Asphalt
New Asphalt Driveway Installation in Newberg, Oregon
Cojo
May 30, 2026
7 min read
A new asphalt driveway in Newberg can be a quick in-town job or a substantial wine-country project, and the difference comes down to where you are. In the established neighborhoods near downtown and George Fox University, lots are compact and approaches are short. Out in the Chehalem Valley toward the vineyards, driveways wind several hundred feet back to homes set off the rural roads. Both follow the same construction sequence; what changes is the scale, the soil, and the access.
Across the board, the part that decides whether a Newberg driveway lasts is the base preparation. The valley's clay-rich soils hold water through the long Willamette Valley winter, and water in the base is what destroys asphalt. Build the base right and the driveway shrugs off winters for decades. Here is what a proper installation involves.
A driveway is built in layers, each carrying the one above. This is the order a careful crew follows.
The crew stakes the path, strips topsoil and any old gravel, and cuts to firm sub-grade. On rural Newberg properties with long approaches, this is where the grade gets set so the driveway sheds water along its whole length rather than channeling it toward the house. The layout sets turning room, parking, and where the approach meets the road.
With the cut open, the sub-grade is inspected and compacted. Yamhill County's clay-rich soils are the thing to watch — clay holds water, and saturated ground under a driveway is the leading cause of early failure. Soft spots get dug out and replaced. On rural lots, this is when culverts, ditches, or drains go in to keep winter runoff from undermining the pavement.
A layer of crushed aggregate base is spread and compacted in lifts. The base carries every vehicle that uses the driveway. Over clay-rich soil, contractors often go deeper than the minimum and may lay a geotextile fabric between the native soil and the rock to keep the base from sinking into wet ground. This is the most important step for lifespan and where cut-rate bids skimp.
Hot-mix asphalt is delivered, spread in a binder and surface course, and rolled while hot. The mix has to be laid and compacted at the right temperature, which is why this is a job for a properly equipped crew. The full step-by-step asphalt driveway installation process is detailed in our statewide guide.
The driveway looks done within hours but stays soft for a while. Wait a few days before driving and several weeks before parking heavy loads or turning your wheels in place. Sealcoating should wait until the surface has cured for a season.
Where your new driveway meets the public road is regulated. Inside Newberg, a new or relocated approach typically requires a permit through the city; properties on county roads go through Yamhill County. The permit governs apron width, sight distance at the road, and how the approach handles drainage.
On rural wine-country properties, the approach onto a county road still has to meet sight-distance and drainage standards, and a long private approach may need its own culvert where it crosses the roadside ditch. A contractor who works in the Newberg area regularly will handle the approach permit and build the apron to standard. Skipping it can mean a stop-work order.
New asphalt driveways are priced per square foot, with the total swinging on size, base depth, removal, and access. Industry baseline ranges have historically been reported around $3 to $7 per square foot, though actual costs in Newberg frequently run higher, especially for the long rural approaches common here. For more, see our asphalt driveway cost across Oregon guide.
What pushes a Newberg install higher:
These are industry baselines, not a Cojo quote. The accurate figure comes from a site visit.
In a wet valley with clay-rich soil, the base is the whole ballgame. Newberg gets a long, soaking winter, and water in the base is what destroys asphalt. A driveway on a deep, compacted, well-drained base flexes with the seasons and sheds water for decades. One on a thin base over wet clay cracks, sinks, and alligators within a few years no matter how clean the asphalt looked on day one.
This is why the lowest bid is often the most expensive over time — crews cut corners where you cannot see them, in the base. Ask any contractor exactly how deep they excavate, how thick the base rock is, whether they use a separation fabric over clay, and how they handle drainage. After the install, ongoing asphalt maintenance services protect what you paid for.
A typical Newberg residential install takes one to three days of active work, weather permitting, plus cure time. Long rural approaches take longer simply because of the square footage. Paving season runs late spring through early fall, when it is warm and dry enough for the asphalt to cure. Booking in spring for summer work usually secures better scheduling before the season fills.
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