Illustration: getasphaltcalculator.com
An asphalt driveway costs about $3 to $15 per square foot installed in the published cost guides this site tracks, checked in October 2026. These are the guides' own figures, not 2026 bid data: Bob Vila's page was last updated in May 2024. Paving with minimal grading runs $7 to $15, and replacing an old one runs $8 to $15. A new 20 x 20 driveway costs $2,800 to $5,200 and a new 1,000 square foot driveway $7,000 to $13,000. The asphalt itself is only $1.27 to $2.36 of each square foot.
Ask how much an asphalt driveway costs and one guide answers $3 per square foot while another answers $15. Four large guides also quote a national average, and those land within about $1,100 of each other. This guide explains both facts. It shows what each published figure covers, prices the common driveway sizes, and gives you a way to test a contractor's quote before you sign. For a number built from your own dimensions, use the asphalt driveway cost calculator.
What do published asphalt driveway prices cover?
An asphalt driveway costs about $3 to $15 per square foot installed. That range joins two published figures: HomeGuide lists $3 to $7 and Bob Vila (updated May 2024) lists $7 to $15 for paving "including minimal grading services." The $3 to $15 range is the one this site tracks across its calculators. Two other guides, NerdWallet (September 2025) and Fixr (August 2022), also put the top at $15. Fixr reaches it with a base and grading. Bob Vila and NerdWallet give $15 both for a replacement and as the top of their general installed range. Most of the gap comes from what the price includes, so the table splits the published figures into three jobs.
| Job | What the price covers | Cost per sq ft | 20 x 20 driveway (400 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Paving with light preparation | New asphalt on a site that needs little grading. Base work is often not stated | $3 to $7 | $1,200 to $2,800 |
| 2. New driveway | Minor land preparation, materials and labor. The source does not say whether a new stone base is included | $7 to $13 | $2,800 to $5,200 |
| 3. Replacement | Removing and disposing of the old driveway, then a new one | $8 to $15 | $3,200 to $6,000 |
Use job 2 as your planning number if you are paving bare ground or a gravel drive, and job 3 if an old driveway has to come out first. If the site needs a new stone base, ask whether the quote includes it. Fixr prices a base at about $2 per square foot and puts a full build with base and grading at $7 to $15.
Our reading of job 1 is that it fits a site where the base is already built, which is rare for a first driveway.
Why do asphalt driveway prices disagree so much?
Published prices disagree because each guide measures something different: the asphalt alone, paving on a ready site, a full build, or a full build after demolition. The table lists what six published figures say they cover. The wording in the middle column explains most of the spread.
| Source | What the figure covers | Per sq ft | Average total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacktop Concepts (contractor, MN and WI) | "national averages" for an asphalt driveway | $3 to $5 | Not given |
| HomeGuide | Installed asphalt driveway | $3 to $7 | Not given here |
| LawnStarter (Dec 2025) | Price by square footage. Says 2 inches of asphalt "is generally enough" | $3.92 to $6.25 | $4,996 |
| Bob Vila (May 2024) | Paving "including minimal grading services" | $7 to $15 | $4,740, credited to Angi |
| NerdWallet (Sep 2025) | Installed, "including labor" | $7 to $15 | $5,258 |
| Fixr (Aug 2022) | "fully installed": material, installation and a stone base | $7 to $15 | $5,804 |
Published national average cost of an asphalt driveway, in thousands of dollars
The averages agree far better than the rates. All four sit between $4,740 and $5,804. The per-square-foot figures on the same pages run from under $4 to $15. Two of the guides show why. Fixr prices its $5,804 average on a 24 x 24 foot driveway with a stone base, which works out to $10.08 per square foot and matches the "around $10" it quotes. LawnStarter gives an average of $4,996 and an average driveway of 640 square feet. That is $7.81 per square foot by our arithmetic, yet its own rate table prices the same 640 square feet at only $2,509 to $4,000.
What the averages tell you
The published averages cluster near $5,000. Rates of $3 to $5 per square foot do not reach that total on a typical two-car driveway. Budget from the full-build figures, and treat a low rate as a price for paving alone until the quote says otherwise.
Three more reasons the same driveway gets different prices
- Material price or installed price. Hot mix for a 3 inch driveway costs $1.27 to $2.36 per square foot at 2026 public bid prices. Fixr lists material at $1 to $5 and installation at another $4 to $13. A figure that sounds low may be the material.
