Proudly serving Bristol area
Bristol is the farthest area on this site, about 120 miles from the Paving Plus yard in Shawsville. You should know that before you call, not at the estimate. Here is what makes sense at that distance, and how to check before anyone loads a truck.
A job this far out has to be big enough to justify bringing a crew and equipment the whole way. For a single patch or a one-time crack fill, a contractor based closer to you is usually the better deal, and you'll be told so plainly.
- Asphalt PavingSmooth, hard asphalt for driveways, parking lots and rural roads. The base and drainage get checked first, then hot asphalt is laid and rolled to carry your traffic.
- Parking Lot PavingNew lots, repairs and upkeep for business owners and property managers.
- Tar and ChipHot liquid asphalt with crushed stone rolled in. It costs less than asphalt, grips well on slopes and suits long rural drives with light to moderate traffic.
Free estimates in Bristol
Local conditions in Bristol
About 44 inches of rain and snow a year
Bristol, Virginia sits at about 1,680 feet and averages about 44 inches of precipitation a year. That is a lot of water looking for a way into your pavement. On any job here, moving water off the surface and keeping cracks closed matters as much as the asphalt itself. At that height, Bristol sits about 800 feet below Marion, its neighbor up I-81, and more than 1,200 feet below Fancy Gap.
City permits and the Tennessee line
Bristol, Virginia is an independent city on the Tennessee border, with I-81 and I-381 running through it. The city maintains its own streets, so work at the curb or driveway apron is a city matter rather than VDOT's. Licensing and permits also change at the state line, so a job on the Tennessee side is a separate conversation.
Distance from Shawsville
Wikipedia puts Bristol about 149 miles from Roanoke. Shawsville is closer than that, but not by enough to make a small paving job worth the drive: every hour on the road is an hour the crew isn't laying asphalt.
Send photos first
Photos do most of the work on a far job. Take one of the whole area from the street, a few close-ups of the worst damage, and one that shows how a truck would get in. Add rough measurements if you have them. With that, you'll know whether a site visit is worth anyone's time before a date gets set.
What makes sense this far out
- New asphalt driveways and parking lots big enough to be worth the trip. See asphalt paving.
- Long rural drives around Bristol, where tar and chip covers the distance for less. The chooser tells you if your drive qualifies.
- Sealcoating and striping, mainly when they ride along with paving on the same trip.
- A single small repair: call anyway, but expect to hear that a closer crew is the better value.
The reason is simple. Travel time for a crew and equipment is a real cost, and on a small job it can outweigh the work itself.
Bristol questions
Why would a Shawsville contractor work in Bristol at all?
Only when the job is big enough to be worth the drive for both of you. A larger driveway or a parking lot can be. A small patch usually isn't.
Does the distance add to the price?
Hauling a crew and equipment about 120 miles each way is a real cost, and it shows up in a quote one way or another. Ask how travel is handled when you call.
Is the Tennessee side of Bristol covered too?
This page is about Bristol, Virginia. Ask about the Tennessee side when you call, since licensing and permits change at the state line.
Can someone look at it before anyone makes the drive?
Send photos of the area, its rough size and the address. That gives enough to tell you whether a site visit makes sense before anyone makes the long drive.
Ask about a job in Bristol
Call (540) 731-3000 or send the estimate form with photos, the address and the rough size. You'll get a straight answer on whether it's worth the trip.