Driveway Sealer Calculator
Find how many pails of driveway sealer you need, and how much crack filler.
Measure your driveway
Your answer
4.75-gallon pails of driveway sealer, for 2 coats on 600 sq ft.
Seal when it is 55°F and rising. Keep cars off for 24–48 hours. Wait 6–12 months after new asphalt. Check the pail for your product.
What it costs
We have not yet checked enough store prices for sealer pails. Check the price per pail at your store.
Quick answers
- How much does a pail cover?
- About 300 sq ft per coat for a 4.75-gallon pail. About 400 on smooth driveways, and 250 on rough ones.
- How many coats?
- 2 coats for most sealers.
- Crack filler
- About 150 ft of crack per gallon, for cracks 1/2 in wide, 1/4 in deep.
- When to seal
- At 55°F and rising, with no rain for 36–48 hours. Wait 6–12 months after new asphalt. Check the pail.
How to work it out
- Measure the length and width of your driveway in feet. Multiply them.
- Multiply by the number of coats.
- Divide by the area one pail covers, about 300 sq ft.
- Round up to whole pails.
50 × 12 = 600 sq ft
600 × 2 coats = 1,200 sq ft
1,200 ÷ 300 = 4 pails
Pails for common driveway sizes
This table counts 4.75-gallon pails for 2 coats. A rough or never-sealed driveway soaks up more sealer.
| Driveway | Smooth | Normal | Rough |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 20 ft | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 × 40 ft | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 × 50 ft | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 16 × 40 ft | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 20 × 40 ft | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| 24 × 50 ft | 6 | 8 | 10 |
One pail covers about 400 sq ft per coat on smooth asphalt, 300 on normal and 250 on rough.
What the pail labels say
Each brand prints its own coverage. Here is what 4 brands say for one pail and one coat.
| Sealer | Smooth | Rough |
|---|---|---|
| Latex-ite Ultra Shield | 400–500 | 300–400 |
| Black Jack Drive-Maxx 200 | 350 | 300 |
| Jetcoat 1-Year to 7-Year | 350 | 250 |
| Henry HE200 | 400 | 250 |
| Our calculator | 400 | 250 |
The middle of the 5 products we checked is 325 sq ft. That count also has a Canadian sealer (Resisto), and treats every pail as 4.75 gallons. We use 300, a little less, so you are less likely to run short.
Henry's pail holds 17 litres, a bit less than the others. Henry also says to put on only one coat.
Roll-on acrylic coatings are different. Rust-Oleum's covers 400–600 sq ft per 2-gallon bucket. If your label gives a number, go by your label.
When to seal, and how long it takes
- Warm enough: 55°F and rising for Latex-ite and Black Jack. Jetcoat asks for 60°F. One Black Jack sealer can go on at 45°F.
- Dry weather: no rain for 36–48 hours after you seal.
- New asphalt: wait at least 6 months, including one summer. Latex-ite says 12 months.
- Between coats: labels range from 2 hours to 24 hours.
- Walking on it: after about 2–4 hours for some sealers.
- Driving on it: wait 24–48 hours.
The Asphalt Institute goes further. It says new pavement with little traffic may go 2–5 years without a seal. Our asphalt driveway calculator compares what each source says.
Each product is a bit different. Read your pail before you start.
Fill the cracks first
Fix cracks before you seal. Jetcoat's pourable filler does about 150 ft of crack per gallon. That is for cracks 1/2 in wide, 1/4 in deep. One 0.9-gallon jug does about 135 ft.
| Crack length | Gallons | 0.9-gallon jugs |
|---|---|---|
| 25 ft | 0.17 | 1 |
| 50 ft | 0.33 | 1 |
| 100 ft | 0.67 | 1 |
| 200 ft | 1.33 | 2 |
- Jetcoat's standard filler is for cracks up to 1/2 in wide.
- Pour no more than 1/4 in deep at a time, says Latex-ite.
- For deeper cracks, first fill with sand or backer rod (a foam cord). Stop 1/4 in below the top.
- Let the filler cure for 24–48 hours before you seal.
Do it yourself or hire a pro?
Three cost guides (Angi, HomeGuide and Fixr) say a pro charges about $1.25–1.50 per sq ft. The guides range from $0.88 to $2.10.
One cost guide (HomeGuide) puts sealer at $4–15 a gallon. That is about $19–71 for one pail. We have not checked enough store prices yet, so check yours.
A 600 sq ft driveway with 2 coats: a pro costs about $750–900. The 4 pails cost about $76–285 if you do it yourself.
A note on coal tar
The coal tar sealers we found were made for pros. Minnesota has banned the sale and use of coal tar sealer since 2014.
Search results name more states with bans, but we could not check them. Check your state's rules before you buy.
Questions people ask
How much driveway sealer do I need?
For a 600 sq ft driveway and 2 coats, about 4 pails. Use the calculator above for your size and surface.
How much will 5 gallons of driveway sealer cover?
A pail sold as 5 gallons holds 4.75 gallons, on Black Jack's sheet. It covers about 300 sq ft per coat. Expect about 250 on rough asphalt and 400 on smooth.
How long does driveway sealer need to dry before rain?
The labels we read ask for 36–48 hours with no rain. Check the forecast and your pail before you start.
How long does sealcoat take to cure?
Keep cars off for 24–48 hours. Some sealers can take foot traffic after 2–4 hours.
What temperature is needed to seal a driveway?
Latex-ite and Black Jack say 55°F and rising. Jetcoat says 60°F. Don't seal if it will drop below that soon after.
How much does it cost per square foot to sealcoat a driveway?
Hiring a pro costs about $1.25–1.50 per sq ft, from cost guides. Doing it yourself costs the pails, crack filler and a squeegee.
What do I need to seal my driveway?
Pails of sealer, crack filler for any cracks, and a squeegee to spread it. Roll-on acrylic coatings use a roller instead. The calculator above counts the pails.
Where our numbers come from
- Sealer coverage: data sheets from 5 sealer makers (Oct 2026)
- Sealer use and drying: Latex-ite data sheet
- Sealer coverage and drying: Black Jack Drive-Maxx 200 product sheet
- Sealer coverage: Jetcoat sealer page and data sheets
- Sealer coverage, one coat only: Henry HE200 data sheet
- Roll-on coating: Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield Blacktop Coating data sheet
- Crack filler: Jetcoat data sheet (about 150 ft per gallon)
- Deep cracks: Latex-ite 2X Crack Filler data sheet
- Wait after new asphalt: sealer makers' data sheets (6–12 months)
- Rain, cold and drying times: sealer makers' data sheets
- Spread with a squeegee: Resisto driveway sealer sheet
- Coal tar ban: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Hired sealcoating price: Angi, HomeGuide and Fixr cost guides
- Sealer price per gallon: HomeGuide cost guide (2023, archived copy)
- When new asphalt needs sealing: Asphalt Institute engineering FAQ
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.
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