How Much does it Cost to Seal a Driveway?

Common Range: $0.30 – $1.20 Per Square Foot, Installed

National Average: $0.70 Cents / Square Foot, Installed

Updated: November 28, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen and: McFarlane Paving of NJ

To ensure we provide the most precise and current cost estimates to you, we compile costs from industry data, licensed contractors, our users completed projects, and home improvement industry experts. We may earn commission from our partners when you utilize the services through our website. Our editorial integrity and quality remains our top priority, and recommendations do not affect our opinion or evaluations. Learn more about us and our editorial process, and read our advertiser disclosures.

Installation Cost of Driveway Seal Coating

The installed cost of having your driveway seal coated is around $0.70 cents per square foot. If you choose to do the job yourself, you can save on the installation cost but you’ll make up for it with the added tools you’ll need to purchase to do the job.

A local driveway sealing pro will come in and clean the driveway first using a broom and pressure washer to remove all stains and oil residue. They’ll then seal large cracks as needed and assure no weeds or anything else is growing through the surface area. Once ready, a driveway sealcoat will be applied based on the surface being asphalt or concrete. After the driveway sealer dries, they’ll return for a full cleanup of the project area.

Average Costs

Average Do It Yourself cost
$0.17 / Square Foot
Average Contractor Installed Cost
$0.30 – $1.20 / Square Foot
Typical Cost Average
$0.70 / Square Foot Installed

old concrete driveway in front of home

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Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

Overview of Driveway Sealing and Coatings

Keeping your asphalt or concrete driveway sealed is essential to maintaining its good looks, preventing stains and, most importantly keeping it from deteriorating.

New concrete driveways (Check costs) should be sealed as soon as the concrete cures in 4-6 weeks. Asphalt driveways should first be seal coated after 9 months. This allows the asphalt to harden. Sealcoat it too quickly, and you’ll lock in oils that keep the asphalt soft and easily damaged by car tires, motorcycle kickstands, etc.

The sealer forms a film to prevent moisture, dirt, road salt and other agents from harming the asphalt or concrete. These pollutants and UV radiation breaks down the binder in asphalt, causing the surface to become brittle and subject to damage.

In cold climates, water will penetrate an unsealed surface where it freezes and expands. The result is surface cracking that is highly destructive to asphalt and concrete.

The most common asphalt sealcoat is an acrylic based formula with a polymer like latex to improve elasticity. This type is often called rubberized sealcoat. Most formulas also include sand to give the driveway a little grit to enhance traction. Sealcoating can be broomed or sprayed onto the surface or spread with a squeegee.

The most common concrete sealer is film-forming acrylic resin with added urethane or epoxy to improve durability and resistance to water. Water-based and solvent-based sealers are available.

The Concrete Network recommends using pure acrylic resin sealer rather than styrene acrylics. While cheaper, styrene acrylics do not hold up as well and might yellow in direct sunlight.

Concrete sealers are applied with a roller or sprayer. Follow the guidelines on the sealer can for best results.

Driveway Sealing Process

driveway pros applying driveway sealant with sprayer

The driveway sealing process is similar for concrete and asphalt driveways. Sealing your driveway is a great weekend project that makes our list of quick and easy curb appeal projects, you can do yourself at a minimum of cost.

  1. The surface is cleaned. Options include using a leaf blower or stiff broom to remove debris and/or using a hose or power washer to clean the driveway.
    Note: If water is used to clean a concrete driveway, the driveway must dry thoroughly before sealer is applied. This is especially true if the sealer is solvent-based rather than water-based.
  2. Damage is repaired with liquid crack filler for asphalt and concrete patch for concrete driveways.
  3. Asphalt sealcoating is applied in one coat. Concrete is often sealed with two coats. The second coat is applied at a right angle to the first.

The rest of this driveway sealing cost guide includes cost factors, retail cost of supplies and costs compiled from homeowners and from online cost estimates.

Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

Driveway Sealing Cost Factors

These factors play a major role in the driveway sealing cost estimates you receive. That is why it is important that the sealing contractor come to your home to see the driveway.

