Storm Pothole Damage on the Central Coast: What to Do This Week
If a storm has just opened up potholes on your driveway or carpark, the priority is water. Get it off the surface fast. Tarp the hole if it’s deep, cone it off if vehicles use the area, and ring a contractor within 5 days. Water sitting in a pothole doubles the damage within a week.
The 2025-26 storm season has been one of the worst I’ve seen on the Coast in 20 years. Central Coast Council logged over 25,000 pothole reports in three months. Our phone hasn’t stopped. Here’s what to do this week if your driveway or carpark has taken a hit.
Why 2025-26 Storm Season Made It Worse
Three things stacked up:
- Saturated subgrade. February and March dumped over 400mm of rain across the Coast. Clay subgrade in suburbs like Wyong, Tuggerah, and Berkeley Vale was waterlogged for weeks. When the base is soft, every passing vehicle pumps water up through cracks and breaks the asphalt apart.
- Freeze-thaw cycles. We don’t freeze on the Coast, but we do get rapid temperature swings. Wet asphalt in a 28°C afternoon, dropping to 8°C overnight, repeats the expansion-contraction cycle that opens hairline cracks into real potholes.
- Council backlog. The 25,000 council pothole reports between February and May meant most "Class C" pothole jobs (driveways near road interfaces, private accessways onto council roads) sat for weeks before anyone got to them. Water kept getting in. Holes got bigger.
If your driveway or carpark has fresh damage, the clock is ticking.
4-Step Driveway Pothole Triage
Here’s what to do today, before you ring anyone:
Step 1: Get the water out. Sweep, mop, or shop-vac standing water out of the hole. If you can see soft mud at the bottom, the base has failed. That’s a bigger job.
Step 2: Tarp it. A cheap blue poly tarp pegged down with bricks or sandbags will keep the next rain out. Cover any hole deeper than 50mm.
Step 3: Cone it or witches-hat it. Especially for commercial sites and shared driveways. A car hitting a 100mm pothole at 30km/h will bend a rim. You’re liable for that.
Step 4: Photograph everything. Date-stamped photos of every pothole, the surrounding area, and any vehicle damage. If you’re claiming on insurance or chasing council, you need the evidence.
Then ring a contractor. If it’s local, our pothole crew covers the whole Coast and can be on site within 48 hours during storm season.
When DIY With Bunnings Cold-Mix Works
Cold-mix asphalt in a 20kg bag from Bunnings or Mitre 10 has its place. About $25 a bag, no compactor needed, you can do it with a shovel and a hand tamper.
DIY cold-mix works when:
- The hole is small (under 200mm wide, under 50mm deep)
- The base is solid (no soft mud at the bottom)
- The surrounding asphalt is sound (no spider cracks)
- It’s a temporary fix and you’ll get it properly patched within 6 months
- The area sees light foot traffic or occasional vehicles only
How to do it: clear the hole of loose material, fill with cold-mix in 25mm layers, tamp hard with a piece of timber or a hand tamper, slightly mound the top. Drive over it a few times to compact.
It’ll last 6 to 18 months depending on traffic and weather. Then you’ll need the real fix.
When DIY Makes It Worse
Cold-mix is a bandaid. It fails badly when:
- The hole is deeper than 75mm (the patch sinks and the edges fail)
- The base is soft or wet (the cold-mix pumps out within weeks)
- The surrounding asphalt has alligator cracking (you’ve patched the symptom, not the cause)
- You’re patching multiple potholes in the same 5m² area (the base is gone, the whole section needs to come up)
- It’s on a steep slope (cold-mix won’t lock in, traffic kicks it out)
I’ve seen plenty of DIY cold-mix jobs come back to bite owners. Cold-mix on top of failed base is money in the bin. By the time we come to fix it properly, we’re also paying to remove the failed cold-mix. Cheaper to do it right first time.
