Asphalt driveway cost in Houma, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,750 – $6,600
- Per sq ft
- $4.55 – $10.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #271
- 1 = most expensive
Houma homeowners pay roughly $2,750 to $6,600 to pave a driveway at 600 sq ft, or $4.55 to $10.50 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Houma is 10% lower. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $23.29 an hour in the Houma area, 9% below the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Houma, LA, standard level
$3,900 to $5,450
About $6.40 to $8.90 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 38% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,400 | $3,150 |
| Labor | $1,400 | $2,150 |
| Permits and fees | $80 | $130 |
| Total | $3,900 | $5,450 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Houma, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,850 | $2,800 | $3,700 | 59% |
| Labor | $860 | $1,800 | $2,750 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $170 | 2% |
| Total | $2,750 | $4,700 | $6,600 | 100% |
Why Houma prices look the way they do
Labor is 38% of the midpoint bill here, against 41% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (40%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (30%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Houma the blended ratio comes out at 0.84. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Houma metro is 93.7 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 600 sq ft comes to $2,800, compared with $2,950 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (85.1) and land at $45 to $170.
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 Houma. The wage table below marks each row.
Asphalt driveway: what moves the price in Houma
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.
Is Houma cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 600 sq ft range from $4,700 to $5,100 across Houma and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houma, LAthis page | $2,750 – $6,600 | $4,700 | |
| New Orleans, LA75 miles | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | +3% |
| Baton Rouge, LA85 miles | $2,950 – $7,250 | $5,100 | +9% |
| Lafayette, LA90 miles | $2,750 – $6,650 | $4,700 | +1% |
| Slidell, LA90 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | +1% |
| Gulfport, MS135 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | +1% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | +1% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +12% |
Across 300 US metros, Houma comes in at #271 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, Houma is 1% below the Louisiana figure.
Other Louisiana metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | +3% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $2,950 – $7,250 | $5,100 | +9% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $2,750 – $6,650 | $4,700 | +1% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | +1% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $2,800 – $6,800 | $4,800 | +2% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Houma's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Houma against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $3,200 – $8,000 | $5,600 | +19% |
| Bowling Green, KY | 82,160 jobs | $2,900 – $6,950 | $4,900 | +5% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,550 | +19% |
| Hilton Head, SC | 81,920 jobs | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,900 | +4% |
When to schedule asphalt driveway in Houma
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Houma (10 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through May is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Houma (9 of 12 months). June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Houma gets about 65 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (9.1 inches in July). Inside the workable window, April and December are the driest, at 4.0 and 4.2 inches. The station averages about 76 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 | 64 | 44 | 5.6 | Workable |
| Feb | 67 | 48 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 54 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 60 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 67 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 8.4 | Hot |
| Jul | 91 | 74 | 9.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 75 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 52 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 66 | 46 | 4.2 | Workable |
Planning more than one job in Houma?
Because every project leans on different trades, Houma's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, concrete slab runs −11% and concrete driveway −14%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,900 | −14% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,150 – $8,850 | −13% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,750 | −12% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −12% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,150 – $4,600 | −11% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,100 – $3,450 | −13% |
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 Houma is 0.84 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 Houma metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median: $23.29 an hour against $25.64 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $20.95 and $30.78 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $17.74 an hour, 22% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.80 and $21.44 an hour. About 880 work in the metro. That is 105.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.55 an hour, which is 18% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.25 and $28.47 an hour. BLS counts 710 of them working in the area, 85.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than 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 ($30.78 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $250. At the 25th percentile ($20.95) it shrinks by about $80. The total moves by 5.3% or 1.7%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 83,440 jobs in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux area. That makes it the 230th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% 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% | $16.80 | $17.74 | $21.44 | $22.66 | 0.78 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.25 | $23.55 | $28.47 | $28.78 | 0.82 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.84 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Houma
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Houma 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
$2,750 to $4,300
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$3,900 to $5,450
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,050 to $6,600
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,150 – $1,800 | $1,600 – $2,250 | $2,100 – $2,750 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,850 – $2,900 | $2,650 – $3,700 | $3,400 – $4,450 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,750 – $4,300 | $3,900 – $5,450 | $5,050 – $6,600 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,550 – $7,100 | $6,450 – $9,000 | $8,350 – $10,900 |
Add-ons priced for Houma
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Houma by the average of the local wage index (0.84) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.89. 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 | $530 – $1,050 |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $3,900 to $5,450 for Houma, LA is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Houma, LA: 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 Houma: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Houma?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,750 to $6,600 in the Houma area. A standard-spec job lands at $3,900 to $5,450. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in Houma?
About $4.55 to $10.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $170 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $12.
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in Houma or New Orleans?
New Orleans is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $4,850, which is 3% more than Houma ($4,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Houma?
About 38% at the midpoint, or $1,800 out of $4,700. Materials are 59% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Houma?
$2,750 to $6,600. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in Houma?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $170 for fees in the Houma area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Houma expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Houma is 1% below the Louisiana statewide estimate ($4,750 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Houma?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $23.29 an hour, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.95 to $30.78.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Houma?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,750 to $4,300 and premium work $5,050 to $6,600. 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 Houma?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. April and December 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 Houma?
$530 to $1,050 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Houma
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.