access roads, chip seal has a more rustic and gravelly look with the structural stability of traditional pavement.

At Premium Asphalt, we provide custom chip seal installation engineered to withstand Central Texas heat, heavy vehicle traffic, and seasonal rain.

What We Seal

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Chips for Chip sealing.

How Chip Seal Saves You Time & Money

Driveways and roads can get expensive quickly. Chip seal bridges the gap between loose gravel and hot-mix asphalt, delivering high performance at a much lower cost.

  • Upfront Installation Savings: Chip seal typically costs 30% to 50% less to install than traditional asphalt, with a lot of the same benefits.
  • Minimal Ongoing Maintenance: Unlike hot-mix pavement, chip seal doesn’t need regular sealcoating. The top layer guards the liquid asphalt base against UV oxidation and keeps it from drying out.
  • No Regular Grading Needed: Unlike gravel driveways that wash out during heavy storms or develop deep ruts, chip seal binds stones in place. That saves you time, labor, and money on constant gravel top-offs.
  • Long Surface Lifespan: A professionally installed chip seal driveway can have 7 to 12+ years of dependable performance before it needs maintenance and repairs.

What Can Chip Seal Be Used On?

Chip seal is a versatile paving material for almost any property that needs hard, all-weather access without the high cost of traditional pavement.

  • Residential & Country Driveways: Best for long rural driveways, private property entries, and turnarounds where gravel causes dust and mud.
  • Ranch Roads & Private Property Lanes: Heavy-duty performance that handles farm trucks, horse trailers, and heavy equipment without rutting.
  • Commercial Access Roads: Cost-effective surface coverage for equipment yards, storage facilities, and staging areas needing routine parking lot maintenance.
  • Existing Asphalt Surfaces: Chip seal can be applied directly over aging, cracked asphalt as a restorative overlay to seal surface defects and extend pavement life.
Chip seal driveway by Premium Asphalt Paving.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chip Seal

While you can drive on a chip seal driveway shortly after final compaction, the liquid asphalt binder takes approximately 24 to 48 hours to set fully. We recommend driving slowly during the first few days while the surface settles.

Yes, but with a higher price point. While gravel washes away in heavy rains, creates dust in dry weather, and always needs to be refreshed, chip seal locks crushed stone into a waterproof asphalt base. This eliminates dust, stops mud, and provides a smooth and reliable surface year-round.

Yes, as long as the underlying surface is structurally sound. Chip seal is an excellent option for resurfacing old asphalt driveways that have minor surface cracks or fading, sealing out moisture.

Chip seal requires very little maintenance. Simply keep the surface free of heavy debris, clean up major oil spills, and avoid sharp turns while vehicles are stationary. Every 5 to 7 years, an optional protective fog seal can be applied to lock in aggregate and keep the surface looking new.

Serving College Station, Brenham, Bryan, Caldwell, Cameron, Franklin, Gause, Madisonville, Temple, Waco, and Wixon Valley TX since 2010

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before newly paved driveway for commercial lot.newly paved parking lot for commercial lot.