- Thickness. LawnStarter says 2 inches is generally enough for a home driveway. Each extra inch of compacted hot mix adds $0.42 to $0.79 of material per square foot at 2026 public bid prices, so a quote for 2 inches and one for 4 inches are not the same job.
- The date on the page. This is the smallest of the five. These guides were last updated between August 2022 and December 2025. Liquid asphalt binder rose 13% to 45% between March 2026 and the latest reading on the 11 state indices we track on the asphalt price index. That adds $4 to $13 to a ton of hot mix, or $0.07 to $0.24 per square foot at 3 inches.
Asphalt driveway cost per square foot: what the money pays for
The asphalt is a minority of the price of a new driveway. Hot mix sold for $70 to $130 per ton at the plant in the 2026 public bids we checked, which our asphalt price index tracks month by month. Each inch of compacted thickness uses $0.42 to $0.79 of it per square foot, so a 3 inch driveway carries $1.27 to $2.36 of asphalt per square foot. Labor, equipment and site work make up the rest of a $7 to $15 price.
One public record shows how far below a retail quote the paving itself can sit. The Town of Lewisboro, New York, took bids in June 2026 for hot mix laid in place at $133 to $205 per ton (bid results). At 3 inches that is $2.41 to $3.72 per square foot for asphalt supplied, placed and rolled, with no base or excavation, on town road work. Our reading is that a homeowner pays more per ton than a town, because a crew and its equipment travel out for a few hours of work.
| Part of the price | Per sq ft | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt, 3 inches compacted | $1.27 to $2.36 | $70 to $130 per ton at the plant, 2026 public bids |
| Asphalt, 4 inches compacted | $1.69 to $3.14 | Same bids |
| Labor | $5 to $7 (Bob Vila, NerdWallet) | Published labor rates |
| Stone base | about $2 | Fixr, installed |
| Removal of an old driveway | $1 to $4 (demolition and disposal) | This Old House |
| Published installed range | $3 to $15 | HomeGuide and Bob Vila |
Asphalt material cost per square foot by compacted thickness, at $100 per ton
Our guide to how thick an asphalt driveway should be covers which depth fits which use. The 3 inch figure used throughout this guide follows Asphalt Magazine, which reports Tim Murphy of Murphy Pavement Technology recommending 3 inches of asphalt over an aggregate subbase, or 4 inches placed directly on the subgrade.
Asphalt driveway cost by size
Multiply your driveway's area by the range for the job you need. The table does that for eight sizes, with the hot mix each one takes at 3 inches. A 100 foot driveway appears twice, because the cost depends on whether it is 10 or 12 feet wide.
| Driveway | Area | Hot mix at 3 in | New driveway | Replacement | Full published range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 x 20 ft, 2 car | 400 sq ft | 7.3 tons | $2,800 to $5,200 | $3,200 to $6,000 | $1,200 to $6,000 |
| 20 x 30 ft | 600 sq ft | 10.9 tons | $4,200 to $7,800 | $4,800 to $9,000 | $1,800 to $9,000 |
| 20 x 40 ft | 800 sq ft | 14.5 tons | $5,600 to $10,400 | $6,400 to $12,000 | $2,400 to $12,000 |
| 10 x 100 ft, single lane | 1,000 sq ft | 18.1 tons | $7,000 to $13,000 | $8,000 to $15,000 | $3,000 to $15,000 |
| 12 x 100 ft, single lane | 1,200 sq ft | 21.8 tons | $8,400 to $15,600 | $9,600 to $18,000 | $3,600 to $18,000 |
| Large driveway | 1,500 sq ft | 27.2 tons | $10,500 to $19,500 | $12,000 to $22,500 | $4,500 to $22,500 |
| Extra large driveway | 2,000 sq ft | 36.3 tons | $14,000 to $26,000 | $16,000 to $30,000 | $6,000 to $30,000 |
| 10 x 300 ft, long rural drive | 3,000 sq ft | 54.4 tons | $21,000 to $39,000 | $24,000 to $45,000 | $9,000 to $45,000 |
The lower end of the full published range, shown in the last column, applies only where little site work is needed. For lots and commercial areas above driveway size, see the asphalt parking lot cost guide.
Small driveways do not scale in a straight line
HomeGuide notes that some contractors set a minimum of $2,000 or more for asphalt paving. Our reading of why: the crew, paver, roller and dump truck come out whether the driveway is 400 square feet or 2,000. Expect a small driveway to price near the top of a per-square-foot range and a long one nearer the bottom.