  • Size of the Driveway – Cost drops a little bit per square foot for larger driveways. Some contractors have a minimum charge of $150 to $250 for small driveways.
  • Driveway Cleanliness – It takes time to remove leaves, stuck-on dirt, oil stains and other debris from a driveway. Ideally, heavy oil stains that have penetrated the asphalt should be covered with a primer, or they will bleed back through.
  • Power Washing – If the drive has to be power washed, cost will go up significantly. If the contractor power washes concrete, sealing will likely have to take place at a later date. Two trips to your home means higher cost. Even if you don’t seal the driveway, you can save money with cleaning it a few days before the driveway is sealed.
  • Condition of the Driveway – The estimator will consider how many cracks there are and how wide and deep they are. Is grass or weeds growing in them that must be removed? Are there low spots where the asphalt has settled that should be filled? These sorts of issues raise costs. This really stresses the importance of maintaining your driveway, whether it’s concrete or asphalt.
  • Proximity to Your Location – The further the crew has to travel from its yard or from the sealcoat plant to your home, the higher the time/travel costs will be.
  • Local Cost of Living – The cost of living varies by region, as you know. Driveway sealing prices will reflect prices in your area.

Cost of Sealer and Installation Supplies

DIY driveway sealing isn’t difficult. The most important steps are getting the driveway surface clean and correctly applying the right kind of sealer.

Here is a list of costs for tools and sealers. Note that some itemized costs apply only to asphalt or concrete.

Seal Coating Material Costs

  • $5 – $7 per Gallon | Asphalt Sealcoat/Sealer with approximately 70 square feet of coverage per gallon. It is typically bought in a 5-gallon pail.
  • $11 – $18 per Gallon | Concrete Sealer with 100-150 square feet of coverage per gallon. If you keep a good seal on concrete, the sealer will go further than if it hasn’t been sealed in the last few years.
  • $12 – $16 per 50lb Bag | Asphalt Patch for Low Spots
  • $15 – $24 per Gallon | Asphalt Crack Filler
  • $24 – $40 per 12lb Pail | Concrete Patch and Crack Filler

Tools Needed

  • $15 – $30 | Garden Hose & Spray Head
  • $135 – $300 | Electric Power Washer
  • $55 – $80 | Half-day and full-day power washer rental
  • $12 – $24 | Mixing Paddle for Sealcoat
  • $35 – $50 | Drill for driving the Mixing Paddle
  • $30 – $50 | Asphalt Patch Tamper (if filling low spots)
  • $25 – $40 | Sealcoat Application Broom or Squeegee
  • $20 – $35 | Concrete Sealer Roller and Pan

Tool and material costs might be higher than hiring a pro the first time.

However, since driveway sealing should be done regularly, you’ll save a lot of money over the life of the driveway with DIY driveway sealing.

Permits, Inspection, Labor Costs and Completion Time

worker sealing cracks in asphalt driveway

Permits and/or Inspections

  • $0 | A permit is not required for sealcoating or sealing a driveway, whether DIY or professionally done.

Installation Time

Some of the time estimates online are way off base – like 16 hours to sealcoat a 500 square foot driveway. That’s two to three times longer than it should take.

Here are accurate time estimates for an 800 square foot driveway, since that is a more common size.

Crew size: 2

  • 10-20 minutes | Clearing leaves, dirt and debris
  • 30-45 minutes | Power washing (optional)
  • 0-60 minutes | Crack Filling and Repair
  • 1-2 hours | Apply 1 Coat of Sealcoat or 2 Coats of Concrete Sealer

Total crew hours: 3.33 to 8.25 hours

Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

We’ve found the projects listed below to be commonly related to driveways, sealing and general home maintenance.

Pro Contributor, McFarlane Paving – Bergin County, NJ

McFarlane Paving in Bergin County, New Jersey offers a variety of driveway paving options to fit your needs. Our team of experts will assess your driveway and recommend the best paving solution for you. We use high-quality materials in our paving projects to ensure long-lasting durability.

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DIY or Hire a Pro

We haven’t hired a pro to seal our driveway since it was installed 17 years ago.

This is definitely a DIY project you can have success with if you pay attention to:

  1. Thoroughly cleaning dirt off the driveway. Sealer won’t adhere well to the driveway surface if it is dirty.
  2. Waiting until you are sure it won’t rain for two days following application of the sealer, so it has time to dry.
  3. Carefully following directions on the sealer label.
  4. Sealing when temperatures are within the range specified on the product label.

Pro Tip: In hot, sunny weather, sealcoat dries quickly on asphalt, and sometimes the broom or squeegee strokes remain visible after drying. To avoid this unsightly problem, lightly spray the asphalt with water and allow the water to evaporate. This will lower driveway surface temperature and allow stroke marks to settle before the sealcoat dries.

Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

Get Free Estimates from Driveway Sealing Pros Nearby

There are plenty of quick and helpful videos like this 7-minute tutorial from a seasoned sealcoating pro.

Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."