Asphalt driveway cost in Delaware
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (600 sq ft)
- $2,950 – $7,200
- Per sq ft
- $4.85 – $11.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $5,250
- Metros covered
- 1
What does it cost to pave a driveway in Delaware? Plan on $2,950 to $7,200 for 600 sq ft. Wages (0.99x the US blend), materials (price index 96.2) and permit costs (99.8) put the state below the national midpoint by 3%.
Delaware has one metro in our dataset, Dover, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Delaware (statewide), standard level
$4,250 to $5,950
About $6.90 to $9.60 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| Labor | $1,650 | $2,550 |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $150 |
| Total | $4,250 | $5,950 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Delaware
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,800 | 56% |
| Labor | $1,000 | $2,100 | $3,200 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 | $200 | 2% |
| Total | $2,950 | $5,100 | $7,200 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Delaware prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft to long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft.
Basic
$2,950 to $4,650
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,250 to $5,950
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,500 to $7,200
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,200 – $1,950 | $1,750 – $2,450 | $2,300 – $3,000 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $2,000 – $3,150 | $2,850 – $4,000 | $3,700 – $4,850 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,950 – $4,650 | $4,250 – $5,950 | $5,500 – $7,200 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,900 – $7,700 | $7,000 – $9,800 | $9,100 – $11,900 |
Delaware seasons and asphalt driveway
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Delaware is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Dover has 9 comfortable months (March through November), with about 48 inches of precipitation a year.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 28 | 87 | 48 | 9: March through November |
Related projects, priced for Delaware
Each project weights the trades differently, so Delaware's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, French drain is −1% and gravel driveway −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,550 – $9,000 | −2% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,400 – $9,850 | −3% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,950 – $5,350 | −2% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −1% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,400 – $5,050 | −3% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,900 | −2% |
Extras that change the Delaware total
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.97 for Delaware, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.99) and goods price index (0.96). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a sealcoat | $580 – $1,150 |
What paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators and the other trades earn in Delaware
Delaware's labor line is priced from 3 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.99 times the national level.
Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071), 40% of the weighting: a median of $25.97 an hour, in line with the US median of $25.64. The middle half of them earn between $15.00 and $28.16 an hour. About 150 work in the state. That is 3.1 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 $21.90 an hour, which is 3% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.93 and $27.07 an hour. BLS counts 3,240 of them working in the state, 66.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $27.89 an hour, 3% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.36 and $31.80 an hour. About 1,230 work in the state. That is 25.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators ($28.16 an hour) would add about $75 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($15.00) would take off about $360. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 484,790 jobs across Delaware (May 2025), which is 0.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) | 40% | $15.00 | $25.97 | $28.16 | $25.64 | 1.01 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.93 | $21.90 | $27.07 | $22.66 | 0.97 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.36 | $27.89 | $31.80 | $28.78 | 0.97 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.99 | |||||
Asphalt driveway cost by metro in Delaware
Delaware has one metro in our dataset, Dover, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (600 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $2,900 – $7,050 | $5,000 | −2% |
Why two Delaware quotes can differ
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.
Base work
Four to eight inches of compacted aggregate under the asphalt is where cheap quotes cut corners. Base typically runs $1-$3 per sq ft.
Small jobs cost more per foot
Paving crews move a paver, roller and trucks to your address, so a 400 sq ft driveway carries more mobilization per square foot than a 1,000 sq ft one.
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.
How Delaware compares with nearby states
Delaware ranks 32 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for asphalt driveway, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $7,500 and the cheapest Mississippi at $4,600, both for 600 sq ft at the midpoint. Delaware sits at $5,100. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 60 miles away | $3,450 – $8,450 | $5,950 | +17% |
| Maryland | 60 miles away | $3,150 – $7,700 | $5,450 | +7% |
| Pennsylvania | 100 miles away | $3,050 – $7,500 | $5,300 | +4% |
| District of Columbia | 110 miles away | $3,550 – $8,900 | $6,250 | +23% |
| New York | 150 miles away | $3,450 – $8,450 | $5,950 | +17% |
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Detailed asphalt driveway report for Delaware, $9
The report lays out the asphalt driveway numbers for Delaware line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. 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 Delaware: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Delaware?
$2,950 to $7,200 for 600 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Delaware can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Delaware is cheapest for asphalt driveway?
Dover at about $5,000 (midpoint, 600 sq ft).
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in Delaware than the US average?
It is 3% cheaper: $5,100 against $5,250 for 600 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Delaware?
About 41% ($2,100). Materials are 56%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.99x the national wage level.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Delaware?
The BLS statewide median is $25.97 an hour, against $25.64 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $15.00 to $28.16.
+Where does Delaware rank for asphalt driveway costs?
32nd most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $5,100 for 600 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Delaware?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,950 to $4,650 and premium work $5,500 to $7,200. Basic means: new topcoat over a sound base, flat lot. Premium means: full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth.
+Does the season matter for asphalt driveway in Delaware?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Delaware metros we cover, Dover has the most comfortable months (9 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add a sealcoat" add in Delaware?
$580 to $1,150 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway by city in Delaware
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.