Three driveways priced with the calculator
A per-square-foot range tells you little about your own job, so here are three driveways run through the asphalt driveway cost calculator on this site. It prices the asphalt from 2026 public bids, adds 5% for waste, and then adds labor, base and removal. The labor, base and removal rates are this site's planning estimates, not sourced data, so read the results as a model of how a quote is built.
| Line | 20 x 20 new, Midwest | 20 x 40 new, Midwest | 1,000 sq ft replacement, Northeast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt at 3 inches, with 5% waste | 7.6 tons | 15.2 tons | 19 tons |
| Asphalt material | $500 to $1,000 | $1,100 to $2,000 | $1,300 to $2,500 |
| Labor | $800 to $1,800 | $1,600 to $3,600 | $3,000 to $6,000 |
| Crushed stone base | $400 to $1,200 | $800 to $2,400 | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Old driveway removal | None | None | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Total | $1,700 to $4,000 | $3,500 to $8,000 | $6,300 to $14,500 |
| Per square foot | $4.33 to $9.97 | $4.33 to $9.97 | $6.33 to $14.47 |
| Asphalt as a share of the total | 25% to 31% | 25% to 31% | 17% to 21% |
Where the money goes on a 20 x 40 driveway (midpoint of the calculator's ranges)
Three things stand out. The asphalt is about a quarter to a third of a new driveway and about a fifth of a replacement. The model's totals for a new Midwest driveway, $4.33 to $9.97 per square foot, start below the published $7 to $13 and end inside it, which is what you would expect from a region with mid-range labor. Removal moves the Northeast replacement to $6.33 to $14.47, close to the published $8 to $15.
Run your own driveway. Enter the length, width and thickness, pick new, replacement or resurfacing, and choose your region. The calculator shows material, labor, base and removal as separate lines, the same way a good quote does.
Open the asphalt driveway cost calculatorWhat changes the price of an asphalt driveway?
Seven things move a quote: size, thickness, the base and soil, excavation and grading, removal of an old surface, the shape and access of the site, and where you live. Size and thickness set the tonnage. The other five set how much work happens before the paver arrives, and that work is where two quotes for the same driveway drift apart.
Base, soil conditions and drainage
The base is the cost a low quote most often leaves out. Asphalt Magazine, published by the Asphalt Institute, recommends "an aggregate base layer of 6 to 8 inches of compacted crushed aggregate" for a typical residential driveway, over a subgrade that is "free of topsoil and vegetation." Soil changes that depth. Blacktop Concepts, a contractor working in Minnesota and Wisconsin, recommends a minimum 8 inch gravel base on heavy clay that holds water and heaves in frost, and says 6 inches is often enough on sandy soil that drains.
Asphalt Magazine also calls drainage "one of the most important factors" in driveway performance and asks for a slope of a quarter inch per foot from crown to edge.
Excavation, grading and removal
Site preparation is priced by the job more often than by the square foot. Bob Vila lists excavation at $1,500 to $5,100, depending on how much soil has to move. For an existing driveway, This Old House puts demolition and disposal at $1 to $4 per square foot. If your driveway needs replacing, our resurfacing vs replacement guide explains how to tell whether the base has failed.
Shape, access and hauling distance
Blacktop Concepts ranks a plain rectangle as the cheapest shape to pave, because the paver runs in straight, continuous passes. It ranks an L shape as a moderate cost, since the corner is raked by hand, and a curved or circular driveway as the premium option. Distance from the asphalt plant matters too. The same contractor reports that Minnesota jobs carry a 10% to 15% premium over Wisconsin jobs for material and hauling. Our post on asphalt price per ton covers delivery charges.
Permits, timing and decorative finishes
- Permits. LawnStarter puts a driveway permit at $50 to $200. This Old House lists $50 to $500 for driveway paving. Rules vary by town, and a new curb cut is the most likely trigger.
- Installation timing. Hot mix needs warm ground to compact. Blacktop Concepts paves when the ground is "50°F and rising", which limits its season to May through October. See the best time to pave a driveway for the temperature limits by thickness.
- Decorative finishes. Stamped or colored asphalt costs $12 to $17 per square foot and a heated driveway $12 to $25, according to Bob Vila. Both add curb appeal at a price well above the standard range.
- Sealcoating later. Budget $1 to $2 per square foot (HomeGuide) for a professional sealcoat once the asphalt has cured. Our sealcoating cost guide has the schedule.
