"There are cracks in my parking lot — do I need crack sealing or patching?" We get some version of this question every week, and it's a smart one to ask, because the two repairs solve completely different problems at completely different price points. Choose right and you spend a little now to avoid a lot later. Choose wrong and you either overpay for a repair you didn't need or, worse, put a cheap fix on a structural problem and pay for both.
Here's the plain-English breakdown we give Metro Atlanta property owners, drawn from 15+ years and 500+ projects.
What crack sealing is — and when it's the right call
Crack sealing fills individual cracks with a hot-applied rubberized sealant that bonds to the crack walls and flexes as the pavement moves through Georgia's temperature swings. Its entire job is keeping water out of the pavement structure.
Crack sealing is the right repair when:
- Cracks are individual and traceable. You can follow each crack with your finger — long lines running with or across the pavement, or along the edges.
- Cracks are roughly a quarter-inch to an inch wide. Hairline cracks may not accept sealant yet; gaping ones may need more than sealant alone.
- The pavement around the crack is solid. No sinking, no movement underfoot, no spiderwebbing around it.
Think of these as "working cracks" — they're caused by temperature movement and normal aging, not by a failed foundation. Sealed promptly, they stay a minor line item for years.
What patching is — and when it's the right call
Patching removes and replaces failed asphalt. In a proper full-depth patch, the failed area is saw-cut, excavated, the base repaired and compacted, and new hot-mix asphalt installed and rolled. It fixes structure, not just surface.
Patching is the right repair when:
- You see alligator cracking. Interconnected cracks forming a scale or chicken-wire pattern mean the base beneath has failed. No sealant can fix that.
- There's a pothole. By definition, the surface has already broken apart.
- The pavement is sinking, rutting, or moving. Depressions that pond water or flex under a truck wheel are base problems.
- Cracks are wide, deep, and crumbling at the edges. Past a certain point, a "crack" is really a small failure.
The 30-second decision test
Stand over the damaged spot and ask three questions:
- Can I trace each crack individually? Yes → likely crack sealing. It's a web or mesh → patching.
- Is the surface still flat and firm? Yes → crack sealing. Sunken, loose, or crumbling → patching.
- Is there a hole? Any hole at all → patching. Sealant doesn't fill holes.
When a lot has both — and most aging lots do — the right answer is both, in the right places: patch the failures, seal the working cracks, and often follow with sealcoating to protect everything else.
Why the wrong fix costs you twice
The most common money-waster we see in Metro Atlanta is sealant poured over alligator cracking. It looks repaired for a season, but water keeps reaching the failed base through the crack network, and the area keeps spreading — so the owner pays for sealing now and a bigger patch later. The second most common is the "throw-and-go" cold patch in a pothole: material dumped in the hole without cutting, cleaning, or compaction. In Atlanta's rain, most of these wash out within months. A proper repair costs more than a bad one — once.
What these repairs cost (honestly)
Every lot is different, so treat these as industry ballparks, not quotes. Crack sealing is typically priced per linear foot and lands around $1–$3 per foot in most markets, with minimums for small jobs. Patching is priced per square foot and varies much more — roughly $2–$6+ per square foot depending on depth, base condition, and access, with full-depth repairs at the top of the range. The honest way to budget is a site visit and a measured proposal, which is exactly what we provide: a real quote, free, with the repair boundaries marked out so you can see what you're paying for.
Timing matters in Georgia
Crack sealing works best in moderate temperatures — spring and fall — when cracks are near the middle of their seasonal open-close cycle, so the sealant isn't stretched or squeezed to its limits. Fall is our favorite window: seal before winter rain and freeze-thaw nights, and the pavement goes into its hardest season watertight. Patching with hot-mix asphalt is more flexible and runs most of the year in Atlanta's climate.
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Biran Paving Group — owner-led by Ben Biran, licensed and insured with COI on request, 5.0-star rated, based in Dunwoody and serving all of Metro Atlanta, now with the added crews of Michael's Asphalt — will gladly tell you which repair your pavement actually needs, even if the answer is the cheaper one. Call (678) 332-8941 or email biranpaving@gmail.com. If ongoing repairs keep surprising you, ask about our asphalt maintenance programs — the whole point is catching cracks while they're still crack-sealing problems.