Road Construction Company in Palmer Lake, CO: Built From the Base Up

Paul's Asphalt Service LLC is a road construction company in Palmer Lake, CO that builds private roads, HOA streets and long acreage drives from bare ground to the final layer of hot mix asphalt. We excavate, grade, set the gravel base, shape the drainage and pave, so one crew handles the whole job.

We are based at 702 CO-105 in Palmer Lake. The town sits above 7,000 feet, and every winter here tests the roads we build. Acreage owners, HOA boards, homeowners and business owners call us because Paul and his crew get the base and the drainage right before any asphalt goes down. We hold a 4.8 star rating on Google. Call (719) 232-1523 to set up a free consultation.

Here are the road construction services Paul’s Asphalt Service offers:

How Road Construction Works in Palmer Lake, CO

Building a road here starts with two things: the ground you are building on, and who owns the road yours will connect to. Palmer Lake sits in El Paso County, about 20 miles north of downtown Colorado Springs. Water that gets under a road at this elevation freezes and thaws all winter and lifts the pavement from below. That is why the base and the drainage decide how long the asphalt lasts.

The approvals depend on the owner of the road you tie into:

• Inside town limits, the Town of Palmer Lake sets its own permit rules for work in its streets, including a street cut permit for excavation in town right-of-way. The town is the first call.
• On county roads, El Paso County requires a permit before anyone installs or changes a driveway or works in the public right-of-way. A county inspector checks safety, drainage and any damage to the road.
• On Highway 105, which is a state highway, a CDOT access permit is required to build, relocate, close or modify an access point.

Before any digging, buried utilities have to be located through Colorado 811, and the dig area gets premarked in white paint, flags or stakes. After that, the order of work is about the same on nearly every job: excavation, grading, gravel base, drainage, then paving. At the first site visit we look at where your road ties in, so you know which approvals the project needs before it goes on the schedule.

Asphalt Road Paving for Access Roads and Through Routes

A road carries more weight, more often, than a single driveway, and it has to shed water along its whole length. Our asphalt road paving in Palmer Lake covers access roads, shared lanes and the routes that connect several homes or buildings to a public street. We pave with hot mix asphalt, placed and rolled while it is hot enough to compact tight.

What sits under the mix matters as much as the mix. Hot mix belongs only on a prepared surface that is unfrozen and free of water, snow and ice. Our asphalt surface preparation in Palmer Lake gets the base clean, firm, dry and shaped to final grade before the paver arrives.

Temperature sets the calendar. Colorado's state highway specifications are a useful reference for any road. They call for air and surface temperatures of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit for a top layer under 1.5 inches thick, 50 degrees for layers from 1.5 to under 3 inches, and 45 degrees for 3 inches or more. Paving stops when temperatures fall below those marks.

At Palmer Lake's elevation, that puts road paving in the warmer months, from late spring into fall. Call early in the year to get your road on the schedule while those months are still open.

Private Road Paving on Acreage and Mountain Lots

Plenty of properties around Palmer Lake sit at the end of a long gravel road. It washboards, throws dust all summer, turns to mud in spring and needs new gravel and regrading every year. Private road paving in Palmer Lake replaces it with asphalt that stays put. First we check whether the existing gravel can be reworked into the new base or has to come out because it has washed away or mixed with soil.

Slopes are where private roads go wrong. A steep grade moves water fast and pulls at the edges of the pavement. A curve on a hillside needs the right cross slope so runoff sheds off the side of the road and does not run down its length. Paul and his crew take on varying slopes and long rural driveways. One customer with a difficult, sloped driveway wrote that the crew did a great job on it.

If your private road meets a county road, that connection needs an El Paso County permit before work in the right-of-way begins. The upkeep stays with you as well, since the county does not maintain private roads. A road built correctly the first time keeps that upkeep small.

HOA Road Paving Across the Tri-Lakes Area

The Tri-Lakes area takes its name from Monument Lake, Palmer Lake and Lake Woodmoor, and many neighborhoods here run on private streets. The county does not maintain those streets, so the association carries the decisions and the bills. HOA road paving in Palmer Lake gives a board one crew for its whole road system, from rebuilding failed sections to laying new asphalt.

Boards need numbers they can plan a reserve fund around. We walk the roads with you, mark which stretches need a full rebuild and which only need a new surface, and lay out the scope section by section. When the budget calls for it, the work can run in phases over more than one season.

Grading, Excavation and Gravel Base for Rocky, Sloped Ground

Most of a road's life is decided before any asphalt shows up. On the rocky, uneven lots around Palmer Lake, asphalt excavation in Palmer Lake removes topsoil, roots, soft spots and old pavement down to firm ground. Our asphalt grading and prep work in Palmer Lake then cuts the high spots, fills the low ones and sets the slope that carries water off the road.

The next layer is crushed rock. Gravel base installation in Palmer Lake places road base in lifts and compacts each one, so the asphalt rests on a layer that spreads the load and drains well. How deep that base goes depends on the soil, the slope and the traffic the road will carry, so we set the depth for each site.

Larger projects bring one more rule. Construction that disturbs one acre or more, including parts of a larger plan of development, needs a Colorado construction stormwater permit from the state health department. A long new road across acreage can reach that size, so we measure the footprint early.