New driveway vs replacement vs resurfacing
All three jobs use the same hot mix; the price differs because of what happens underneath it. HomeGuide lists the same $3 to $7 for resurfacing as for an installed driveway, on two separate pages, which we read as one more sign that its lower figure covers little site work.
| Project | Cost per sq ft | What the crew does | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| New asphalt driveway | $7 to $13 | Prepares the site, paves and compacts. A new stone base may be priced separately | Bare ground or a gravel drive |
| Replacement | $8 to $15 | Removes the old driveway, repairs the base, paves new | Failed base, widespread cracking, standing water |
| Resurfacing (overlay) | $3 to $7 | Repairs cracks, then lays a new layer over the old asphalt | Worn surface over a base that is still sound |
Resurfacing only works on a sound base. The cost to repave a driveway guide prices each repaving tier by size, and how long an asphalt driveway lasts covers what each choice buys in years.
How to check an asphalt driveway quote
Check a quote by turning its price back into tons of asphalt and inches of base. A per-square-foot number hides both, and they are where a driveway is made cheaper. Asphalt Magazine puts the stakes plainly: a well-built driveway "should last for 20 years or more", and a poorly built one "can fall apart in as little time as one year."
The tonnage test
Multiply the area by the quoted thickness in feet, multiply by 145, and divide by 2,000. That gives the tons of hot mix the job should use. A 20 x 40 driveway at 3 inches needs about 14.5 tons. At 2 inches the same driveway needs 9.7 tons, and at 4 inches 19.3. Ask the contractor how many tons the quote assumes. If the answer is nearer 9.7 than 14.5, the quote is for a 2 inch driveway, whatever the paperwork says. Our guide on how to calculate asphalt tonnage walks through the formula.
Make sure the thickness is the compacted figure. Asphalt Magazine is specific on this point: "The asphalt thicknesses are for the compacted layers, not the loose, behind-the-paver depths." It adds that a loose layer of 4 inches compacts to about 3. A quote for "3 inches" measured loose is a quote for a thinner driveway.
What the written scope should list
Asphalt Magazine advises giving the contractor "written instructions on the scope and quality of work expected" and says the specification "does not have to be extensive, but it should be accurate and clear." A quote you can compare against another has these line items:
- Area in square feet, measured, with any flare at the street included.
- Asphalt thickness, stated as compacted, and the mix used for each layer.
- Base: the depth of crushed stone, whether it is new or existing, and how it is compacted.
- Excavation and grading: how deep the crew digs and where the soil goes.
- Removal and disposal of an old driveway, as its own line.
- Drainage: the slope, and where the water runs off.
- Edges and transitions at the garage, sidewalk and street.
- Permit: who applies and who pays.
- Payment schedule and written guarantee.
Questions to ask each contractor
- How many tons of hot mix does this quote include?
- Is the thickness compacted, and is it one layer or two?
- What will you do if you find soft soil once you dig?
- Which plant supplies the asphalt, and how far away is it?
- Can I see three recent driveways you paved?
The last question comes straight from Asphalt Magazine, which tells owners to "ask the contractors on your list to refer you to three recent jobs" and to call those owners. Blacktop Concepts gives the matching warning from the contractor's side: if a quote seems too good to be true, check the base depth.
The leftover asphalt offer
In a 2010 lawsuit, the New Jersey Attorney General alleged that a paving company sent crews to homes unsolicited, offering a discount because they had "leftover paving material". The Attorney General said customers paid thousands of dollars and soon saw cracking and holes. A driveway price offered at the door, with no written scope, is not a quote.
That New Jersey case also shows why the scope belongs on paper. State law there requires home improvement contracts over $500 to be signed by both parties and to "specify the work to be performed and the materials to be used." Your state's rules will differ, so check with its consumer affairs office.
How is an asphalt driveway installed?
An asphalt driveway is installed in five stages, and the first three happen before any asphalt arrives.
- Excavation. The crew removes topsoil, vegetation and any old surface down to firm ground.
- Grading. The subgrade is shaped so water drains away from the house and garage.
- Base. Crushed stone is spread and compacted, usually 6 to 8 inches deep.
- Paving. Hot mix is delivered, spread to the loose depth and leveled.
- Compaction. A roller compacts the mat to its final thickness while it is still hot.
The new surface needs time before it carries a car, and longer before it is sealed. Our guide to how long asphalt takes to cure gives the waiting times.
Asphalt driveway cost: key numbers
- 1$3 to $15 per sq ft: the installed range in published guides (HomeGuide; Bob Vila, updated May 2024), checked October 2026.
