Asphalt driveway cost in Burlington, NC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,850 – $6,900
- Per sq ft
- $4.70 – $11
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #206
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to pave a driveway in Burlington, plan on $2,850 to $6,900 for 600 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $4.70 to $11 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 7% lower than the national one. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $22.99 an hour in the Burlington area, 10% below the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Burlington, NC, standard level
$4,050 to $5,700
About $6.65 to $9.20 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 39% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| Labor | $1,500 | $2,300 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $140 |
| Total | $4,050 | $5,700 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Burlington, NC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,850 | 59% |
| Labor | $900 | $1,900 | $2,850 | 39% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $120 | $190 | 2% |
| Total | $2,850 | $4,850 | $6,900 | 100% |
What is behind the Burlington number
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators at 40%, construction laborers at 30%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 30%. Weighted together, Burlington wages are 0.89 times the national level. Labor makes up about 39% of the midpoint estimate (41% at national prices). BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the North Carolina statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Burlington metro is 96.6 (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 (93.2) and land at $45 to $190.
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 Burlington. The wage table below marks each row.
Pick a size, pick a tier: asphalt driveway pricing in Burlington
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Burlington 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
$2,850 to $4,450
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,050 to $5,700
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,300 to $6,900
Full tear-out and rebuild, drainage work, heavy-duty depth
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,150 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,350 | $2,200 – $2,850 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,900 – $3,000 | $2,750 – $3,850 | $3,550 – $4,650 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,850 – $4,450 | $4,050 – $5,700 | $5,300 – $6,900 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,750 – $7,400 | $6,700 – $9,350 | $8,700 – $11,400 |
Is Burlington 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 $4,850 to $5,050 across Burlington and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NCthis page | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,850 | |
| Durham, NC15 miles | $2,950 – $7,150 | $5,050 | +3% |
| Greensboro, NC20 miles | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| Winston, NC55 miles | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| Raleigh, NC55 miles | $2,900 – $6,950 | $4,950 | +1% |
| Fayetteville, NC75 miles | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| North Carolina (statewide) | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,900 | level |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +7% |
Across 300 US metros, Burlington comes in at #206 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, Burlington is 0% below the North Carolina figure.
Other North Carolina metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 1,358,370 jobs | $2,900 – $6,950 | $4,900 | +1% |
| Raleigh, NC | 743,120 jobs | $2,900 – $6,950 | $4,950 | +1% |
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $2,950 – $7,150 | $5,050 | +3% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| Wilmington, NC | 191,280 jobs | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,900 | level |
Cities with a workforce like Burlington's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Burlington against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | 68,080 jobs | $2,900 – $7,050 | $5,000 | +2% |
| Winchester, VA | 67,740 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | level |
| Traverse City, MI | 68,440 jobs | $2,950 – $7,200 | $5,100 | +4% |
| Morgantown, WV | 67,370 jobs | $2,900 – $7,000 | $4,950 | +2% |
What nearby projects cost in Burlington
Because every project leans on different trades, Burlington's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, French drain runs −7% and concrete driveway −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,250 – $8,000 | −13% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,400 | −8% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,750 – $4,950 | −9% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $1,950 | −7% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,750 | −9% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,550 | −10% |
Climate in Burlington: timing your asphalt driveway job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Burlington Alamance Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
February through June and August through December are the stretches where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Burlington (10 of 12 months). January has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F); July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 78 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Burlington gets about 43 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and September (4.7 inches in July). Inside the workable window, February and October are the driest, at 2.8 and 3.1 inches. The station averages about 48 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 | 52 | 30 | 3.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.8 | Workable |
| May | 80 | 57 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.7 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 3.1 | Workable |
Add-ons priced for Burlington
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Burlington by the average of the local wage index (0.89) and goods index (0.97), a factor of 0.93. 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 | $560 – $1,100 |
Specs and site conditions that change a Burlington bid
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.
Burlington 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 Burlington is 0.89 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 Burlington metro, so we used the North Carolina statewide median: $22.99 an hour against $25.64 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $19.54 and $25.91 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $20.35 an hour, 10% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.66 and $22.91 an hour. About 400 work in the metro. That is 59.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $24.79 an hour, which is 14% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.20 and $26.13 an hour. BLS counts 200 of them working in the area, 29.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about 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 ($25.91 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $95. At the 25th percentile ($19.54) it shrinks by about $110. The total moves by 2.0% or 2.4%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 67,830 jobs in the Burlington area. That makes it the 266th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.04% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) | 40% | $19.54 | $22.99 | $25.91 | $25.64 | 0.90 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.66 | $20.35 | $22.91 | $22.66 | 0.90 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.20 | $24.79 | $26.13 | $28.78 | 0.86 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
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 $4,050 to $5,700 for Burlington, NC is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Burlington, NC: 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 Burlington: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Burlington?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,850 to $6,900 in the Burlington area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,050 to $5,700. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in Burlington?
About $4.70 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 Burlington or Durham?
Durham is 15 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $5,050, which is 3% more than Burlington ($4,850). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Burlington?
About 39% at the midpoint, or $1,900 out of $4,850. Materials are 59% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Burlington?
$2,850 to $6,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in Burlington?
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 Burlington area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Burlington expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Burlington is 0% below the North Carolina statewide estimate ($4,900 at the midpoint). We cover 11 metros in North Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Burlington?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $22.99 an hour, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.54 to $25.91.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Burlington?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,850 to $4,450 and premium work $5,300 to $6,900. 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 Burlington?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through June and August through December. February and October 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 Burlington?
$560 to $1,100 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Burlington
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.