Asphalt driveway cost in Auburn, AL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,700 – $6,400
- Per sq ft
- $4.45 – $10.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −13%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #295
- 1 = most expensive
An asphalt driveway in Auburn, AL usually costs $2,700 to $6,400 for 600 sq ft. That works out to about $4.45 to $10.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $680 less. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $17.49 an hour in the Auburn area, 32% below the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Auburn, AL, standard level
$3,800 to $5,300
About $6.20 to $8.60 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 35% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| Labor | $1,250 | $1,900 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $140 |
| Total | $3,800 | $5,300 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Auburn, AL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,800 | 63% |
| Labor | $750 | $1,550 | $2,400 | 35% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $180 | 2% |
| Total | $2,700 | $4,550 | $6,400 | 100% |
Where the Auburn price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators at 40%, construction laborers at 30%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 30%. Weighted together, Auburn wages are 0.74 times the national level. Labor makes up about 35% of the midpoint estimate (41% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Auburn is at 96.4 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $2,950 nationally becomes $2,850 here (midpoint, 600 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 87.9: $45 to $180.
Auburn weather and the asphalt driveway calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Auburn No.2 (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Auburn: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F)) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Auburn gets about 56 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are March, June and December (5.7 inches in March). The station averages about 49 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 35 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 4.8 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 60 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 89 | 71 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 88 | 71 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 84 | 66 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 58 | 38 | 5.6 | Workable |
Why two Auburn quotes can differ
Hot-mix price
Hot-mix asphalt is $100-$200 per ton delivered and moves with oil prices (PaveGauge).
Sealcoating
Sealing is $1-$2 per sq ft and is a maintenance cost, not part of the install.
New versus overlay
Resurfacing an existing driveway runs $3-$7 per sq ft; a full new driveway runs $5-$12+ (HomeGuide). Tearing out and replacing one is higher still.
What local crews earn in Auburn
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 3 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Auburn the blend is 0.74.
Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071), 40% of the weighting: a median of $17.49 an hour, 32% below the US median of $25.64. The middle half of them earn between $14.99 and $23.57 an hour. About 40 work in the metro. That is 5.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $17.36 an hour, which is 23% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $13.70 and $21.30 an hour. BLS counts 670 of them working in the area, 92.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $22.60 an hour, 21% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $18.46 and $24.74 an hour. About 360 work in the metro. That is 49.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $200 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $85. That is a swing of roughly 1.8% to 4.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Auburn-Opelika has 72,710 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 252nd by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) | 40% | $14.99 | $17.49 | $23.57 | $25.64 | 0.68 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $13.70 | $17.36 | $21.30 | $22.66 | 0.77 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $18.46 | $22.60 | $24.74 | $28.78 | 0.79 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.74 | |||||
What nearby projects cost in Auburn
Jobs that often go together with asphalt driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Auburn wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete slab comes out highest (−12%) and concrete driveway lowest (−16%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,650 | −16% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,150 – $8,850 | −13% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,700 | −14% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −12% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,150 – $4,600 | −12% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,100 – $3,400 | −14% |
Add-ons priced for Auburn
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.85 for Auburn, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.74) and goods price index (0.96). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a sealcoat | $510 – $1,000 |
Is Auburn cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Birmingham is the priciest of the group at $4,850.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn, ALthis page | $2,700 – $6,400 | $4,550 | |
| Columbus, GA40 miles | $2,800 – $6,600 | $4,700 | +3% |
| Montgomery, AL50 miles | $2,750 – $6,450 | $4,600 | +1% |
| Dothan, AL85 miles | $2,700 – $6,450 | $4,550 | +1% |
| Birmingham, AL100 miles | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | +7% |
| Albany, GA100 miles | $2,750 – $6,600 | $4,700 | +3% |
| Alabama (statewide) | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | +2% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +15% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Auburn ranks #295 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Auburn is 2% below the Alabama figure.
Elsewhere in Alabama
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 520,290 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | +7% |
| Huntsville, AL | 266,650 jobs | $2,800 – $6,750 | $4,800 | +5% |
| Mobile, AL | 172,550 jobs | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | +2% |
| Montgomery, AL | 165,550 jobs | $2,750 – $6,450 | $4,600 | +1% |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 108,460 jobs | $2,700 – $6,450 | $4,550 | +1% |
| Daphne, AL | 87,120 jobs | $2,750 – $6,600 | $4,700 | +3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Auburn against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | 73,240 jobs | $2,950 – $7,150 | $5,050 | +11% |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 72,300 jobs | $2,950 – $7,200 | $5,100 | +12% |
| Kahului, HI | 73,750 jobs | $4,250 – $11,000 | $7,650 | +68% |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 72,280 jobs | $3,150 – $7,900 | $5,550 | +22% |
Cost by quality level and size in Auburn
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Auburn. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft to long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft.
Basic
$2,700 to $4,200
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$3,800 to $5,300
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$4,900 to $6,400
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,100 – $1,750 | $1,550 – $2,200 | $2,050 – $2,650 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,800 – $2,800 | $2,550 – $3,550 | $3,300 – $4,300 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,200 | $3,800 – $5,300 | $4,900 – $6,400 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,500 – $6,900 | $6,300 – $8,700 | $8,100 – $10,500 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed asphalt driveway report for Auburn, AL, $9
Multi-page report for Auburn, AL: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Asphalt driveway in Auburn: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Auburn?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,700 to $6,400 in the Auburn area. A standard-spec job lands at $3,800 to $5,300. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in Auburn?
About $4.45 to $10.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $180 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $12.
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in Auburn or Columbus?
Columbus is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $4,700, which is 3% more than Auburn ($4,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Auburn?
About 35% at the midpoint, or $1,550 out of $4,550. Materials are 63% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Auburn?
$2,700 to $6,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in Auburn?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $180 for fees in the Auburn area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Auburn expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of Alabama?
Auburn is 2% below the Alabama statewide estimate ($4,650 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Alabama; see the state page to compare them.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Auburn?
The BLS median is $17.49 an hour in the Auburn area, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $14.99 to $23.57.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Auburn?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,700 to $4,200 and premium work $4,900 to $6,400. Basic means: new topcoat over a sound base, flat lot. Premium means: full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth.
+Is there a bad season to pave a driveway in Auburn?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
+What does "add a sealcoat" add in Auburn?
$510 to $1,000 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Auburn
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Paving an Asphalt Driveway Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- PaveGauge: Asphalt Driveway Cost (2026): Price by Size (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = hot-mix asphalt ($2.30-$3.60/sq ft at 3 in) plus aggregate base ($1-$3/sq ft) from PaveGauge's component table.