Asphalt Driveway Calculator
Find what a new asphalt driveway costs, and how much asphalt and stone it needs.
Measure your driveway
Pick a size above, or type your own.
Your answer
For 600 sq ft. Cost guides range from $2,352 to $9,000.
Use the tons to check a quote. A crew must spread and roll asphalt while it is hot.
This answer is a guide. Your ground and traffic change what a driveway needs. Check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
What it costs
The crew price is the middle of 3 cost guides. The asphalt price is the middle of New York State's plant list, before trucking. Crusher run comes from only 3 suppliers, so treat it as rough (Oct 2026).
Quick answers
- A 50 × 12 ft driveway
- About $6,000 to have it laid, at the middle of 3 cost guides. It takes about 12.8 tons of asphalt.
- How thick?
- Colorado's asphalt group says 3.5 in, as a 2 in layer under a 1.5 in layer. Oregon's group says 2.5 in, laid as one layer.
- How deep a stone base?
- 6–8 in, says the Colorado group. Oregon's guide says 4–12 in, by how firm the ground is.
- When can I drive on it?
- The Colorado group says to wait "a few days". One contractor says at least 3 days, or 5 days above 80 °F.
- When should I seal it?
- Sealer makers say wait 6–12 months. Other sources differ; see below. Then reseal every 2–5 years, says the Colorado group.
How to work it out
- Measure the driveway's length and width in feet. Multiply them for square feet.
- Asphalt: square feet × inches thick × 110 lb ÷ 9. Divide by 2,000 for tons.
- Stone base: square feet × inches deep ÷ 12 ÷ 27. That gives cubic yards, packed down.
- Order loose stone: × 1.33 for packing down, then × 1.4 for tons.
50 × 12 = 600 sq ft
600 × 3.5 in × 110 lb ÷ 9 = 25,667 lb
25,667 ÷ 2,000 = 12.83 tons of asphalt
600 × 8 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = 14.815 cubic yards
14.815 × 1.33 × 1.4 = 27.59 tons of crusher run
600 sq ft × $10 = $6,000 for a crew
What a new driveway costs
For tons alone, use our asphalt calculator.
Cost guides say a new asphalt driveway costs $3.92–$15 per sq ft, laid. We use $10, the middle of 3 guides.
The guides don't agree. Fixr's middle price is about 2 times LawnStarter's, and NerdWallet's range matches Fixr's.
| Cost guide | Per sq ft | 600 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| LawnStarter | $5.09 ($3.92–$6.25) | $3,054 |
| Fixr | about $10 ($7–$15) | $6,000 |
| NerdWallet | $7–$15 | $4,200–$9,000 |
Ask local crews for real quotes.
Old driveways
To take out old asphalt, one cost guide (Fixr, 2022) says about $2 per sq ft. Treat it as rough.
For resurfacing, Fixr's pages disagree. Its 2022 page says about $2.50 per sq ft. Its 2025 page says $4–$8.
How thick, and how deep a base
To try another figure, type it in the "Asphalt, rolled" box.
| Who says it | Thickness | Tons |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado asphalt group | 3.5 in, two layers | 12.8 |
| Oregon asphalt group | 2.5 in, one layer | 9.2 |
| A Chicago paving firm, with trucks | 3 in | 11.0 |
| A Chicago paving firm, cars only | 2 in | 7.3 |
The Chicago firm was quoted in Asphalt magazine.
The stone base
The Colorado group says to lay 6–8 in of crushed stone under the asphalt.
Oregon's guide sets the base by how firm the ground is.
- Excellent ground: 4 in
- Good ground: 8 in
- Fair ground: 12 in
Cars and trucks press hard on a driveway. Check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer before you choose.
