Asphalt Driveway Calculator
Find the tonnes of asphalt and Granular A for your driveway, and what a paving crew may charge. Feet and metres both work.
Measure your driveway
Pick a size above, or type your own.
Your answer
For 600 sq ft. Contractor prices range from $1,800 to $9,000.
Use the tonnes to check a quote. A crew must spread and roll asphalt while it is hot.
These layer sizes come from Ontario towns and the asphalt trade group. Check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
What it costs
Crew: the middle of 11 contractors (ON, AB, BC). Asphalt: $107.90 a tonne at the plant, from only 2 sources. Granular A: $15.75 a tonne, the middle of 5 pits. Before tax and delivery (Oct 2026).
Quick answers
- Cost to pave a driveway
- About $7.50 a sq ft, the middle of 11 contractors. A 12 × 50 ft driveway is about $4,500.
- Ontario driveway layers
- 50 mm of asphalt on 150 mm of Granular A. That is the middle of 5 Ontario sources: 4 towns and the asphalt trade group.
- Tonnes for 12 × 50 ft
- About 7.0 tonnes of asphalt, 2 in thick. Under it, 20.4 tonnes of Granular A, 6 in deep.
- Drive on new asphalt
- After 2–3 days, longer in hot weather. Two Ontario pavers say a day or two.
- First seal
- 6–12 months after paving, and not before 90 days.
How to work it out
- Measure the driveway in feet, then multiply length by width.
- For asphalt, change to m² (× 0.0929). Multiply by the rolled thickness in metres, then by 2.46. That gives tonnes.
- For Granular A, multiply m² by the base depth in metres. Then × 1.35, since it packs down.
- Loose Granular A weighs about 1.78 tonnes per m³. Multiply to get tonnes to order.
12 × 50 = 600 sq ft = 55.74 m²
Asphalt: 55.74 × 0.0508 × 2.46 = 6.97 tonnes
Base: 55.74 × 0.1524 × 1.35 × 1.78 = 20.41 tonnes
Crew: 600 × $7.50 = $4,500
Driveway layers in Ontario
We found driveway guidance only in Ontario: 4 town rules and the asphalt trade group.
| Who | Asphalt, rolled | Stone base |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt trade group (OHMPA) | at least 50 mm | 150–200 mm |
| Sarnia | 50 mm HL3 | 150 mm |
| Oro-Medonte | 50 mm HL3 | 150 mm |
| Clearview | 50 mm HL3 | 200 mm |
| Toronto | 80 mm, in 2 layers of 40 mm | 150 mm |
The towns name Granular A. OHMPA says crushed stone base. We found no rule for other provinces.
One layer or two
OHMPA, Ontario's asphalt trade group, says no layer should be over 50 mm once rolled. So a thicker driveway goes down in two layers.
Toronto's 80 mm is 2 layers of 40 mm. Its rule covers the part the city builds, near the street.
For a stronger drive, OHMPA suggests 50 mm of HL8 base mix, then 40 mm of HL3 on top.
Slope
OHMPA says to crown the top: 2 cm for each metre of width, from the middle to the edges.
Tonnes and crew prices to pave an asphalt driveway
Find your driveway to see what goes into it.
| Driveway | Asphalt (t) | Granular A (t) | Crew price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 30 ft | 3.5 | 10.2 | $2,250 |
| 12 × 40 ft | 5.6 | 16.3 | $3,600 |
| 12 × 50 ft | 7.0 | 20.4 | $4,500 |
| 20 × 40 ft | 9.3 | 27.2 | $6,000 |
| 24 × 50 ft | 13.9 | 40.8 | $9,000 |
Asphalt 2 in thick on 6 in of packed Granular A. Granular A is the loose amount to order. Crew price at $7.50 a sq ft.
Materials only
For the 12 × 50 ft driveway, the materials come to about $1,073. That is asphalt at the plant and Granular A at the pit, with no trucking.
Our asphalt price is $107.90 a tonne, from only 2 sources. Granular A is $15.75 a tonne, the middle of 5 pits.
Caring for a new driveway
Two Ontario pavers say cars can use new asphalt after a day or two. A safer rule is 2–3 days, and longer in hot weather. It goes on curing for 90 days to 12 months.
