What Actually Happens, Step by Step
Six stages. Each one has a clear deliverable so you always know where the project stands. No stage gets skipped, and no stage starts until the previous one is done right.
1. Site Assessment
One of us comes to your property for about an hour or two. We measure the driveway, photograph the existing surface, and check your electrical panel or mechanical room. You leave with a written scope document — not a vague estimate, a real scope.
2. Layout Design
We draw a cable or tubing layout specific to your driveway shape and your heating goals. We also calculate the electrical load or boiler demand so there are no surprises when the panel gets opened. You see the plan before we schedule anything.
3. Pre-Construction Walkthrough
We walk the site together before a single shovel goes in. We mark the work boundaries, confirm where equipment will be staged, and talk through what the next few days will actually look like at your property. This is your last chance to ask questions before the noise starts.
4. Excavation & Base Prep
The existing surface comes out. If there's old concrete, you'll hear the breaker. The base gets graded and compacted to spec. This is the messiest, loudest part of the project. We haul debris and leave the site tidy before we go each evening — but it will look like a construction site during the day.
5. Heating Element Installation
Cables or tubing go down in the pattern from the layout drawing. Before the concrete truck arrives, we photograph every run from multiple angles. Those as-built photos are yours permanently — useful if you ever need to cut into the surface years from now.
6. Testing & Commissioning
Electric systems get a continuity test and a megger (insulation resistance) test before the pour. Hydronic loops get a pressure test. After the surface cures, we power up the system with you present, walk through the controls, and watch the surface temperature climb together. We don't leave until it works.
Your Starting Point Changes Everything
A new pour, a tear-out, pavers, asphalt — each one is a different project with different labour, different timelines, and different costs. Here's what each scenario actually involves.
New Concrete Pour
The cleanest scenario. Cables or tubing go directly into fresh concrete, giving you the best thermal contact and a surface built from scratch. If you're already planning a new driveway, adding heat at this stage costs far less than retrofitting later.
Tear-Out & Replace
Your existing surface comes out completely. We break it up, haul it away, prep the base, install the heating elements, and pour new concrete. More labour, more cost, more noise — but the result is a brand-new driveway with heat built in. Most common for homeowners with cracked or aging concrete.
Under Pavers/Interlock
We lift your existing pavers carefully, install the system on a prepared sand or gravel base, and set the pavers back. You keep the look you already have. The tradeoff: paver joints let cold air in, so this system works harder than a concrete pour in the same conditions.
Asphalt
Electric cables can go under asphalt, but the paving process requires careful temperature control — too hot and the cable jacket degrades. We coordinate directly with the paving crew. Not every asphalt contractor is comfortable with this, so it's worth asking us before you book your paver.
Stairs & Landings
Stairs are where falls happen. Cable spacing on steps is tighter than on a flat driveway, and the layout has to account for the nose of each tread. We treat stair zones as their own scope item. Often added alongside a driveway project, but they can also be done on their own.
Not sure which scenario fits your property? That's the first thing we figure out at the site assessment.
Your Driveway Will Be a Construction Site
Three to five days of noise, equipment, and no driveway access. That's the honest version. The concrete breaker is loud. The excavator takes up space. There will be a day or two where your driveway is just a hole in the ground.
What we can do:
We can't make construction quiet or invisible. We can make it predictable — and predictable is manageable. Here's how we handle each disruption point.
Driveway Access
We keep a clear path to your front door every day. You won't be stepping over equipment to get inside. The driveway itself will be blocked — that's unavoidable — but we plan the staging so foot access stays open.
Debris & Mess
Broken concrete, gravel, and packaging get cleared before we leave each evening. The site will look like a construction zone during the day. It won't look like one when we're gone for the night.
Parking
We talk through parking before day one. Street parking, a neighbour's driveway, a nearby lot — we figure it out together at the pre-construction walkthrough so you're not scrambling on the first morning.
Property Protection
We photograph the full site before we start and after we finish. If something gets damaged during the project, we fix it. That's not a policy — it's just how we work.
Noise & Equipment
The concrete breaker is loud. There's no way around that. We work standard hours and don't start before 7 a.m. Heavy equipment stays on the driveway footprint — we don't drive across your lawn.
