How a pothole forms
It starts with a crack or a soft spot — often oil damage, an old trench reinstatement, or a thin patch of surfacing. Water gets in, freezes, expands and widens the defect.
Vehicle wheels then pump water in and out of the crack under pressure, breaking the edges away until a hole opens up. Once the base beneath is exposed, deterioration accelerates quickly.
Why bagged cold-fill fails
Cold-lay material tipped into a ragged hole has nothing to bond to and no square edges to lock against. Water runs straight down the sides of the patch and the same freeze-thaw cycle starts again.
It has its place as a temporary safety measure, but it is not a repair.
- Cut the hole back to square, sound edges
- Remove loose material and check the base beneath
- Rebuild and compact the base if it has failed
- Tack the edges so the new material bonds
- Lay and compact in layers, then seal the joint
A proper repair
The failed area is saw-cut to a square shape well beyond the visible damage, the loose material removed, and the base inspected. If the base is intact, new material is laid and compacted in layers against tacked edges.
If the base has failed, it is excavated and rebuilt first. Skipping that is precisely why the hole appeared.
When patching stops making sense
One or two potholes on an otherwise sound driveway are worth repairing. A driveway with multiple potholes, widespread interlocking cracking and standing water is telling you the base is done.
At that point patch repairs are money spent twice, and a rebuild or an overlay onto a corrected base is the better value decision. We will say so rather than sell you patches.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a pothole repair take?+
A single localised repair is usually a short visit. Multiple repairs or base rebuilding takes longer.
Will the repair be visible?+
Initially yes, because new tarmac is darker. It blends as it weathers, and a full overlay removes the patchwork appearance.
Can potholes appear in block paving?+
Not in the same way — you get sinking and rocking blocks instead, which are relaid rather than patched.
Should I repair before winter?+
Ideally, yes. An open pothole takes on water all winter and grows significantly by spring.
Pothole getting worse?
We will tell you honestly whether it is a repair or a resurface.