Drainage, Curbs and Aprons That Protect a New Road

Water is one of the main reasons roads fail at this elevation. Snowmelt and spring storms run downhill, soak into any weak spot and freeze overnight. Our asphalt drainage solutions in Palmer Lake build the crown, side slopes and channels that move water off the pavement and away from it. We also handle water drainage in Palmer Lake around the road itself, such as runoff that crosses a lane or pools at a low turn.

Edges need attention too. Asphalt curb installation in Palmer Lake adds a raised edge that guides runoff where it should go and keeps it from cutting under the pavement on a slope. Where your road meets a street, asphalt apron installation in Palmer Lake builds the paved transition that keeps the joint between the two from breaking up. That connection usually sits in town, county or state right-of-way, so it is the part of the job most likely to need one of the permits above.

Removing, Milling and Rebuilding Worn Roads

Some road projects start on old pavement rather than raw ground. Older paved roads around Palmer Lake reach a point where patches stop holding, and the right fix depends on how deep the damage runs.

When only the top is worn and the base is sound, asphalt milling and repaving in Palmer Lake grinds off the old surface and lays new asphalt at the correct height. That keeps the edges level with aprons, garages and drains.

When the base has failed, with heaving, wide cracks or soft spots that sink under traffic, a fresh top layer would only crack again. Asphalt removal and replacement in Palmer Lake takes the road down, repairs the base and paves new. For large sections or a whole road, asphalt demolition and removal in Palmer Lake breaks out and hauls off the old pavement so the rebuild starts clean.

Cutting into a county road falls under the same right-of-way permit. At the site visit we tell you which of these paths your road needs and why.

Why Hire Paul's Asphalt as Your Road Construction Company in Palmer Lake, CO

We have served Palmer Lake and the surrounding communities for 10 years as a locally owned business, and we hold an A+ rating from the BBB. Customers rate us 4.8 stars on Google across more than 20 reviews. Paul works on the jobs himself, so the person who looks at your road is part of the crew that builds it.

Steep grades, long rural drives and rocky lots are regular work for us. Reviewers describe hearing back the next day and having the paving done the day after, and they mention fair prices and honest people. Our phone line is open 24 hours a day and we handle emergency repairs. If something needs attention after the job, we come back and fix it. Consultations are free.

Where We Build Roads Around Palmer Lake

We work all over Palmer Lake, from the downtown blocks along Highway 105 to the streets around the lake and the hillside lots below the Star on Sundance Mountain. We also build and pave roads on rural acreage outside town limits that tie into county roads.

Beyond town, reviewers mention our work in Chaparral Hills, and we take road projects in Monument and surrounding communities, throughout Colorado Springs and in the Denver Metro area. See the communities we cover on our service areas page. Call (719) 232-1523 to book a free consultation at your property.

Frequently Asked Questions About Road Construction in Palmer Lake, CO

What permits do you need before building a private road in Palmer Lake, CO?

The permits for a private road in Palmer Lake depend on what the road connects to. Inside town limits, the Town of Palmer Lake sets its own permit rules for work in its streets. A connection to a county road needs an El Paso County right-of-way permit, and a new or changed access onto Highway 105 needs a CDOT access permit. Large grading jobs may add a state stormwater permit.

What licenses and registrations should a road construction company hold to work in Palmer Lake?

A road construction company working in Palmer Lake must hold a Town of Palmer Lake business license, since the town requires one of every business located in or doing business there. Beyond that, a contractor should carry the licensing and business registrations required wherever the job sits. Paul's Asphalt is locally owned and based on Highway 105 in Palmer Lake, with an A+ rating from the BBB.

When is the paving season for road work in Palmer Lake, Colorado?

The paving season for road work in Palmer Lake runs through the warmer months, from late spring into fall, because hot mix asphalt needs warm air and a dry, unfrozen base. Colorado's highway specifications set minimums of 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit depending on layer thickness, and thin top layers need the most warmth. Booking early in the year gets your road on the calendar before the warm months fill up.

Who is responsible for a private road in Palmer Lake, the owners or the county?

The owners are responsible for a private road in Palmer Lake, not El Paso County, which does not maintain private roads. In a subdivision that usually means the HOA. On a shared acreage road it means the owners who share it. That makes the quality of the original base and drainage a big factor in what the road costs you over the years.

Does a road project in Palmer Lake need utility locates or a stormwater permit?

A road project in Palmer Lake needs utility locates before any digging, requested through Colorado 811 several business days ahead, with the dig area marked in white paint, flags or stakes. A state construction stormwater permit applies when the work disturbs one acre or more, including parts of a larger development. Most driveways fall well under that size, but a long new road on acreage can reach it.

How is road construction different from paving a surface in Palmer Lake?

Road construction in Palmer Lake covers everything under and around the asphalt, while paving is the final layer. A road job starts with excavation and grading, builds a compacted gravel base, shapes the drainage and only then lays hot mix. Skipping those early steps is a common reason roads crack and heave after a Palmer Lake winter. Call Paul and his crew at (719) 232-1523 for a free consultation on your road.