- 2$7 to $15 per sq ft: paving with minimal grading, materials and labor (Bob Vila). A new stone base may be extra.
- 3$8 to $15 per sq ft: a replacement, with removal and disposal of the old driveway.
- 4$2,800 to $5,200: a new 20 x 20 driveway. A new 1,000 square foot driveway is $7,000 to $13,000.
- 5$1.27 to $2.36 per sq ft: the hot mix in a 3 inch driveway at 2026 public bid prices, about a quarter to a third of the total in our calculator's model.
- 6About $5,000: where four published national averages cluster, from $4,740 to $5,804.
Sources and citations
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Asphalt Cost? (installed rate; checked October 11, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Paving an Asphalt Driveway Cost? (resurfacing rate, minimum charge; read from the Internet Archive copy of September 20, 2025)
- Bob Vila: How Much Does an Asphalt Driveway Cost? (paving and replacement rates, labor, average credited to Angi, excavation, decorative finishes; updated May 29, 2024)
- NerdWallet: Asphalt vs. Concrete Driveway Cost in 2026 (average, range and installed rate; updated September 3, 2025)
- Fixr: How much does it cost to build an asphalt driveway? (average, material, installation and base rates; updated August 19, 2022)
- LawnStarter: Pricing Guide: How Much Does an Asphalt Driveway Cost? (average, rates by square foot, depth, permit; updated December 27, 2025)
- Blacktop Concepts: residential asphalt paving cost calculator (contractor in Minnesota and Wisconsin; national averages, base depth by soil, shape, hauling premium, paving season)
- This Old House: Driveway Repaving Cost (demolition and permits; updated June 5, 2026)
- Asphalt Magazine (Asphalt Institute): Commercial and Residential Paving Part 1: An Overview (base depth, compacted thickness, drainage slope, written specification, contractor selection; November 28, 2007)
- Asphalt Magazine (Asphalt Institute): Commercial and residential paving, Part 2 (3 inches of asphalt over 4 inches of aggregate subbase, or 4 inches full depth; March 8, 2008)
- Town of Lewisboro, New York: highway bid results (hot mix laid in place, bid opening June 17, 2026)
- New Jersey Office of the Attorney General: Attorney General Dow Files Suit Against South Jersey Paving Company (May 19, 2010)
- Asphalt price index (2026 public bid prices and state binder indices, this site)
- Asphalt driveway cost calculator (internal tool, source of the three worked examples)
Frequently asked questions
A 20 x 20 asphalt driveway covers 400 square feet and costs about $2,800 to $5,200 new, or $3,200 to $6,000 if an old driveway has to be removed first. It needs about 7.3 tons of hot mix at 3 inches, which is $500 to $950 of material at 2026 public bid prices. HomeGuide notes that some contractors set a minimum of $2,000 or more, so a driveway this small often prices near the top of the per-square-foot range.
It depends on the width. A 300 foot asphalt driveway that is 10 feet wide covers 3,000 square feet and costs about $21,000 to $39,000 new, or $9,000 to $45,000 across the full published range. At 12 feet wide it covers 3,600 square feet and costs about $25,200 to $46,800 new. A driveway this long usually prices toward the lower end per square foot, because the cost of bringing out the crew and equipment is spread over more area.
A 100 foot asphalt driveway that is 10 feet wide covers 1,000 square feet and costs about $7,000 to $13,000 new. At 12 feet wide it covers 1,200 square feet and costs about $8,400 to $15,600. Replacing an existing 100 foot driveway costs about $8,000 to $15,000 at 10 feet wide, because the old asphalt has to be removed first.
A 1,500 square foot asphalt driveway costs about $10,500 to $19,500 new and $12,000 to $22,500 as a replacement. It needs about 27.2 tons of hot mix at 3 inches, which is $1,900 to $3,550 of material at 2026 public bid prices. The full published range for this size is $4,500 to $22,500.
Gravel and recycled asphalt millings are usually the cheapest driveway surfaces to install on the same site. HomeGuide lists a gravel driveway at $4 to $10 per square foot installed, and lists asphalt millings at about $10 to $20 per ton for the material. Asphalt's lowest published figures may leave out base work, so compare full builds. Among paved surfaces, asphalt usually costs less to install than concrete, as our asphalt vs concrete driveway comparison shows. A cheaper surface needs more upkeep, so compare the cost over the years you plan to stay. Our asphalt vs gravel comparison prices both.
