Asphalt driveway cost in Dover, DE
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,900 – $7,050
- Per sq ft
- $4.80 – $11.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −5%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #181
- 1 = most expensive
Dover homeowners pay roughly $2,900 to $7,050 to pave a driveway at 600 sq ft, or $4.80 to $11.50 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Dover is 5% lower. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $25.97 an hour in the Dover area, 1% above the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Dover, DE, standard level
$4,150 to $5,800
About $6.80 to $9.45 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| Labor | $1,600 | $2,400 |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $150 |
| Total | $4,150 | $5,800 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Dover, DE
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,800 | 57% |
| Labor | $960 | $2,000 | $3,050 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 | $200 | 2% |
| Total | $2,900 | $5,000 | $7,050 | 100% |
Where the Dover 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, Dover wages are 0.94 times the national level. Labor makes up about 40% of the midpoint estimate (41% at national prices). BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Delaware statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Dover metro is 96.4 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 600 sq ft comes to $2,850, compared with $2,950 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (97.5) and land at $50 to $200.
Data note: 40% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Dover. The wage table below marks each row.
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Dover is 0.94 times the national level.
Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) carry 40% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Dover metro, so we used the Delaware statewide median: $25.97 an hour against $25.64 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $15.00 and $28.16 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $22.02 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.50 and $24.63 an hour. About 400 work in the metro. That is 58.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.49 an hour, which is 18% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.38 and $28.71 an hour. BLS counts 190 of them working in the area, 27.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($28.16 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $75. At the 25th percentile ($15.00) it shrinks by about $360. The total moves by 1.5% or 7.3%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 68,080 jobs in the Dover area. That makes it the 265th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.04% 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% | $18.50 | $22.02 | $24.63 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $21.38 | $23.49 | $28.71 | $28.78 | 0.82 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.94 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Dover?
Because every project leans on different trades, Dover's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, paver patio runs −2% and gravel driveway −7%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,400 – $8,600 | −7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,500 | −7% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,950 – $5,350 | −2% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $580 – $2,050 | −3% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,300 – $4,950 | −5% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,750 | −6% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Dover bid
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.
Optional extras in Dover
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Dover by the average of the local wage index (0.94) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.95. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a sealcoat | $570 – $1,150 |
Cost by quality level and size in Dover
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Dover wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$2,900 to $4,600
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,150 to $5,800
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,400 to $7,050
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,200 – $1,900 | $1,700 – $2,400 | $2,250 – $2,950 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,950 – $3,100 | $2,800 – $3,950 | $3,650 – $4,750 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,900 – $4,600 | $4,150 – $5,800 | $5,400 – $7,050 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,850 – $7,550 | $6,850 – $9,600 | $8,900 – $11,600 |
When to schedule asphalt driveway in Dover
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Dover (in the city). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
March through November is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Dover (9 of 12 months). January, February and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 79 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Dover gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 13 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, August and September (4.9 inches in August). Inside the workable window, April and November are the driest, at 3.7 and 3.4 inches. The station averages about 25 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 28 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 29 | 3.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 55 | 35 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 66 | 45 | 3.7 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 54 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 83 | 64 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Sep | 79 | 61 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Oct | 69 | 50 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 58 | 39 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 49 | 32 | 4.0 | Cold |
Dover against nearby metros and the rest of Delaware
Of the five closest metros, none is cheaper than Dover. Philadelphia comes closest at about $5,300.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DEthis page | $2,900 – $7,050 | $5,000 | |
| Vineland, NJ25 miles | $3,350 – $8,300 | $5,800 | +16% |
| Atlantic City, NJ45 miles | $3,150 – $7,650 | $5,400 | +8% |
| Philadelphia, PA55 miles | $3,050 – $7,500 | $5,300 | +6% |
| Baltimore, MD60 miles | $3,150 – $7,650 | $5,400 | +8% |
| Lancaster, PA75 miles | $3,100 – $7,600 | $5,350 | +8% |
| Delaware (statewide) | $2,950 – $7,200 | $5,100 | +2% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +5% |
Across 300 US metros, Dover comes in at #181 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $7,650; the cheapest is Fort Smith, AR at $4,450 (midpoints, 600 sq ft). Statewide, Dover is 2% below the Delaware figure.
Dover is the only Delaware metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Cities with a workforce like Dover's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Dover against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City, MI | 68,440 jobs | $2,950 – $7,200 | $5,100 | +2% |
| Burlington, NC | 67,830 jobs | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,850 | −2% |
| State College, PA | 68,840 jobs | $3,150 – $7,650 | $5,400 | +8% |
| Winchester, VA | 67,740 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | −2% |
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed asphalt driveway report for Dover, DE, $9
Multi-page report for Dover, DE: 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 Dover: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Dover?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,900 to $7,050 in the Dover area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,150 to $5,800. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in Dover?
About $4.80 to $11.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $50 to $200 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $12.
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in Dover or Vineland?
Vineland is 25 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $5,800, which is 16% more than Dover ($5,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Dover?
About 40% at the midpoint, or $2,000 out of $5,000. Materials are 57% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Dover?
$2,900 to $7,050. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in Dover?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $200 for fees in the Dover area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Dover expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of Delaware?
Dover is 2% below the Delaware statewide estimate ($5,100 at the midpoint).
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Dover?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $25.97 an hour, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $15.00 to $28.16.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Dover?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,900 to $4,600 and premium work $5,400 to $7,050. Basic means: new topcoat over a sound base, flat lot. Premium means: full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth.
+When is the best time to pave a driveway in Dover?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. April and November are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add a sealcoat" add in Dover?
$570 to $1,150 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Dover
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.