Asphalt driveway cost in New Orleans, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,850 – $6,850
- Per sq ft
- $4.65 – $11
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #225
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for an asphalt driveway in the New Orleans area: $2,850 to $6,850 for 600 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 7% lower than the US figure. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $23.44 an hour in the New Orleans area, 9% below the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in New Orleans, LA, standard level
$4,050 to $5,650
About $6.55 to $9.15 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,400 | $3,150 |
| Labor | $1,550 | $2,350 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $140 |
| Total | $4,050 | $5,650 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in New Orleans, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,850 | $2,800 | $3,700 | 58% |
| Labor | $930 | $1,950 | $2,950 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $120 | $190 | 2% |
| Total | $2,850 | $4,850 | $6,850 | 100% |
Where the New Orleans price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators, who do 40% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $23.44 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for New Orleans is 0.91 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 40% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. New Orleans is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $2,950 nationally becomes $2,800 here (midpoint, 600 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 92.6: $45 to $190.
New Orleans: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to New Orleans. 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
$2,850 to $4,450
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,050 to $5,650
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,250 to $6,850
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,150 – $1,850 | $1,650 – $2,350 | $2,150 – $2,850 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,900 – $3,000 | $2,700 – $3,800 | $3,550 – $4,600 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,850 – $4,450 | $4,050 – $5,650 | $5,250 – $6,850 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,700 – $7,300 | $6,650 – $9,300 | $8,650 – $11,300 |
Related projects, priced for New Orleans
Jobs that often go together with asphalt driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same New Orleans wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, gravel driveway comes out highest (−8%) and concrete driveway lowest (−12%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,250 – $8,050 | −12% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,400 | −8% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $550 – $1,900 | −9% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,700 | −10% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,550 | −11% |
How New Orleans compares
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than New Orleans. Mobile is the lowest at about $4,650 (midpoint, 600 sq ft), 125 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LAthis page | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | |
| Houma, LA75 miles | $2,750 – $6,600 | $4,700 | −3% |
| Slidell, LA80 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −2% |
| Gulfport, MS90 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −2% |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $2,950 – $7,250 | $5,100 | +5% |
| Mobile, AL125 miles | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | −4% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −2% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, New Orleans ranks #225 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, New Orleans is 2% above the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $2,950 – $7,250 | $5,100 | +5% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $2,750 – $6,650 | $4,700 | −2% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −2% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $2,800 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −1% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −2% |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $2,750 – $6,550 | $4,650 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is New Orleans against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 446,380 jobs | $4,200 – $10,900 | $7,550 | +56% |
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| Albany, NY | 449,410 jobs | $3,250 – $8,050 | $5,650 | +17% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −1% |
Who does the work: New Orleans trade wages
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 New Orleans the blend is 0.91.
Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071), 40% of the weighting: a median of $23.44 an hour, 9% below the US median of $25.64. The middle half of them earn between $22.95 and $25.96 an hour. About 50 work in the metro. That is 1.1 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 $18.98 an hour, which is 16% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.45 and $23.29 an hour. BLS counts 3,620 of them working in the area, 81.2 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 $28.00 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.97 and $32.23 an hour. About 1,150 work in the metro. That is 25.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer 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 $85 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $15. That is a swing of roughly 0.3% to 1.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
New Orleans-Metairie has 445,550 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 57th 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% | $22.95 | $23.44 | $25.96 | $25.64 | 0.91 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.45 | $18.98 | $23.29 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.97 | $28.00 | $32.23 | $28.78 | 0.97 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a New Orleans 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.
Extras that change the New Orleans total
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.92 for New Orleans, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.91) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a sealcoat | $550 – $1,100 |
The best months for asphalt driveway in New Orleans
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, New Orleans Lakefront Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in New Orleans are September through June: 10 of 12. Outside them, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
New Orleans gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (6.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.6 inches. The station averages about 86 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 | 61 | 47 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 65 | 51 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 71 | 57 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 63 | 5.9 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 71 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 76 | 6.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 78 | 6.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 79 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 87 | 76 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 67 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 70 | 56 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 63 | 50 | 4.6 | Workable |
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Detailed asphalt driveway report for New Orleans, LA, $9
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Asphalt driveway in New Orleans: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in New Orleans?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,850 to $6,850 in the New Orleans area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,050 to $5,650. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in New Orleans?
About $4.65 to $11 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $190 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $12.
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in New Orleans or Houma?
Houma is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $4,700, which is 3% less than New Orleans ($4,850). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in New Orleans?
About 40% at the midpoint, or $1,950 out of $4,850. Materials are 58% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in New Orleans?
$2,850 to $6,850. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in New Orleans?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $190 for fees in the New Orleans area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is New Orleans expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of Louisiana?
New Orleans is 2% above 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 New Orleans?
The BLS median is $23.44 an hour in the New Orleans area, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.95 to $25.96.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in New Orleans?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,850 to $4,450 and premium work $5,250 to $6,850. 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 New Orleans?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. October 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 New Orleans?
$550 to $1,100 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near New Orleans
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.