A list of company names cannot tell you who will seal your driveway well, but a handful of checks can. Use this guide to verify the business, read a quote line by line and compare three quotes on equal terms.
In This Article
Verify the business before you read the price
Anyone can print a flyer or build a website. Start by confirming that the company is real, insured and easy to reach, because a low price means little if an injury on your property or a failed coat leaves you holding the bill.
- General liability insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance and check the dates. A spoken "yes, we're covered" is not proof.
- WSIB coverage. Ask for a current WSIB clearance certificate. It shows the firm's account with Ontario's workplace insurer is in good standing for the people working on your driveway.
- A checkable identity. Look for a business name, a local phone number, a stated service area and a written quote that carries the same name.
- A record you can test. Read reviews on independent platforms, not only the testimonials on the firm's own site, and notice how it answers the unhappy ones. Ask for photos of finished driveways and, if the owner agrees, a past customer you may call.
The same checks apply to any exterior trade. For more, read how to spot a bad exterior cleaning contractor before you hire.
What a clear written quote says
Ask every company to put the same details in writing. A quote you can compare line by line looks like this.
| Item | A clear quote says | Look twice if |
|---|---|---|
| Area | The measured size of the surface, or how it was measured | A price arrives by phone before anyone has measured |
| Product | The sealer type and product name, with the data sheet on request | It only says "premium sealer" |
| Coats | How many coats, and whether the mix is thinned or has sand added | The number of coats is missing |
| Preparation | Cleaning, crack filling, oil-spot treatment and edging as separate lines | Prep is "included" with no detail |
| Weather | What happens if rain or cold is forecast, and who decides | A fixed date is promised whatever the sky does |
| Reopening | How long to stay off on foot and by vehicle, tied to the product label | One blanket wait time applies to every job |
Sealer is a coating, not a repair. If the quote lists no crack treatment for a driveway that clearly needs it, ask why.
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The access plan and cleanup a tidy crew explains up front
Sealing blocks your driveway for a day or more, so the practical details matter as much as the product. Ask where the vehicles should go, how long the garage will be cut off and how the edges of the job will be marked. Ask what protects the garage door, the walkway and the lawn edge from splatter, and who cleans up if some lands there.
Ask about leftover product and rinse water too. Neither should end up in a storm drain, which leads to a local creek or river. A crew that has answers ready has usually done this before.
Sales tactics that deserve a second look
Plenty of honest firms knock on doors. Still, treat an unsolicited offer the way you would treat any unknown caller, and slow down if you see these.
- A discount that vanishes unless you decide today.
- Leftover sealer from a job down the street, offered at a price that seems too good. A rushed, thinned-out coat is one of the classic ways a sealing job fails.
- No written quote, no business name on the paperwork, or a refusal to show insurance.
- A request to pay the full amount before any work begins.
- A willingness to seal in cold, damp or rainy weather. Good crews reschedule, because the label sets the conditions and the forecast decides the date.
Compare three quotes on equal terms
- Send everyone the same facts: the surface material, approximate size, visible cracks, oil stains and any previous coating.
- Ask for the same items in writing, using the table above.
- Level the scope. A quote with one coat and no crack filling is a different job from one with two coats and repairs, so do not compare the totals until the scope matches.
- Call the references, then compare price last.
D&D Home Services has been based in Kitchener-Waterloo since 2018 and carries $2 million in general liability insurance. Driveway sealing starts from $450 for typical Kitchener-Waterloo homes, and quotes are free and confirmed in writing before work begins. Hold any company, D&D included, to the checks above, and read what past customers say on the reviews page.
Key Takeaways
- Ask for a current insurance certificate and a WSIB clearance certificate before you compare prices.
- A comparable quote names the measured area, the sealer, the number of coats and each preparation step.
- Leftover-sealer offers, pressure to decide today and vague paperwork are reasons to slow down.
- Send every company the same driveway details, level the scope, then weigh price last.
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