Hot Mix vs Cold Mix Repair
Here’s the difference that matters:
Cold mix patch:
- Bunnings or pro contractor with bagged product
- $25 DIY, $300 to $600 pro call-out
- Lifespan 6 to 18 months
- Works for small temporary fixes
- Can be done in wet weather
Hot mix patch:
- Pro contractor with truck-delivered 160°C asphalt
- $500 to $1,500 for typical residential job
- Lifespan 10 to 15 years
- Includes saw cutting, base prep, tack coat, hot mix laid and rolled
- Needs dry conditions
A proper hot mix patch is a permanent repair. We saw cut a clean square around the failed area, dig out the bad base, replace and compact with road base, tack coat the edges, fill with hot mix, and roll it in. Done right, you can’t tell where the original asphalt ends and the patch begins after 12 months.
What a Pro Patch Costs
For 2026 Central Coast rates:
| Job | Typical cost | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| Single small pothole (under 0.5m²) | $500 to $800 | Saw cut, prep, hot mix, roll |
| Multiple potholes same visit | $400 to $600 each (add-on) | Same crew, same setup |
| Larger failed section (1-2m²) | $900 to $1,500 | Excavation, base, hot mix, roll |
| Full driveway resurface | $2,800 to $6,000 | Strip, prep, 25mm hot mix overlay |
| Emergency same-week call-out | + $200 to $400 | Priority scheduling |
The minimum charge for any hot mix job is around $500 because the truck still has to deliver, even for a tiny patch. If you’ve got one small pothole, ring around your neighbours. Group a few jobs into one visit and everyone pays less.
We service the whole Coast. Pothole pages by suburb: Gosford pothole repair, and we’ve also got suburb-specific info for Wyong, Erina, Terrigal, Woy Woy, Tuggerah, Bateau Bay, The Entrance, and Lake Munmorah. Get the full list on pothole repair Central Coast.
How to Stop the Next One
Most potholes start as hairline cracks. Once water gets in, you’ve got 6 months before it’s a hole. Stop the water, stop the pothole:
- Crack seal yearly. Hot rubber crack sealer on cracks over 5mm wide, applied each autumn before storm season. Most contractors charge $4 to $8 per linear metre.
- Reseal every 5-7 years. A spray seal over the top of existing asphalt re-waterproofs the surface for $5 to $9 per m². Adds 10 years to the driveway lifespan.
- Fix the drainage. If water is pooling on your driveway, you’ve got a slope or drainage problem. Adjust grates, install a trench drain, or regrade the surface.
- Trim back trees. Roots are the second biggest cause of cracks. Roots from large gums and figs within 3 metres of the driveway will eventually lift the asphalt.
Quick yearly maintenance saves the $3,000 resurface bill at year 15.
FAQs
Can I claim pothole damage from Central Coast Council?
You can lodge a claim through Central Coast Council’s public liability process if the pothole is on a council road and you’ve reported it previously. Council typically rejects first-time claims unless they had prior notice. Photograph the damage, the pothole, and the location, then submit through the council website. Most claims for tyre and rim damage settle for $200 to $600 if approved. Driveway damage on your own property isn’t a council issue.
How long does a hot mix patch last?
Done properly, a hot mix patch lasts 10 to 15 years, often as long as the surrounding asphalt. The keys are saw cutting clean edges, proper base preparation, tack coating, and compaction with a roller. Patches done without these steps fail within 2 to 3 years.
Is Bunnings cold-mix any good?
For small temporary fixes, yes. It’s about $25 a bag, easy to apply, and will last 6 to 18 months in light traffic. It’s not a long-term fix and shouldn’t be used for holes deeper than 50mm or wider than 200mm. If your base is wet or soft underneath, cold-mix won’t stick and you’re wasting your money.
Got questions about your Central Coast driveway or carpark? Glenn or one of the crew will pick up, 0447 039 682. Or send through the quick quote form and we’ll come out for a free site visit.
