The Cost of a New Driveway

The cost of a new driveway is going to depend on a number of factors, the biggest by far is what the driveway is made out of. We have therefore compiled a list of what it should cost per square foot for a driveway made out of the most common materials.

There are a couple of caveats about the list before we get to it however the first is that this assumes that you will hire somebody to install the driveway for you, the cost will obviously be less if you do it yourself.

The other is that your location will play a huge part in the price, labor and materials just cost more in some places than in others. You should therefore not take our estimates as gospel, make sure that you get a few quotes before you commit to building a driveway.

The Cost of a Driveway Per Square Foot by Type

Gravel: $1-3 per sq ft

Asphalt: $3-5 per sq ft

Concrete: $5-10* per sq ft

Concrete Pavers: $12-15 per sq ft

Brick Pavers: $25+ per sq ft

*Assumes a basic concrete driveway, stamped or patterned concrete will cost more, possibly as high as $20 per square foot.

Price is not the Only Consideration When Choosing a Driveway

While it is obviously important to look at cost when it comes to installing a new driveway, it is also important to look at other factors as well. The first of these is how much is how long your driveway will last and how much maintenance it will require.

In this respect you can pretty much reverse the list with concrete pavers lasting the longest and being the easiest to maintain. A gravel driveway on the other hand will need constant maintenance and need to be rebuilt every two or three years. As a rule concrete lasts longer and is easier to repair than asphalt. Brick is the outlier here being the most expensive but actually not lasting as long as concrete pavers and requiring more maintenance. Unless you really want a brick driveway it is hard to justify building one.

The other thing to keep in mind is that not all driveways are appropriate for all locations. For example concrete stands up to extremes in weather better than asphalt. If you live in a place where it gets very hot or very cold asphalt is not a good option.

Gravel driveways can be a problem in areas that get a lot of precipitation, rain tends to undermine gravel driveways and create potholes. Snow is also a problem which you will quickly discover the first time you try to clear the snow on a gravel driveway.

Choosing the best driveway for your needs requires that you look beyond just the installation cost. This is particularly true if you are planning to stay in your house for many years. You may save money in the beginning by going with a gravel or concrete driveway but after a few summers of repairing it and ultimately having to replace it you may well wish that you had selected a driveway made of concrete pavers.

Driveway Sealers: How to Seal an Asphalt Driveway

It is important to make sure that your asphalt driveway is properly sealed if it is going to remain in good condition. A driveway that is not sealed will allow water to get into the cracks and settle at the base of the driveway, when this happens you can almost guarantee that you will start to see potholes on your driveway. In addition if you live in an area where the temperature falls below freezing you can expect the water in the cracks to turn to ice and do considerable damage.

The good news is that it is not all that difficult to seal an asphalt driveway so there is no reason not to do it. Ideally it should be done every couple of years.

Sealing an Asphalt Driveway

The first thing that you have to do is to make sure that your driveway is ready to be sealed. This is particularly important if you have a new driveway. The asphalt needs at least a month to cure properly so don't rush into this.

One of the reasons that you likely want to seal your driveway is that there are cracks, these will need to be repaired before you apply the sealer. This can be easily done with a patching compound, just follow the instructions that come with it.

If you have an older driveway the preparation is mainly about making sure that it is clean. If there are any oil stains you will want to remove them, there are detergents to do this. You will then want to sweep the driveway and then use a hose to remove any dirt that you missed with the broom. The best option is to use a pressure washer but if you don't have one this is not a big deal. Make sure the driveway is dry before you start applying the sealer.

Applying Driveway Sealer

This is fairly straightforward and is largely just a matter of following the instructions. The big thing is to make sure that the sealer is well mixed.

Other than this it is simply a matter of pouring it on the driveway and spreading it with a brush. It is best to work in small areas rather than trying to do the whole driveway at one time. The only thing that you have to be careful of is that you don't put the sealer on too thick, again follow the instructions on the tub.

Other than this all you have to worry about is making sure that nobody goes on the driveway for the 24 hours that the sealer requires to dry.

How to Repair a Gravel Driveway

One of the big advantages of having a gravel driveway is that they require less maintenance than asphalt or concrete. This does not however mean that you can ignore them altogether. Over time you are likely to see some pot holes or bumps which if you don't take care of them will get worse. The good news is that one of the other advantages to a gravel driveway is that repairs are also a lot easier than on other types of driveway.

Filling in Potholes

The first step to filling a pot hole on your driveway is to make sure that you get any loose material out. This should be easy to do with a shovel. If the sides of the pothole are not solid you are going to want to dig out the pothole to the point where they are, this will ensure that the new gravel that you put in will remain firmly in place.

Once the hole is ready start by putting in coarse gravel, you will want leave about three inches between the the gravel and the surface of the driveway. At this point you will need to compact the gravel, if you have a compactor great, go ahead and use it, a 4x4 will work fine if you don't.

You are now ready to fill the hole with gravel that matches your driveway. You are going to want to overfill it by a couple of inches so that you can rake it out. This will allow the new gravel to blend in with the existing gravel on your driveway.

Avoiding Potholes

While repairing potholes on your driveway is fairly straightforward it is still best if you can avoid them developing in the first place. The main reason that they occur is standing water on your driveway which is almost always the result of improper drainage.

To make sure that your driveway has proper drainage you need to make sure that it slopes slightly down to each side from the center. The rule of thumb is that there should be one inch of slope for every four feet of width.

It is generally recommended that you put a new layer of gravel on your driveway every spring to make sure that you have the proper slope. This will probably require the use of a tractor or a front end loader, they can be rented if you don't have one.