Asphalt Driveway Cost Guide for Repairs and Replacement
Guide to Asphalt Driveway Costs for New and Replacement Driveways, as well as Asphalt Driveway Repair Costs. The Cost Calculator Factors in 2013-2014 Values Like the Price of Gravel and Oil, Which can have a Significant Effect on the Driveway Price.
Whether you already have an asphalt driveway in front of your home or you plan to have a new asphalt driveway installed in 2014, one of the things you surely want to do, is get more than one price quote so you have a good idea of what your cost is going to be, along with what’s included in the asphalt driveway cost.
In this Driveway Guide article about asphalt driveway costs, we’re going to share some of our own experience in having our asphalt driveway replaced recently. You’ll learn how to calculate the cost of a new asphalt driveway based on the size you need, as well as estimate what some of the common repairs for an asphalt driveway may cost.
This page was updated in late 2013, to reflect current 2014 pricing information, as well as an update of the values in the page. In 2013, there was general a 8-10 percent increase over 2012 prices. This was due to the cost of raw materials rising, as well as labor changes and new Govt regulations that caused asphalt driveway prices to rise slightly.
New Asphalt Driveways Cost Guide
Whether you have a brand new home, or you just want to add a new asphalt driveway to a dirt section of an existing home, it’s not too hard to figure the approximate price for the cost of an asphalt driveway. To calculate the asphalt driveway cost, you just need to take a measurement of length x width to get the approximate square foot area, and multiply it by the average cost of $3-$4/square foot.
Example: A driveway that’s 10′ wide and 60′ long equals 600 square feet. 600 x $3-$4 = $1,800-$2,400 (estimated asphalt driveway cost)
At that approximate cost, a driveway contractor will dig out 4-6 inches of whatever you already have in place, replace it with clean driveway gravel and grade it to a level and compacted surface. After that, they will put down 3-4 inches of base asphalt, and a final coating of 1-2 inches of topcoat.
* Note that the any asphalt driveway cost calculators you use online are only going to be rough estimates. The only way to get an accurate cost quote, is to get quotes from local contractors.
Replacement Asphalt Driveways
If you already have an asphalt driveway at your home and just want to put a fresh topcoat onto the old surface, the cost is much less than a completely new asphalt driveway cost. In fact, most driveway contractors can come in, clean the old surface and chip away at the edges to make sure you get good adhesion of the new topcoat, roll on a new surface and be gone in less than 1 day! The cost, is even more attractive at just $1.65 – $2.40 dollars per square foot.
Of course, the price for a topcoat will vary by location and the condition of your existing driveway. It’s always important to get 3-4 asphalt driveway price quotes before ever signing a contract!
Asphalt Driveway Repairs and Sealing
Many homeowners may just want to freshen up their driveway in preparation for selling the house or some other curb appeal project. In fact, one of many fairly easy DIY Lawn and Garden Projects involves a 5-gallon bucket of driveway sealer and coarse bristle broom, which can refresh an old asphalt driveway in just a few short hours on a sunny afternoon.
For small homes and cracks in asphalt driveways, you can use products like cold patch or asphalt crack sealers, before you spread an asphalt driveway sealer over the top of it.
Much like a concrete driveway replacement or repair, you want to make sure that it is worth your money to repair it, versus replacing it altogether, so you should contact a professional before making your decision.