Asphalt driveway cost in Hilton Head, SC
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
- −6%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #201
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to pave a driveway in Hilton Head, 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 6% lower than the national one. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $22.57 an hour in the Hilton Head area, 12% below the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Hilton Head, SC, standard level
$4,100 to $5,700
About $6.65 to $9.25 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 | $95 | $150 |
| Total | $4,100 | $5,700 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Hilton Head, SC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,800 | 58% |
| Labor | $920 | $1,900 | $2,900 | 39% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 | $200 | 3% |
| Total | $2,850 | $4,900 | $6,900 | 100% |
Why Hilton Head prices look the way they do
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 $22.57 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Hilton Head is 0.90 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 39% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the South Carolina statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Hilton Head metro is 96.3 (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 (98.0) and land at $50 to $200.
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 Hilton Head. The wage table below marks each row.
Climate in Hilton Head: timing your asphalt driveway job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Beaufort Mcas (10 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through June is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Hilton Head (10 of 12 months). July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Hilton Head gets about 45 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (6.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, May and November are the driest, at 2.5 and 2.5 inches. The station averages about 73 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 | 60 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Mar | 70 | 49 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 3.1 | Workable |
| May | 84 | 64 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 71 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 5.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 90 | 74 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 86 | 70 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 78 | 59 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 69 | 48 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Dec | 63 | 43 | 3.2 | Workable |
Hilton Head 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 Hilton Head is 0.90 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 Hilton Head metro, so we used the South Carolina statewide median: $22.57 an hour against $25.64 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $19.31 and $23.63 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $21.99 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.13 and $25.12 an hour. About 910 work in the metro. That is 111.1 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 $24.39 an hour, which is 15% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $23.23 and $28.60 an hour. BLS counts 320 of them working in the area, 39.1 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 ($23.63 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $35. At the 25th percentile ($19.31) it shrinks by about $110. The total moves by 0.7% or 2.2%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 81,920 jobs in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal area. That makes it the 232nd 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% | $19.31 | $22.57 | $23.63 | $25.64 | 0.88 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $18.13 | $21.99 | $25.12 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $23.23 | $24.39 | $28.60 | $28.78 | 0.85 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.90 | |||||
Add-ons priced for Hilton Head
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Hilton Head by the average of the local wage index (0.90) and goods index (0.96), 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 |
Related projects, priced for Hilton Head
Because every project leans on different trades, Hilton Head's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, French drain runs −6% and concrete driveway −9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,350 – $8,400 | −9% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,350 – $9,550 | −6% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,100 | −7% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $2,000 | −6% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,250 – $4,850 | −7% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,700 | −7% |
Asphalt driveway: what moves the price in Hilton Head
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.
Hilton Head against nearby metros and the rest of South Carolina
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Hilton Head. Savannah is the lowest at about $4,700 (midpoint, 600 sq ft), 30 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head, SCthis page | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,900 | |
| Savannah, GA30 miles | $2,800 – $6,650 | $4,700 | −4% |
| Charleston, SC65 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −3% |
| Augusta, GA100 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −3% |
| Columbia, SC115 miles | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −2% |
| Florence, SC135 miles | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | −1% |
| South Carolina (statewide) | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,850 | −1% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +7% |
Across 300 US metros, Hilton Head comes in at #201 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, Hilton Head is 1% above the South Carolina figure.
Other South Carolina metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | −1% |
| Columbia, SC | 394,200 jobs | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −2% |
| Charleston, SC | 394,170 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −3% |
| Spartanburg, SC | 165,150 jobs | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −2% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 146,260 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −3% |
| Florence, SC | 89,060 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like Hilton Head's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Hilton Head against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | 82,160 jobs | $2,900 – $6,950 | $4,900 | level |
| Idaho Falls, ID | 81,840 jobs | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | +11% |
| Houma, LA | 83,440 jobs | $2,750 – $6,600 | $4,700 | −4% |
| Johnson City, TN | 81,690 jobs | $2,750 – $6,500 | $4,600 | −6% |
Hilton Head: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Hilton Head 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 $4,500
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,100 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 | $1,200 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,350 | $2,200 – $2,900 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,950 – $3,050 | $2,750 – $3,850 | $3,600 – $4,700 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,850 – $4,500 | $4,100 – $5,700 | $5,300 – $6,900 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,750 – $7,400 | $6,750 – $9,400 | $8,750 – $11,400 |
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Asphalt driveway in Hilton Head: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Hilton Head?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,850 to $6,900 in the Hilton Head area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,100 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 Hilton Head?
About $4.70 to $11 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $50 to $200 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $12.
+Is asphalt driveway cheaper in Hilton Head or Savannah?
Savannah is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $4,700, which is 4% less than Hilton Head ($4,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Hilton Head?
About 39% at the midpoint, or $1,900 out of $4,900. Materials are 58% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Hilton Head?
$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 Hilton Head?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $200 for fees in the Hilton Head area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Hilton Head expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of South Carolina?
Hilton Head is 1% above the South Carolina statewide estimate ($4,850 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in South Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Hilton Head?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $22.57 an hour, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.31 to $23.63.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Hilton Head?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,850 to $4,500 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 Hilton Head?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. May 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 Hilton Head?
$560 to $1,100 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Hilton Head
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.