Tons for a few driveway sizes
Use this table to check a paving quote.
| Driveway | Asphalt, tons | Crusher run, tons | Crew price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 20 ft | 4.3 | 9.2 | $2,000 |
| 12 × 30 ft | 7.7 | 16.6 | $3,600 |
| 12 × 50 ft | 12.8 | 27.6 | $6,000 |
| 16 × 40 ft | 13.7 | 29.4 | $6,400 |
| 24 × 24 ft | 12.3 | 26.5 | $5,760 |
| 20 × 60 ft | 25.7 | 55.2 | $12,000 |
No extra added. Crusher run is ordered loose: 1.33 times the packed amount. Crew price is $10 per sq ft.
This calculator adds no extra to start. The crusher run calculator adds 10% for stone.
Driving on it and sealing it
The Colorado group says to wait "a few days" before you drive on new asphalt. Keep a heavy moving truck off it at the start, too.
An Illinois contractor says keep cars off for at least 3 days, or 5 days above 80 °F. Wait up to 14 days to park on it.
The first seal
Sources don't agree on when to seal a new driveway.
- Sealer makers: wait 6–12 months.
- The Colorado group: wait until it is "several months" old.
- The Illinois contractor: about 90 days, and within 1 year.
- The Asphalt Institute: new asphalt with light traffic should not need sealing for about 2–5 years. It depends on the weather and how well it was laid.
After that, the Colorado group says to reseal every 2–5 years. To do it yourself, our driveway sealer calculator counts the pails.
Questions people ask
How much does an asphalt driveway cost?
A 50 × 12 ft driveway runs about $6,000, at $10 per sq ft. That is the middle of 3 cost guides. Their prices go from $3.92 to $15 per sq ft.
How much to resurface an asphalt driveway?
Fixr's own cost guides don't agree. Its 2022 page says about $2.50 per sq ft. Its 2025 page says $4–$8.
How much to remove an asphalt driveway?
One cost guide (Fixr, 2022) says about $2 per sq ft. For 600 sq ft, that is about $1,200. Treat it as rough.
How many inches of asphalt for a driveway?
Colorado's asphalt group says 3.5 in, in two layers. Oregon's says 2.5 in, in one layer. A Chicago paving firm says 2 in for cars and 3 in if trucks use it.
When can you drive on an asphalt driveway?
Colorado's asphalt group says to wait "a few days". An Illinois contractor says at least 3 days, or 5 days above 80 °F. It says to wait up to 14 days before you park.
How long does a new asphalt driveway need to cure?
An Illinois contractor says 6–12 months to harden all the way. You can drive on it long before that.
Do asphalt driveways need to be sealed?
Not at first. The Asphalt Institute says new asphalt with light traffic should not need it for about 2–5 years. Later, the Colorado group says a seal every 2–5 years helps it last.
How much to seal an asphalt driveway?
About $1.25–$1.50 per sq ft for a crew, say 3 cost guides; treat it as rough. Our driveway sealer calculator has the details.
Where our numbers come from
- Asphalt weight: Asphalt Institute (110 lb per square yard per inch)
- Driveway thickness and care: Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association
- Thinnest driveway: Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon
- Driveway thickness: a Chicago paving firm in Asphalt magazine (2 in for cars, 3 in for trucks)
- Asphalt price: New York State plant price list (128 plants, 2025–27)
- Hired asphalt driveway price: the middle of 3 cost guides (about $10 a square foot)
- Asphalt driveway cost: LawnStarter cost guide (a third-party estimate)
- Driveway costs: Fixr cost guide (a third-party estimate)
- Resurfacing cost: Fixr sealing cost guide (a third-party estimate)
- Driveway cost: NerdWallet guide (a third-party estimate)
- Crusher run weight: the middle of 9 suppliers and road agencies
- Packing down: Penn State road-stone guide (8 in loose packs to 6 in)
- Crusher run price: the middle price of 3 suppliers in SC, GA and MD (Oct 2026)
- Crusher run: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (what a ton covers; free delivery from 15 tons; add 10%)
- Driving on, curing and first seal: an Illinois paving contractor's care guide
- When new asphalt needs sealing: Asphalt Institute engineering FAQ
- Wait after new asphalt: sealer makers' data sheets (6–12 months)
- Hired sealcoating price: Angi, HomeGuide and Fixr cost guides
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.
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