Asphalt driveway cost in Louisiana
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (600 sq ft)
- $2,800 – $6,700
- Per sq ft
- $4.55 – $11
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −9%
- US $5,250
- Metros covered
- 9
Louisiana prices for asphalt driveway: $2,800 to $6,700 for 600 sq ft, or $4.55 to $11 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 9% below the national one. Local wages for paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators are $23.29 an hour.
Inside Louisiana, the metros we cover range from $4,650 (Monroe) to $5,100 (Baton Rouge) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Louisiana (statewide), standard level
$3,950 to $5,500
About $6.45 to $8.95 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 39% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,400 | $3,150 |
| Labor | $1,450 | $2,250 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $140 |
| Total | $3,950 | $5,500 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Louisiana
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,850 | $2,800 | $3,700 | 59% |
| Labor | $880 | $1,850 | $2,800 | 39% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $180 | 2% |
| Total | $2,800 | $4,750 | $6,700 | 100% |
Related projects, priced for Louisiana
Each project weights the trades differently, so Louisiana's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, concrete slab is −11% and concrete driveway −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,200 – $8,000 | −13% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,200 – $9,050 | −11% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,850 | −11% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −11% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,650 | −11% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,500 | −12% |
Weather windows across Louisiana
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Louisiana 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.
New Orleans has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Louisiana at 10 months (September through June); Shreveport has the shortest at 8 (October through May). Rainfall runs from 51 inches a year in Shreveport to 66 inches in Slidell.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 47 | 91 | 60 | 10: September through June |
| Baton Rouge | 42 | 92 | 62 | 9: September through May |
| Lafayette | 44 | 92 | 63 | 9: September through May |
| Shreveport | 37 | 94 | 51 | 8: October through May |
| Lake Charles | 43 | 92 | 60 | 9: September through May |
| Slidell | 42 | 90 | 66 | 10: September through June |
| Monroe | 37 | 93 | 55 | 9: September through May |
| Houma | 44 | 91 | 65 | 9: September through May |
| Alexandria | 39 | 92 | 61 | 10: September through June |
Add-ons priced for Louisiana
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.90 for Louisiana, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.87) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a sealcoat | $540 – $1,100 |
Why two Louisiana 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.
Basic, standard or premium: Louisiana 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
$2,800 to $4,350
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$3,950 to $5,500
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,150 to $6,700
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,150 – $1,800 | $1,650 – $2,300 | $2,150 – $2,800 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,850 – $2,950 | $2,650 – $3,750 | $3,450 – $4,500 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,800 – $4,350 | $3,950 – $5,500 | $5,150 – $6,700 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,600 – $7,200 | $6,550 – $9,100 | $8,450 – $11,000 |
Louisiana against its neighbors
Louisiana ranks 47 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. Louisiana sits at $4,750. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 130 miles away | $2,700 – $6,450 | $4,600 | −3% |
| Alabama | 310 miles away | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | −2% |
| Texas | 360 miles away | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,900 | +3% |
| Arkansas | 360 miles away | $2,700 – $6,450 | $4,600 | −3% |
| Tennessee | 460 miles away | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | +2% |
What paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators and the other trades earn in Louisiana
Louisiana'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 0.87 times the national level.
Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071), 40% of the weighting: a median of $23.29 an hour, 9% below the US median of $25.64. The middle half of them earn between $20.95 and $30.78 an hour. About 350 work in the state. That is 1.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $18.38 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.59 and $22.74 an hour. BLS counts 22,100 of them working in the state, 114.2 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 $24.86 an hour, 14% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.33 and $29.92 an hour. About 7,860 work in the state. That is 40.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators ($30.78 an hour) would add about $250 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($20.95) would take off about $80. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,934,900 jobs across Louisiana (May 2025), which is 1.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) | 40% | $20.95 | $23.29 | $30.78 | $25.64 | 0.91 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.59 | $18.38 | $22.74 | $22.66 | 0.81 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.33 | $24.86 | $29.92 | $28.78 | 0.86 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.87 | |||||
Which Louisiana city is cheapest for asphalt driveway?
3 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $4,750, and the top-to-bottom gap is 10%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $2,950 – $7,250 | $5,100 | +7% |
| New Orleans, LA | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | +2% |
| Lake Charles, LA | $2,800 – $6,800 | $4,800 | +1% |
| Slidell, LA | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | level |
| Shreveport, LA | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | level |
| Lafayette, LA | $2,750 – $6,650 | $4,700 | level |
| Houma, LA | $2,750 – $6,600 | $4,700 | −1% |
| Alexandria, LA | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | −2% |
| Monroe, LA | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | −2% |
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Asphalt driveway in Louisiana: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Louisiana?
$2,800 to $6,700 for 600 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Louisiana can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Louisiana is cheapest for asphalt driveway?
Monroe at about $4,650 (midpoint, 600 sq ft). The priciest is Baton Rouge at $5,100.
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in Louisiana than the US average?
It is 9% cheaper: $4,750 against $5,250 for 600 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Louisiana?
About 39% ($1,850). Materials are 59%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.87x the national wage level.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Louisiana?
The BLS statewide median is $23.29 an hour, against $25.64 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.95 to $30.78.
+Where does Louisiana rank for asphalt driveway costs?
47th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $4,750 for 600 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Louisiana?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,800 to $4,350 and premium work $5,150 to $6,700. 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 Louisiana?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Louisiana metros we cover, New Orleans has the most comfortable months (10 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 Louisiana?
$540 to $1,100 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway by city in Louisiana
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.