Asphalt driveway cost in Charlottesville, VA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $2,950 – $7,100
- Per sq ft
- $4.80 – $11.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −4%
- US $5,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #174
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for an asphalt driveway in the Charlottesville area: $2,950 to $7,100 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 4% lower than the US figure. Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn a median of $23.10 an hour in the Charlottesville area, 10% below the US median of $25.64.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Charlottesville, VA, standard level
$4,200 to $5,850
About $6.80 to $9.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| Labor | $1,600 | $2,450 |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $150 |
| Total | $4,200 | $5,850 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Charlottesville, VA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $2,850 | $3,850 | 57% |
| Labor | $970 | $2,000 | $3,050 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 | $200 | 2% |
| Total | $2,950 | $5,000 | $7,100 | 100% |
What is behind the Charlottesville number
Labor is 40% 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 Charlottesville the blended ratio comes out at 0.95. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Virginia statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Charlottesville is at 96.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $2,950 nationally becomes $2,850 here (midpoint, 600 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 99.1: $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 Charlottesville. The wage table below marks each row.
Asphalt driveway: what moves the price in Charlottesville
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.
What nearby projects cost in Charlottesville
Jobs that often go together with asphalt driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Charlottesville wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, gravel driveway comes out highest (−3%) and concrete driveway lowest (−6%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,450 – $8,650 | −6% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,450 – $9,950 | −3% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,850 – $5,150 | −6% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $580 – $2,050 | −3% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,350 – $4,950 | −5% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,800 | −5% |
Extras that change the Charlottesville total
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.96 for Charlottesville, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.95) and goods price index (0.97). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a sealcoat | $570 – $1,150 |
Is Charlottesville cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Washington is the priciest of the group at $5,500. Roanoke is the cheapest at $4,800.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VAthis page | $2,950 – $7,100 | $5,000 | |
| Harrisonburg, VA40 miles | $2,850 – $6,900 | $4,900 | −3% |
| Lynchburg, VA55 miles | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −4% |
| Richmond, VA75 miles | $2,900 – $7,000 | $4,950 | −1% |
| Washington, DC85 miles | $3,200 – $7,800 | $5,500 | +9% |
| Roanoke, VA85 miles | $2,850 – $6,750 | $4,800 | −4% |
| Virginia (statewide) | $3,000 – $7,150 | $5,100 | +1% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,250 | +4% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Charlottesville ranks #174 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Charlottesville is 1% below the Virginia figure.
Elsewhere in Virginia
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | 763,060 jobs | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −4% |
| Richmond, VA | 660,350 jobs | $2,900 – $7,000 | $4,950 | −1% |
| Roanoke, VA | 153,980 jobs | $2,850 – $6,750 | $4,800 | −4% |
| Lynchburg, VA | 97,190 jobs | $2,850 – $6,800 | $4,800 | −4% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 74,070 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | −3% |
| Winchester, VA | 67,740 jobs | $2,850 – $6,850 | $4,850 | −3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Charlottesville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler, TX | 115,220 jobs | $2,650 – $6,350 | $4,500 | −10% |
| Laredo, TX | 109,370 jobs | $2,700 – $6,450 | $4,600 | −8% |
| Topeka, KS | 115,750 jobs | $2,850 – $6,950 | $4,900 | −2% |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 108,460 jobs | $2,700 – $6,450 | $4,550 | −9% |
The best months for asphalt driveway in Charlottesville
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Charlottesville 2 Sse (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 Charlottesville are March through November: 9 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February 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 73 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Charlottesville gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, July and September (4.9 inches in September). Inside the workable window, June and November are the driest, at 3.7 and 3.4 inches. The station averages about 10 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 | 44 | 28 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 48 | 31 | 3.0 | Cold |
| Mar | 55 | 37 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 66 | 47 | 4.2 | Workable |
| May | 72 | 55 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 80 | 64 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 84 | 68 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 66 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 76 | 61 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Oct | 66 | 50 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 56 | 40 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 32 | 3.8 | Cold |
Cost by quality level and size in Charlottesville
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Charlottesville. 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
$2,950 to $4,600
New topcoat over a sound base, flat lot
Standard
$4,200 to $5,850
Full new driveway: base, 2-3 in of hot mix, edging
Premium
$5,450 to $7,100
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 | $2,250 – $2,950 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,950 – $3,100 | $2,800 – $3,950 | $3,650 – $4,800 |
| 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft | $2,950 – $4,600 | $4,200 – $5,850 | $5,450 – $7,100 |
| long rural (10x100), 1,000 sq ft | $4,850 – $7,600 | $6,900 – $9,650 | $8,950 – $11,700 |
Who does the work: Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville the blend is 0.95.
Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators (47-2071) carry 40% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Charlottesville metro, so we used the Virginia statewide median: $23.10 an hour against $25.64 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $20.96 and $27.70 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $21.67 an hour, which is 4% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.49 and $22.62 an hour. BLS counts 570 of them working in the area, 49.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $28.75 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $24.22 and $30.44 an hour. About 310 work in the metro. That is 27.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $150 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $70. That is a swing of roughly 1.4% to 3.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Charlottesville has 114,780 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 190th 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% | $20.96 | $23.10 | $27.70 | $25.64 | 0.90 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $18.49 | $21.67 | $22.62 | $22.66 | 0.96 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $24.22 | $28.75 | $30.44 | $28.78 | 1.00 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.95 | |||||
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 $4,200 to $5,850 for Charlottesville, VA is attached.
Detailed asphalt driveway report for Charlottesville, VA, $9
Multi-page report for Charlottesville, VA: 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 Charlottesville: your questions
+How much does it cost to pave a driveway in Charlottesville?
For 600 sq ft, expect $2,950 to $7,100 in the Charlottesville area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,200 to $5,850. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for asphalt driveway in Charlottesville?
About $4.80 to $11.50 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 Charlottesville or Harrisonburg?
Harrisonburg is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $4,900, which is 3% less than Charlottesville ($5,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Charlottesville?
About 40% at the midpoint, or $2,000 out of $5,000. Materials are 57% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 41%.
+What would 2-car (20x30), 600 sq ft cost in Charlottesville?
$2,950 to $7,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does asphalt driveway need a permit in Charlottesville?
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 Charlottesville area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Charlottesville expensive for asphalt driveway compared with the rest of Virginia?
Charlottesville is 1% below the Virginia statewide estimate ($5,100 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Virginia; see the state page to compare them.
+What do paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators earn in Charlottesville?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $23.10 an hour, compared with $25.64 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.96 to $27.70.
+What do basic and premium asphalt driveway work cost in Charlottesville?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $2,950 to $4,600 and premium work $5,450 to $7,100. 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 Charlottesville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. June 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 Charlottesville?
$570 to $1,150 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Asphalt driveway near Charlottesville
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.