Asphalt driveway cost in New Hampshire
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (600 sq ft)
- $3,100 – $7,650
- Per sq ft
- $5.10 – $12.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +3%
- US $5,250
- Metros covered
- 1
What does it cost to pave a driveway in New Hampshire? Plan on $3,100 to $7,650 for 600 sq ft. Wages (1.10x the US blend), materials (price index 98.6) and permit costs (104.2) put the state above the national midpoint by 3%.
New Hampshire has one metro in our dataset, Manchester, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in New Hampshire (statewide), standard level
$4,500 to $6,300
About $7.30 to $10 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,550 | $3,300 |
| Labor | $1,850 | $2,800 |
| Permits and fees | $100 | $160 |
| Total | $4,500 | $6,300 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in New Hampshire
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,950 | $2,950 | $3,900 | 54% |
| Labor | $1,100 | $2,350 | $3,550 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $130 | $210 | 2% |
| Total | $3,100 | $5,400 | $7,650 | 100% |
Asphalt driveway: what moves the price in New Hampshire
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.
Quality levels and sizes in New Hampshire
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide New Hampshire wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$3,100 to $4,950
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,500 to $6,300
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,850 to $7,650
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,300 – $2,050 | $1,850 – $2,600 | $2,450 – $3,200 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $2,100 – $3,350 | $3,000 – $4,250 | $3,950 – $5,200 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $4,950 | $4,500 – $6,300 | $5,850 – $7,650 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $5,150 – $8,150 | $7,400 – $10,400 | $9,650 – $12,600 |
Add-ons priced for New Hampshire
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to New Hampshire by the average of the local wage index (1.10) and goods index (0.99), a factor of 1.04. 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 | $620 – $1,250 |
Asphalt driveway cost by metro in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has one metro in our dataset, Manchester, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester, NH | $3,100 – $7,550 | $5,300 | −1% |
New Hampshire labor market for asphalt driveway
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 3 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.10 for New Hampshire.
For paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071, weighted 40%) the local median is $29.85 an hour, which is 16% above the national $25.64. The middle half of them earn between $27.30 and $34.87 an hour. BLS counts 260 of them working in the state, 3.8 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 $24.03 an hour, 6% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.61 and $28.32 an hour. About 4,330 work in the state. That is 63.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $29.91 an hour, which is 4% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $27.55 and $35.51 an hour. BLS counts 1,330 of them working in the state, 19.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators ($34.87 an hour) would add about $170 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($27.30) would take off about $85. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 683,290 jobs across New Hampshire (May 2025), which is 0.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) | 40% | $27.30 | $29.85 | $34.87 | $25.64 | 1.16 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.61 | $24.03 | $28.32 | $22.66 | 1.06 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $27.55 | $29.91 | $35.51 | $28.78 | 1.04 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.10 | |||||
Related projects, priced for New Hampshire
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide New Hampshire wages and prices. Against national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (+5%) and concrete slab lowest (−1%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,650 – $9,150 | level |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,550 – $10,400 | +2% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,150 – $5,700 | +5% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $620 – $2,150 | +3% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,450 – $5,150 | −1% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,000 | level |
New Hampshire versus the states around it
New Hampshire ranks 18 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. New Hampshire sits at $5,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 40 miles away | $3,300 – $8,150 | $5,700 | +6% |
| Rhode Island | 90 miles away | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | +2% |
| Maine | 110 miles away | $3,000 – $7,300 | $5,150 | −5% |
| Connecticut | 110 miles away | $3,350 – $8,450 | $5,900 | +9% |
| Vermont | 140 miles away | $3,000 – $7,350 | $5,150 | −4% |
Weather windows across New Hampshire
Season matters for asphalt driveway. For each New Hampshire metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Manchester has 8 comfortable months (April through November), with about 40 inches of precipitation a year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 17 | 84 | 40 | 8: April through November |
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Asphalt driveway in New Hampshire: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in New Hampshire?
$3,100 to $7,650 for 600 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside New Hampshire can sit above or below that.
+Which city in New Hampshire is cheapest for asphalt driveway?
Manchester at about $5,300 (midpoint, 600 sq ft).
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in New Hampshire than the US average?
It is 3% more expensive: $5,400 against $5,250 for 600 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in New Hampshire?
About 43% ($2,350). Materials are 54%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.10x the national wage level.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in New Hampshire?
The BLS statewide median is $29.85 an hour, against $25.64 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $27.30 to $34.87.
+Where does New Hampshire rank for asphalt driveway costs?
18th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $5,400 for 600 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in New Hampshire?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,100 to $4,950 and premium work $5,850 to $7,650. 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 New Hampshire?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the New Hampshire metros we cover, Manchester has the most comfortable months (8 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 New Hampshire?
$620 to $1,250 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway by city in New Hampshire
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.