If you've heard the terms chip seal, chip and seal and tar and chip and wondered whether they're different, they aren't. They're all names for the same driveway and road surface. Here's what it actually is and how it's built.
Quick answer: chip seal is a paved-feeling surface made by spraying hot binder (the "tar") onto a prepared base, spreading crushed stone (the "chip") over it, and rolling the stone in so it locks down. It's used on public roads and, increasingly, on rural and mountain driveways.
| Name you'll hear | What it means |
|---|---|
| Chip seal | The standard industry term |
| Tar and chip | The everyday name — the binder is the "tar," the crushed stone is the "chip" |
| Chip and seal / chipseal | Spelling and word-order variations of the same thing |
How chip seal is built
- Prep the base. Grade, fill low spots and compact so the surface goes down on something solid. The base decides how well it lasts — see what your existing driveway needs.
- Spray the binder. Hot binder goes down evenly across the surface.
- Spread the stone. Crushed stone is spread over the binder right away.
- Roll it in. A heavy roller seats the stone into the binder so it locks together.
- Let traffic finish the job. Loose stone works to the edges over the first couple of weeks and can be swept off. Timeline in how long chip seal takes to install and cure.
Where chip seal is used
Chip seal isn't new or experimental. Road agencies use it as a pavement-preservation treatment: North Carolina's DOT lists chip seals among the treatments eligible for its pavement preservation program and allows single chip seals on secondary roads under set conditions (see the NCDOT pavement preservation guidance, Oct. 2023). On private driveways and roads, it gives you a bonded stone surface that grips steep grades, handles freeze-and-thaw, and looks natural against the woods.
Is chip seal right for your driveway?
- Compared with asphalt: chip seal vs. asphalt.
- Compared with gravel: chip seal vs. gravel.
- Not the same as sealcoating: chip seal vs. sealcoating and slurry seal.
- The honest tradeoffs: pros and cons and how long it lasts.
Want to know whether it fits your property? We give free on-site estimates across Murphy, Andrews and the surrounding NC/GA/TN communities. Request yours here.