What are "Seasons" in the Asphalt Industry?

Here's everything you need to know about the local Asphalt Seasons, to make planning your work and schedule a little bit easier.

Similar to how your favorite television series may have a new "season" every year, so too does the Asphalt industry in places like Colorado. Also like your TV shows, these seasons do not last the full year, and instead cover a select few months over the spring, summer, and fall. These seasons also vary a bit by service, with sealcoating having a shorter season than services like patching or cracksealing.

What Do Colorado's Asphalt Seasons Look Like?

In Colorado (and the nearby mountain states), the Asphalt Season typically runs from the start of May to the end of September - this is what we mean when we say "season". Due to a number of circumstances outlined below, companies like ours can only perform asphalt work for this short window each year. Sealcoating has the shortest season, only able to be guaranteed during these five months, while patching and occasionally cracksealing can be performed earlier and later in the year if weather allows.

Lately, wet springs tend to push that season even shorter, with rain or snow delays blocking out parts of May and June. On the flip side however, warm and dry autumns have allowed some work to continue into the later months of the year, but work is still limited in those extended time frames. Particularly if you are looking at getting your pavement sealed, work will need to be scheduled over that summer season.

Why Are These Seasons So Short?

Every year, winter puts a big roadblock in the time frame for local asphalt companies to work in. This happens for a few reasons. The first is probably the most obvious: temperature. Asphalt work, especially sealcoat and crackseal materials, need to be applied and cured at higher temperatures. When the weather gets too cold, if can affect the ability of asphalt crews to get this work done. Crackseal that is applied at too low of a temperature can start to peel up, fail to adhere to the surface, or become too brittle to provide protection. Similarly, sealers cannot be applied or cured in colder temps. Those frigid winter months where temperatures drop below freezing prevent commercial asphalt companies from conducting this work year-round.

Another reason you may not have thought of is also a biproduct of seasonal changes: Daylight. One of the reasons that sealcoating has a shorter season than other asphalt maintenance offerings is in large part due to the shortening of the days. Sealer takes a certain amount of time to cure in daylight - less daylight means more time to cure, eventually reaching a point where it is no longer feasible to offer to customers, since the curing process is what allows sealer to adhere to the existing asphalt. Sealer that is not allowed to cure properly is more susceptible to damages like cracking and peeling, and can reduce the protection for your pavement that sealcoating aims to provide.

Finally - moisture and access to materials. Moisture from rain, snow, and frost limits all forms of asphalt repair and maintenance. Once these move in for the year, or before they move out for the summer, the amount and type of work that can be done is restricted. This is also why companies will ask you to turn off your sprinklers until work is completed; a dry surface is necessary for asphalt work. For many of the reasons already outlined, access to materials for asphalt also ceases seasonally. Asphalt plants and suppliers generally shut down at some point, making it so that commercial companies cannot get their hands on the materials for projects. Once this happens, no amount of good, dry weather can restart the season without costing customers a significant amount of money.

What Does This Mean For You?

The biggest impact this has on someone looking to get their asphalt surface worked on is that it limits the amount of time each year that you have to find a servicer to complete the work. For example, with very rare exceptions, any calls Black Pearl receives for work after mid-August are generally unable to be completed that same year. The limited time given to use each season means that schedules can start to fill up quickly, and most companies locally schedule on a first-come, first-served basis. Delaying on asking for estimates or hiring companies can push your repair work out for longer than you may wish to wait. Whether you are looking to work with Black Pearl Asphalt or another company, communicating your timeline preferences upfront can also help you better plan your project work.

Due to these seasonal limitations, Black Pearl Asphalt, having served Northern Colorado and the Front Range for over a decade, tries to make this process as streamlined and openly communicated as possible. We continue to complete estimates over the off-season for those who know they'll need work once it opens, but this does lead to schedules already filling before the season even begins. We send out regular reminders and communications to those we've sent bids to, but also ask if you've already scheduled work elsewhere to let us know. We will also try to be as upfront as possible about how full our schedule is for the season, and when you can expect to see your work done. If you are looking to have asphalt work done, the best time to call or email is now.

-- Written by Rachelle Payeur, copyright 2025