Driveway Replacement in La Grande, Oregon: When It's Worth It & What It Costs

When a La Grande Driveway Is Past Repair

There is a point where patching and resurfacing stop making sense. When the base beneath your asphalt has failed, no surface treatment will hold — the cracks return, the potholes come back, and the money spent on overlays disappears. At that stage, full replacement is the only fix that lasts. For La Grande homeowners, the cold Grande Ronde Valley winters tend to push driveways toward that point faster than milder parts of Oregon.

Replacement means removing the old asphalt down to the base, correcting or rebuilding the sub-grade, and paving a fresh driveway from the ground up. It costs more than resurfacing, but on a failing base it is the only approach that gives you a surface measured in decades rather than seasons. If you are not yet sure which camp your driveway falls into, our resurfacing vs. replacement cost guide lays out the decision.

Signs Your La Grande Driveway Needs Full Replacement

• Alligator cracking across large areas — Interconnected cracking is the clearest sign of base failure
• Potholes that keep coming back — Recurring potholes mean the sub-grade is unstable
• More than 25 percent of the surface cracked or broken — Past this threshold, repairs cost more than they return
• Sinking, heaving, or settled sections — Movement points to soil or drainage problems beneath the asphalt
• Age beyond 20–25 years — Asphalt near the end of its lifespan rarely justifies continued repair
• Drainage failure — Standing water and birdbaths that no longer drain accelerate every other problem

Two or more of these together usually mean replacement is the smarter long-term spend. Our 7 signs your driveway needs replacement guide explains each in depth.

What Driveway Replacement Costs in La Grande

Industry baseline ranges shown below. Actual costs vary based on size, removal, base condition, slope, and current market conditions.

Driveway Size	Approx. Square Footage	Industry Baseline Replacement Range
1-car	400–600 sq ft	$3,000–$6,000
2-car	600–900 sq ft	$4,500–$9,000
3-car / long	900–1,400 sq ft	$6,800–$14,000

Industry sources have historically reported full asphalt driveway replacement baselines of roughly $7 to $13 per square foot, depending on removal, base rebuild depth, and slope. Actual costs in La Grande frequently run higher than valley pricing because of the haul distance to Eastern Oregon and the deeper base work that freeze-thaw soils often require. A measured site quote is the only reliable figure.

The Replacement Process in Union County

1. Demolition and removal — The old asphalt is broken out and hauled away.
2. Sub-grade evaluation — The exposed soil is checked for soft spots and moisture problems. Eastern Oregon's freeze-thaw soils often need correction here.
3. Base rebuild — Crushed aggregate base rock is placed and compacted in lifts. In a cold climate, a properly built base is what prevents the next round of frost heaving. Our driveway base preparation guide covers why this layer determines how long the surface lasts.
4. Grading for drainage — The driveway is sloped to shed water away from the garage and toward the street, which is critical in a freeze-thaw climate.
5. Paving — Hot-mix asphalt is laid in a binder and surface course and compacted with a roller.
6. Cure — The new driveway cures before heavy use; sealcoating follows months later.

Why La Grande's Winters Make the Base Critical

In the Grande Ronde Valley, water is the enemy of asphalt. Hard freezes and repeated freeze-thaw cycling drive moisture into the base, where it expands and lifts the surface. A driveway that was paved over a weak or wet sub-grade will heave and crack again within a few winters, no matter how good the asphalt on top is.

That is why replacement done right in Union County puts most of the attention below the surface. A deep, well-compacted base rock layer, proper drainage grading, and a sub-grade free of soft spots are what carry a new driveway through decades of La Grande winters. Skimping on base prep to save money is the single most common reason a replacement fails early in a cold climate.

What a Contractor Can't See Until Demolition

Replacement quotes are estimates until the old surface comes out. Common surprises include:

• Saturated or unstable sub-grade — A high winter water table can leave soil softer than expected
• Inadequate original base — Older driveways were often built on thin or missing base rock
• Buried debris or old patches — Fill material and previous repairs sometimes hide beneath the surface
• Drainage that needs correction — Existing grades may have to be reworked to keep water moving

A site visit catches most of this up front. Reputable contractors flag the possibility of base correction in the estimate so there are no surprises mid-project.

Get Your La Grande Driveway Replacement Quote

When repairs stop holding, replacement is the investment that lasts. Cojo Excavation & Asphalt provides free, no-obligation replacement assessments for La Grande and Union County homeowners. We evaluate the surface and base, explain whether replacement is genuinely warranted, and deliver a transparent quote with no hidden fees.

Request a free replacement estimate — we respond within 24 hours.

View our completed driveway projects and learn more about our asphalt maintenance services. For the full picture on residential driveways across Oregon, start with our complete asphalt driveway guide for Oregon.