Asphalt driveway cost in Billings, MT
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,950 – $7,200
- Per sq ft
- $4.85 – $11.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #159
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to pave a driveway in Billings, plan on $2,950 to $7,200 for 600 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $4.85 to $11.50 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint lands close to the national one. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.0).
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Billings, MT, standard level
$4,250 to $5,950
About $6.90 to $9.65 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 42% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $3,250 |
| Labor | $1,650 | $2,550 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $140 |
| Total | $4,250 | $5,950 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Billings, MT
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,800 | 56% |
| Labor | $1,000 | $2,100 | $3,200 | 42% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $120 | $190 | 2% |
| Total | $2,950 | $5,100 | $7,200 | 100% |
Where the Billings price comes from
Labor is 42% 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 Billings the blended ratio comes out at 0.99.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Billings metro is 96.0 (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 (93.5) and land at $45 to $190.
Pick a size, pick a tier: asphalt driveway pricing in Billings
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Billings 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
$2,950 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 – $1,900 | $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 |
Related projects, priced for Billings
Because every project leans on different trades, Billings's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, concrete driveway runs +3% and paver patio −1%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,750 – $9,500 | +3% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,200 | level |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,000 – $5,400 | −1% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | level |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,500 – $5,200 | level |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,050 | +1% |
Asphalt driveway: what moves the price in Billings
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.
Billings labor market for asphalt driveway
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 Billings is 0.99 times the national level.
For paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071, weighted 40%) the local median is $23.50 an hour, which is 8% below the national $25.64. The middle half of them earn between $17.56 and $29.09 an hour. BLS counts 80 of them working in the area, 8.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $23.68 an hour, 5% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.42 and $28.31 an hour. About 830 work in the metro. That is 88.5 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 $29.81 an hour, which is 4% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $28.39 and $34.85 an hour. BLS counts 540 of them working in the area, 57.6 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 ($29.09 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $190. At the 25th percentile ($17.56) it shrinks by about $200. The total moves by 3.7% or 3.9%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 93,800 jobs in the Billings area. That makes it the 213th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.06% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) | 40% | $17.56 | $23.50 | $29.09 | $25.64 | 0.92 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.42 | $23.68 | $28.31 | $22.66 | 1.05 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $28.39 | $29.81 | $34.85 | $28.78 | 1.04 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.99 | |||||
Extras that change the Billings total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Billings by the average of the local wage index (0.99) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.98. 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 | $590 – $1,150 |
Climate in Billings: timing your asphalt driveway job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Billings Logan Intl Ap (in the city). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Billings (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November 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 142 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Billings gets about 14 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 57 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and June (2.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 1.2 and 0.9 inches. The station averages about 32 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 | 36 | 18 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 0.9 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 1.7 | Workable |
| May | 67 | 44 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 52 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 59 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Aug | 86 | 58 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Sep | 74 | 49 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 46 | 27 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 0.6 | Cold |
Is Billings cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Idaho Falls is the priciest of the group at $5,450. Logan is the cheapest at $5,000.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MTthis page | $2,950 – $7,200 | $5,100 | |
| Bozeman, MT115 miles | $3,050 – $7,500 | $5,250 | +4% |
| Idaho Falls, ID225 miles | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | +7% |
| Missoula, MT275 miles | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +3% |
| Logan, UT300 miles | $2,900 – $7,050 | $5,000 | −2% |
| Rapid City, SD305 miles | $3,000 – $7,350 | $5,150 | +2% |
| Montana (statewide) | $3,000 – $7,400 | $5,200 | +2% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +3% |
Across 300 US metros, Billings comes in at #159 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, Billings is 2% below the Montana figure.
Other Montana metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | 72,210 jobs | $3,050 – $7,500 | $5,250 | +4% |
| Missoula, MT | 67,070 jobs | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +3% |
Cities with a workforce like Billings's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Billings against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable, MA | 94,110 jobs | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,550 | +10% |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $3,000 – $7,350 | $5,150 | +2% |
| Macon, GA | 95,030 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −7% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $3,150 – $7,900 | $5,500 | +9% |
Get 3 local quotes
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Asphalt driveway in Billings: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Billings?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,950 to $7,200 in the Billings area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,250 to $5,950. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in Billings?
About $4.85 to $11.50 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 Billings or Bozeman?
Bozeman is 115 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $5,250, which is 4% more than Billings ($5,100). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Billings?
About 42% at the midpoint, or $2,100 out of $5,100. Materials are 56% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Billings?
$2,950 to $7,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in Billings?
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 Billings area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Billings expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of Montana?
Billings is 2% below the Montana statewide estimate ($5,200 at the midpoint). We cover 3 metros in Montana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Billings?
The BLS median is $23.50 an hour in the Billings area, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.56 to $29.09.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Billings?
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.
+When is the best time to pave a driveway in Billings?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. July and August 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 Billings?
$590 to $1,150 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Billings
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.