How much does asphalt cost per ton in 2026?

Standard hot mix runs $100–150 per ton at the plant, with delivery adding $8–20 per ton depending on haul distance. Polymer-modified mixes run $15–30 more; millings cost $10–25 per ton. The liquid binder — about $600–700 per ton and 5–6% of mix weight — is what moves the price month to month, because it tracks crude oil.

What does asphalt cost per square foot installed?

$2.50–5.00 per square foot at 3 inches compacted for a typical residential job on a prepared base. Thinner 2-inch work runs $2.00–3.50; 4-inch heavy-duty runs $3.25–6.00. Job size matters as much as thickness: under 500 square feet expect $6–12 because mobilization dominates, while lots over 5,000 square feet drop to $2.50–4.00.

How much does a whole asphalt driveway cost?

A single-car driveway around 600 square feet typically lands at $2,500–4,500 installed; a two-car at 1,200 square feet, $4,000–7,500. Add $0.50–1.50 per square foot for new gravel base and $1–2 per square foot if old pavement must be removed and hauled. Almost no full driveway prices below about $2,500 — the mobilization minimum of $1,500–3,000 sets the floor.

Why do my three quotes differ by thousands of dollars?

Usually scope, not greed. Check whether each bid states the same compacted thickness, includes base work, includes removal, and states tonnage. A quote at 2 inches on the existing base can legitimately be 40% under one at 3 inches with 6 inches of new gravel. Backlog also matters: a contractor with a full season prices to decline work, one with gaps prices to win it.

How much deposit is normal for paving work?

10–30% is the industry norm, reasonably covering material commitment and scheduling. Treat a demand for 50% as a caution flag and 100% up front as a walk-away — established contractors have plant credit and do not need your cash to buy mix. Deposits should be documented against a written contract with a start window, never handed over on a verbal same-week promise.

When do I pay the balance?

On completion, after you have walked the job — reasonable to check edges, drainage flow, uniform texture, and thickness at a visible edge against the contract. Commercial work commonly runs 30-day terms with retainage; residential is typically same-day on completion. Never pay the final balance before the work is finished, whatever the discount offered for doing so.

Is asphalt cheaper than concrete?

To install, yes — asphalt at $2.50–5.00 per square foot versus concrete at roughly $6–10 for comparable flatwork, so asphalt wins the up-front bill by 40–50%. Over 30 years the gap narrows: asphalt wants sealcoating every 3–5 years and an overlay around year 15–20, while concrete mostly wants joint sealing. Climate and use decide the winner more than the sticker.

What does an overlay cost versus full replacement?

An overlay — 1.5 to 2 inches of new asphalt over structurally sound existing pavement — runs $1.50–3.00 per square foot. Full replacement runs $2.50–6.00 plus $1–2 for removal and disposal. The overlay is the bargain only if the base is sound: overlaying alligator-cracked pavement buys 3–5 years, not 15, because the failure reflects through from below.

How much do asphalt millings cost?

$10–25 per ton picked up at the plant or milling site, plus trucking — often the cheapest paving material available. Spread and compacted 3–4 inches thick, a 600 square foot pad needs roughly 10–12 tons: $150–300 in material against $1,400-plus for hot mix. The trade-off is a surface that never fully knits like new asphalt; it suits lanes and pads, not finished driveways.

How much can I really save with DIY?

On hot-mix paving, close to nothing at driveway scale: material is only 40–50% of the installed price, and hot mix must be machine-placed and rolled to density inside a cooling window that hand work cannot meet. Realistic DIY savings live in the edges of the job — demolition, clearing, hauling, and cold-patch pothole repairs at $4–6 per 50 lb bag — worth a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand.

Are there seasonal discounts or financing for paving?

Mid-to-late season is the discount window in most markets, when crews have schedule gaps and plants are still open — spring carries a demand premium. Real savings also come from piggybacking a crew already mobilized nearby. Many established contractors offer financing through third-party lenders at typical home-improvement rates; compare against a home-equity line before signing, and never let financing terms substitute for a written scope.

What hidden fees should I ask about before signing?

Mobilization (is the $1,500–3,000 minimum inside the quote?), base work and grading, removal and disposal of existing pavement, permits, binder price-adjustment clauses on jobs scheduled months out, extra hand work for tight access or curves, and trucking surcharges for long plant hauls. A fixed-price written contract that names all of these is worth more than the lowest headline number.

Asphalt · Cost Series

Asphalt cost FAQs

Twelve questions, twelve numerate answers — per-ton prices, installed rates, deposits, overlays, millings and the fees that hide in quotes. No hedging, 2026 US figures throughout.

The twelve questions

Every figure above is unpacked in the rest of the series: start with the price per ton guide for material, the cost per square foot guide for installed rates, and the driveway cost guide for full-project line items. Weighing materials? Read the comparison from both corners: asphalt vs concrete and concrete vs asphalt. For a number specific to your dimensions, the asphalt cost calculator turns area, thickness and a local per-ton price into tonnage and total cost.

Get your number, not the average

Area, thickness, local price per ton — tonnage and total cost in seconds.

Asphalt Cost Calculator

The full cost series

Asphalt Price Per Ton2026 plant pricing and what moves it.Guide Cost Per Square FootInstalled $/ft² by thickness and job size.Guide Labor Cost GuideCrew composition and productivity rates.Guide Equipment CostPavers, rollers and what they add per job.Guide Cost Saving TipsWhere to save — and where never to.Guide Regional Price FactorsWhy the same driveway varies 40% by state.Guide

Sources & references

[1]Asphalt Pavement Design Guide (APD-1) — National Asphalt Pavement Association, 2020