Four Checkpoints Before We Call It Done
Hoping a system works isn't good enough when it's buried under concrete. These are the specific tests and sign-offs that happen before, during, and after installation — and what each one actually checks.
Pre-Construction Walkthrough
Before any work starts, we walk the site with you and confirm the layout plan together. You see exactly where the boundaries are, where equipment will be staged, and what the next few days will look like. Nothing starts until you've signed off.
As-Built Photo Record
Before the concrete truck arrives, we photograph every cable or tubing run from multiple angles. These photos show exactly where the heating elements sit beneath your surface. You get a copy permanently — useful if you ever need to cut into the driveway years from now.
Pre-Pour Electrical & Pressure Tests
Electric systems get two tests before the pour: a continuity test (confirming the circuit is unbroken) and a megger test (measuring insulation resistance to catch any jacket damage). Hydronic loops get a pressure test to confirm there are no leaks. Concrete doesn't go down until these pass.
Live Commissioning
After the surface cures, we power up the system with you present. We walk through the controls, set the sensor thresholds, and watch the surface temperature climb together. You leave knowing exactly how to operate it — not just that it works.
Your Choices — Our Responsibility
Some decisions are yours to make. Others aren't — and we don't ask you to make them. Here's exactly where the line sits.
YOUR DECISIONS
- What Gets Heated
Full driveway, tire tracks only, front walkway, stairs — you decide the coverage zone. We price each option separately.
- Where You'll Park
Street, a neighbour's driveway, a nearby lot — you sort this out before day one. We'll remind you at the pre-construction walkthrough.
- How It Turns On
Automatic snow sensor, manual switch, or app control — or some combination. We'll walk you through the options at the design stage.
- Surface Finish
Broom finish, exposed aggregate, stamped concrete, or pavers. Each affects cost and the curing timeline.
- Electric or Hydronic
Electric costs less upfront. Hydronic costs more. Your panel capacity and existing boiler setup often point toward one or the other.
WE HANDLE
- Cable or tubing layout — spacing, zone sizing, load calculations
- Electrical load planning and panel assessment
- All permit applications and municipal inspection coordination
- Scheduling the concrete crew, electrician, and any other trades
- Pre-pour testing, as-built photos, and commissioning documentation
- Warranty coverage typically ranges from 5-20 years, depending on selected products and controls
How Long It Actually Takes
Weather, panel capacity, and your existing surface all affect the schedule. These are honest ranges based on real Ontario projects. Your site assessment will give you a project-specific timeline — not a guess.
Heating System Only
Into existing prepared base, no surface replacement
1–2 days
Full Driveway Replacement
Tear-out, base prep, heat install, new pour
3–5 days
Concrete Traffic Hold
No vehicles on new surface — this is not full cure
3–7 days
Panel Upgrade
When existing electrical capacity is insufficient
1–2 days
What Can Shift Your Schedule
We can't control the weather or the permit office. We can tell you upfront what might add time, and we'll call you the moment anything changes.
- Temperature (concrete needs 5°C+ to pour safely)
- Full concrete cure: 28 days to reach full strength
- Panel upgrades, if your current capacity is short
- Permit timelines, which vary by municipality
*Typical ranges based on Ontario projects. Your site assessment will include a project-specific schedule with dates, not just durations.
Start with a Site Visit
The only way to know what your installation will actually involve is to look at your property. We'll tell you what makes sense for your driveway — or whether it makes sense at all. No obligation either way.
1. Site Visit
We come to your property for about an hour. We measure the driveway, check your electrical panel or mechanical room, and photograph the existing surface. You leave with a written scope — not a ballpark.
2. Layout & Quote
We draw the cable or tubing layout specific to your driveway shape, calculate the electrical or boiler load, and give you a fixed price. No surprises when the invoice arrives.
3. Construction
The crew shows up, does the work, and cleans up each evening. Three to seven days of real construction — excavation, installation, pour, cure. We test everything before we leave.
Ready to get started?
Share a few details about your property to get a personalized recommendation and estimate.
We typically schedule site visits within 2–4 weeks. No pressure, no obligation.