Barrows Contracting Inc.

Massachusetts has no paving license, but a residential paving contractor must hold a state Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, and structural work like a retaining wall needs a licensed Construction Supervisor. In Upton, the building department issues the driveway permit and the DPW issues curb-cut and street-opening permits for work tying into a town road. Lots near a brook, the West River, or a wetland often need a Conservation Commission filing first. Permit fees are set per recent cycles; a local paver pulls these and books the required inspection as part of the job.

Upton sits at the edge of the MetroWest commuter belt, so paving here runs a bit above central-MA towns farther out but below the Boston metro core. A standard asphalt driveway install typically lands at $4,500–$12,000, with length, slope, and base depth driving the spread. Sealcoating runs about $250–$700. Concrete sits around $8–$18 per square foot, and permeable pavers run higher. The biggest cost movers here are driveway length on subdivision lots, slope drainage, and sub-base rebuild after frost damage.

Massachusetts requires a written contract and a Home Improvement Contractor registration for most residential paving & driveways work; ask for the registration number and check it before paying a deposit.

More on permits, costs, rebates and common questions, plus every other paving & driveways contractor serving the town, on the Paving & Driveways in Upton page.