Estimate the cost to pave or repave a driveway.
Driveway paving is priced by area at a rate that depends on the surface, then adjusted for depth and whatever has to come out first. Gravel is the cheapest at a couple of dollars a square foot, asphalt sits around seven, concrete around twelve and block paving highest because it is largely labour. Thickness scales the rate rather than replacing it: going from a 3 in residential asphalt mat to 4 in adds roughly 12% per extra inch in material and compaction. Breaking out and hauling away an old surface is a separate line and often the surprise on a quote. The base beneath the surface is what determines whether the driveway lasts — 6 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate on a properly drained subgrade — and skimping there is the usual reason a two-year-old drive is already cracking.
Driveway Paving Cost
Area = length x width; adjusted rate = surface rate x (1 + (thickness - 3 in) x 0.12); total = area x adjusted rate + removal at $2.50/sq ft
A budget estimate, not a quote. Excavation depth, drainage, permits and disposal fees vary by site and locality — obtain itemised bids from licensed paving contractors before proceeding.
A 3 in compacted mat over 6-8 in of aggregate base for cars, and 4 in of asphalt where trucks or RVs will park. The base depth matters more than the asphalt depth.
Over a long life, often yes: concrete lasts 30 years or more against 15-20 for asphalt and needs no sealing. Asphalt wins on upfront cost, cold-climate flexibility and ease of patching.
Not always — asphalt can sometimes be overlaid if the base is sound and the extra height does not foul the garage threshold or drainage. Cracked or heaving surfaces have to be removed.