Biggest Red Flags When Hiring a Pavement Contractor

The biggest red flags when hiring a pavement contractor are: no insurance, verbal-only quotes, high-pressure sales tactics, vague scope of work, suspiciously cheap pricing, skipping surface preparation, willingness to work in wrong conditions, no references or photos, cash-only payment demands, and ignoring base failure. Any one of these should make you pause. Multiple red flags together should make you walk away. This guide explains each red flag and why it matters.

No insurance

This is the most critical red flag. A contractor without insurance puts your property at risk. If their employee is injured on your site, if they damage your property, or if their equipment causes damage, you could be held liable. Always ask for a certificate of insurance with your property listed as additional insured. See our contractor evaluation guide.

Verbal quotes only

A contractor who will not put their quote in writing is a contractor who can change the price, scope, or terms after the fact. A professional proposal includes:

• Itemized scope of work
• Materials and quantities
• Itemized pricing
• Timeline
• Payment terms
• Warranty terms

If the contractor says "trust me, it'll be around X" and will not document it, that is not a quote. It is an invitation to a dispute.

High-pressure sales tactics

Red flags include:

• "This price is only good today"
• "We have a crew in the area and can start tomorrow if you sign now"
• "We already have the material, so we can give you a discount if you decide right now"
• Repeated calls or visits pressuring you to commit

Vague scope of work

A quote that says "sealcoat parking lot: $3,000" without specifying what is included is a red flag. You should know:

• How many coats of sealer?
• Is crack sealing included?
• Is striping included?
• Is surface preparation included?
• What is the total square footage being priced?
• What material is being used?

Without these details, you cannot compare the quote to others. See our questions guide for what to ask.

Suspiciously cheap pricing

If one quote is dramatically cheaper than the others, something is being cut. Common corner-cutting includes:

• One coat instead of two
• Diluted sealer
• No crack sealing
• No surface preparation
• Inferior or off-brand material
• Underestimated square footage
• No insurance (which lowers their overhead)

The cheapest quote often results in the highest cost over time because the work fails early and needs to be redone. See our sealcoating mistakes guide for what goes wrong when corners are cut.

Skipping preparation

If a contractor says they do not need to clean the surface, treat oil spots, or seal cracks before sealcoating, they are skipping the steps that determine whether the work will last. Proper preparation is not optional. See our mistakes guide and sealcoat failure guide.

Willing to work in wrong conditions

A contractor who is willing to sealcoat in November when temperatures will drop below 50 degrees is either uninformed or willing to risk your investment. Sealcoating below 50 degrees risks a coat that never fully cures. See our temperature guide. Similarly, a contractor who will sealcoat with rain in the forecast is not monitoring conditions properly. See our drying time guide.

No references or photos

A contractor with a track record should be able to provide references and photos of completed work. If they cannot, it may mean they are new to the business, have a history of dissatisfied customers, or are not actually doing the work they claim. Ask for:

• References from comparable properties
• Before and after photos
• The names of properties they currently maintain

Cash-only or no contract

A contractor who demands cash payment or will not sign a written contract is a serious red flag. Without a contract, you have no recourse if the work is poor or incomplete. Without a paper trail for payment, you cannot prove what was agreed. Always get a signed contract and pay by check or credit card for commercial work.

Ignoring base failure

If your lot has alligator cracking, recurring potholes, or visible settlement, and the contractor offers to sealcoat or patch without addressing the base, they are not solving your problem. They are taking your money for a repair that will fail. See our alligator cracking guide and when sealcoating is a waste of money.