- 20+ Years in Germiston
- Own Crew & Plant
- Free Written Quotes
- One Contractor, Full Accountability
About Private Road Construction
Private road construction is building a road on private property from the ground up — an estate or complex internal road, a farm access road, an industrial site road, or a business park entrance road — rather than resurfacing something that already exists. Tarworks Construction builds private roads across Germiston, the East Rand and Johannesburg, treating it as one job: earthworks, layerworks, drainage, kerbing and surfacing, done by the same crew from start to finish. A private road is only as good as the base underneath it — a new road that ruts, potholes or washes out in its first wet season almost always failed on the earthworks or layerworks, not on the gravel, tar or asphalt laid on top. We assess the ground on site and quote in writing before anything starts.
What's Included
- Site walk sets alignment, width and base before quoting
- Cut, fill and shape the road to its design profile
- Base course compacted in layers with our vibratory roller
- Soft or wet ground fixed at earthworks, not surfaced over
- Falls, camber, side drains and culverts set first
- Kerbing or edge restraint added to hold the road's edge
- Surfaced in gravel, tar, asphalt or chip-and-spray
- Lane lines, stop signs and speed bumps marked once cured
Our Process
- 1
Assess and Design
We walk the proposed route on site, assessing the ground, drainage lines and access for our plant, and work out the road's alignment, width and base specification for the traffic it will carry. This tells us before we quote whether the job is straightforward or needs extra planning for drainage or ground conditions.
- 2
Earthworks and Layerworks
We cut, fill and shape the road to its design profile, then build up the base course in compacted layers with our own vibratory roller — the stage that decides whether the road lasts. Soft or wet ground is addressed here rather than surfaced over.
- 3
Drainage and Kerbing
We set the falls and camber before surfacing, install side drains and culverts where the road crosses a drainage line, and add kerbing or edge restraint where needed to hold the road's edge under traffic.
- 4
Surface the Road
Depending on traffic, budget and the finish you want, we leave the road as a properly compacted gravel road or surface it with tar, hot-mix asphalt or chip-and-spray using our own paver, roller and spray equipment. Lane lines, stop signs and speed bump markings can be added once the surface has cured.
Project Gallery
Private Road Construction FAQ
What is private road construction?
Private road construction is building a road on privately owned land, an estate or complex internal road, a farm or agricultural access road, or an industrial or business park entrance road, rather than repairing or resurfacing an existing road. It covers the earthworks, the base or layerworks, drainage, and the final surface, whether that is compacted gravel, tar, asphalt or a chip-and-spray treatment. Because the road is being built from the ground up, the earthworks and base stage matters even more than it does on a resurfacing job, since there is no existing structure to build on.
What's the difference between a private road and a public road?
A private road sits on private property and is built, owned and maintained by the landowner, a body corporate, a farm or a business, rather than a municipality. A public road is built to municipal or provincial standards and maintained with public funds. In practice this means a private road's specification, width and surface can be matched to what the owner actually needs and can afford, rather than a fixed municipal standard, though it still needs to be built properly to carry its traffic and survive the local weather.
What materials can a private road be built from?
Compacted gravel, tar (bituminous surfacing), hot-mix asphalt, or a chip-and-spray treatment. A well-built gravel road costs less upfront and suits lower-traffic farm and estate roads, but needs periodic grading and re-gravelling. A sealed surface — tar, asphalt or chip-and-spray — costs more to build but needs far less ongoing maintenance and handles higher traffic and speeds better. We will recommend the option that matches your traffic, budget and how much ongoing maintenance you want to take on.
How much does it cost to build a private road?
It depends on the length and width of the road, the condition of the ground, how much cutting and filling is needed, access for our plant, drainage requirements, and whether you want gravel or a sealed surface. We do not publish a rate card because a short road on level, dry ground costs a fraction of a longer road that needs heavy earthworks and culverts. We give a free, written quote after assessing the site, with no payment upfront for materials.
How long does it take to build a private road?
It depends on the length of the road and how much earthworks it needs. A short, level internal estate road can be built in a matter of days once the design is agreed. A longer farm or industrial access road that needs significant cut and fill, drainage structures and a sealed surface takes longer, because the layerworks need to be built and compacted in stages before surfacing goes down. We give a programme in writing once we have assessed the site, and we will tell you if weather is likely to affect it.
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Get a free, no-obligation quote from Germiston’s trusted road construction, tarring and paving team.