Line-item ranges for an asphalt driveway
Asphalt paving cost is easiest to understand one line at a time. A full driveway replacement is usually the first three rows added together; resurfacing, crack sealing, sealcoating and striping are priced on their own.
| Line item | Unit | US reference range |
|---|---|---|
| New hot-mix asphalt, 2 to 3 inches compacted, on a prepared base | per sq ft | $2.50 - $6.00 |
| Tear-out and haul-off of old asphalt or concrete | per sq ft | $1.00 - $2.00 |
| Crushed-stone base, placed and compacted | per sq ft | $1.00 - $2.50 |
| Resurfacing overlay, 1.5 to 2 inches over a sound base | per sq ft | $1.50 - $3.50 |
| Crack cleaning and hot-pour crack sealing | per linear ft | $0.50 - $3.00 |
| Sealcoating, two coats | per sq ft | $0.15 - $0.50 |
| Restriping existing parking stalls | per stall | $5 - $10 |
These are US market reference ranges for budgeting - the written quote after the walk-through is the price.
Two worked examples
A 20 by 20 foot driveway is 400 square feet. Paved on a base that is already in good shape, the asphalt line alone works out to roughly $1,000 to $2,400. If the old surface has to come out and a new stone base goes in, add those two lines and the range becomes roughly $1,800 to $4,200.
A longer drive of 1,000 square feet comes to roughly $2,500 to $6,000 for the asphalt alone, or roughly $4,500 to $10,500 as a full replacement with tear-out and base. Small jobs often land at the top of the range or on a contractor's minimum charge, because the crew, roller and truckload of hot-mix cost much the same whether the driveway is big or small.
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What moves the price in Baton Rouge
- The base. Clay ground and low, wet spots need more stone and more compaction. This is the biggest swing between two driveways of the same size.
- What comes out. Thick concrete or several old layers of asphalt take longer to break up and cost more to haul.
- Drainage work. Regrading for fall, moving a downspout outlet or dealing with a culvert at the ditch crossing adds labor.
- Thickness. Three inches of asphalt costs more than two, and is worth it where trucks or trailers park.
- Access and shape. Tight turns, long narrow runs and areas the paver cannot reach mean more hand work.
- Hot-mix prices. Asphalt is an oil product, and plant prices move during the year.
Getting a driveway paving cost you can compare
A single total tells you very little. Ask every company for the square footage, the tear-out, the base depth and the compacted asphalt thickness as separate lines, and you can see whether two prices describe the same driveway. Our written quotes after the walk-through are laid out that way. For the work itself, see driveway paving, driveway resurfacing and sealcoating.