Keep heavy trucks, trailers and RVs off while it cures. Pavers say they can leave dents.
On very hot days, two paving contractors say to spray it lightly with the hose. The water cools the new surface and firms it up. It helps, but you don't have to do it.
Seal it for the first time after 6–12 months. After that, reseal every 2–4 years. The driveway sealer calculator counts the pails.
OHMPA says a well-built driveway can last up to 20 years.
Permits
In Toronto, you need a street work permit. For a new driveway, apply at least 8 weeks ahead. In Calgary, a new curb cut must be done by a city-qualified contractor, or under an agreement with the city. Elsewhere, check with your city before you widen or move a driveway.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Ontario?
The middle of 6 Ontario contractors is $7.25 a sq ft, so a 12 × 50 ft driveway is about $4,350. Our calculator uses $7.50, the middle of all 11 in Ontario, Alberta and BC. That gives $4,500. Before tax.
How thick should an asphalt driveway be in Canada?
In Ontario, 50 mm (2 inches) of asphalt on 150–200 mm of Granular A. Toronto asks for 80 mm on the part near the street. We found no rule outside Ontario.
How much to pave a gravel driveway?
We found no separate price. A new asphalt driveway is about $7.50 a sq ft, the middle of 11 contractors. One Ottawa paver grades the old gravel and adds crushed stone before paving. It charges $2–$4 a sq ft more if digging or grading is needed. It doesn't say if tax is in.
How much to blacktop or tarmac a driveway?
The same as asphalt. A BC paver says blacktop is the kind of asphalt used on driveways. A UK maker says asphalt is also known as tarmac. So a 12 × 50 ft driveway is about $4,500.
Can you asphalt over a concrete driveway?
In many cases, yes, says WCI, an Ottawa paver. It charges $2.50–$6 a sq ft for a new top layer of asphalt. It doesn't say if tax is in. That is only one paver, so get a quote.
When can I drive on a new asphalt driveway?
Wait 2–3 days before parking a car on it, or longer in hot weather. It goes on curing for 90 days to 12 months, so keep heavy trucks and RVs off until then.
How much to redo or replace an asphalt driveway?
Taking out the old one is about $1.81 a sq ft (only 2 contractors), and some quotes include it. With a new driveway, a 12 × 50 ft job is about $5,586. If the old base is sound, a new top layer costs less: the asphalt cost calculator prices it.
Do I need a permit to pave my driveway?
It depends on your city, so check with yours. Toronto needs a street work permit to install, widen or repave the part on City land. Calgary needs none to replace a driveway, but a new or wider one may need a development permit.
Where our numbers come from
- Driveway layers: Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association, 'The ABCs of Driveways' (2004)
- Driveway layers: City of Sarnia driveway standard (2019)
- Driveway layers: Township of Oro-Medonte entrance standard
- Driveway layers: Township of Clearview standard drawings (2025)
- Driveway layers: City of Toronto spec TS 3.30 (2018)
- Asphalt weight: Ontario Ministry of Transportation estimating guide B313 (2025)
- Asphalt price per tonne: the middle of 2 Canadian sources (Oct 2026; few prices)
- Pit prices per tonne: 3–5 Canadian pits (Oct 2026)
- Weights per cubic yard: Canadian yards and producers (few sources each)
- Quebec yards: bulk calculators (tonne, packing)
- Asphalt driveway price: the middle of 11 Canadian paving contractors (Oct 2026)
- Resurfacing price: 3 Ontario contractors (Oct 2026; few prices)
- Removal price: 2 contractors (Oct 2026; few prices)
- New asphalt care: Canadian paving contractors (driving, curing, first seal, reseal)
- Hot-weather driveway care: an Ottawa paving contractor
- Driving on, curing and first seal: an Illinois paving contractor's care guide
- Driveway permit: City of Toronto
- Driveway permit: City of Calgary
- Paving gravel driveways: Patch and Seal, Ottawa paver
- Site prep $2–$4 a sq ft: Patch and Seal, Ottawa paver
- Blacktop is a type of asphalt: Burnaby Blacktop, BC paver
- Asphalt is also known as tarmac: Heidelberg Materials UK
- Asphalt over concrete, $2.50–$6 a sq ft overlay: WCI, Ottawa paver
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
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