Your pavement is an important fixture in your home and making sure that it’s in best condition should be at the top of your priorities. However, every pavement has a lifespan and eventually it will have to be replaced. People who conduct paving scams know this and they will take advantage of clueless homeowners who have no experience dealing with these fraudsters.
The Most Common Paving Scams
Every homeowner is at risk of being targeted by these scammers. Especially since you only have to deal with a paving contractor once every decade or so. We’ve previously discussed about how you can avoid being scammed. So we’ve put together a list of the strategies that these scammers use to better raise awareness of what kind of dirty tactics these paving scams use.
Recycled Asphalt
The moment a contractor offers you “extra” asphalt from a previous project, immediately cancel the transaction. Experienced contractors will make sure to take the time to measure how much asphalt is needed to fill in a job order. They will rarely have any extra asphalt left over, let alone offer the extra to another client. Extra asphalt will be weaker and won’t last as long as a fresh batch. You’re looking at a third of the lifespan of non-recycled asphalt.
Sub Par Paving
Sub par paving can mean a ton of things. From terrible materials that won’t last half as long as quality materials to paving tactics that minimizes the amount of material used, there is no lack of sub par paving strategies that paving scammers can use. One of these strategies is to create a hill of dirt or gravel on your pavement and then pave over that. This lets them pave your driveway with as little asphalt as possible while sacrificing it’s longevity.
The “Best” Deals
Most scammers will be really good con men that make sure that you’re getting the best “deal” in town. They’ll offer you discounts that might seem too good to be true. They could also pressure you to accept their terms on a whim. They’ll offer you this “special” discount for just a day or two before moving on. Legitimate paving companies will give you their word and a written contract that will be valid for weeks or even months before it becomes void.
These types of scammers will try their best to convince you that you’re pavement needs their services. Sometimes even showing you made up “damage” to your driveway. Damage that might not have even been there before they arrived.
Door to Door and Out of State Pavers
One of the red flags of a paving scam is when someone shows up at your door offering to pave your driveway. No legitimate paving contractor is going to show up at your door out of the blue offering you a paving job that you can’t refuse. Any reputable paving contractor won’t have to go looking for customers as their customers find them. Scammers have to be always on the move to avoid getting caught by the long arm of the law. If you find yourself being offered a paving job like this, it’s best to politely refuse.