Real startup numbers, real equipment lists, real pricing. And the operating system to run it so the phone never beats you.
From LLC to first $100K, in order.
LLC, EIN, insurance, business license, surety bond if your state requires it. Open a business bank account and dedicated phone line. This is the boring part. Do it once, do it right.
Pickup truck, trailer, 300+ gallon spray tank or squeegee setup, crack-fill melter, blower, edger, sealer drums. Buying used cuts startup cost in half. Lease before you buy on big-ticket items.
Most shops price per square foot for sealcoating ($0.15-$0.25) and per linear foot for crack fill ($0.50-$2.00). Build a simple bid sheet. Quote on site whenever possible. Walk the lot, take photos, deliver the number same-day.
Door hangers in neighborhoods you sealed yesterday. Google Business Profile with weekly photos. Facebook ads to homeowners in target ZIPs. Lead generation is its own discipline. AsphaltMarketing.co handles it for shops that want done-for-you.
Every missed call is a lost job. Every estimate without follow-up is a coin flip. Every finished job without a review ask is wasted goodwill. This is where GoPave comes in: the operating system that runs all of it on autopilot so you can stay on the truck.
A realistic first-year picture for a solo owner-operator.
Ranges based on common owner-operator reporting. Actual numbers vary by market, season, and pricing discipline.
Most owner-operators do not lose jobs because the sprayer broke. They lose them because the phone rang and they could not pick up, or the estimate went out and nobody followed up. GoPave is the operating system that makes sure neither happens.
See the asphalt CRMTwo minute leak audit shows you exactly where the phone is beating you.