How Much Does an Asphalt Driveway Cost in Georgia?
One national cost guide’s Atlanta page, updated in March 2026, lists asphalt driveways at $3 to $8 a square foot. The same guide’s national figure for a new asphalt driveway runs higher, at $7 to $13. Most U.S. homeowners pay $3,154 to $7,557 for the whole job, that national page says.
These are market numbers, not our price list. Your own number depends on the old surface, the soil, the base stone and the length of the drive. The written quote for asphalt driveway paving at your address is the figure to plan on.
What do cost guides list for asphalt driveways?
National cost guides build their ranges from contractor estimates and homeowner surveys. Their numbers differ by source and by date, so the table names both.
| Job | Published range | Kind of source |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway (Atlanta page) | $3 to $8 per square foot | a national cost guide’s Atlanta page, March 2026 |
| New asphalt driveway | $7 to $13 per square foot | a national cost guide, October 2026 |
| Replacement, old asphalt torn out first | $8 to $15 per square foot | a national cost guide, October 2026 |
| Overlay on a sound driveway | $3 to $7 per square foot | a national cost guide, October 2026 |
| New asphalt, materials and labor | $5 to $12 or more per square foot | a second national cost guide, May 2025 |
| Paving labor in Atlanta | $35 to $70 per worker per hour | a national cost guide’s Atlanta page, March 2026 |
The same Atlanta page puts a typical metro driveway paving job at $2,484 to $7,280. That range covers paved driveways of every material, so read it as a rough frame. Guides also differ on what they count, such as tear-out or grading.
What does a one-car or two-car driveway cost?
Size moves the total more than any other factor, that Atlanta page says. To find yours, multiply the length of the paved area by its width. A drive 12 feet wide and 50 feet long is 600 square feet.
| Driveway size | Published total, installed |
|---|---|
| 200 square feet (10 by 20 feet) | $1,000 to $2,400 |
| 400 square feet (20 by 20 feet) | $2,000 to $4,800 |
| 600 square feet (12 by 50 feet) | $3,000 to $7,200 |
| 800 square feet (20 by 40 feet) | $4,000 to $9,600 |
| 1,000 square feet (10 by 100 feet) | $5,000 to $12,000 |
Those totals come from a national cost guide dated May 2025. A second guide, updated in October 2026, lists $1,400 to $2,600 for 200 square feet. It puts 800 square feet at $5,600 to $10,400. That guide says most home driveways run 200 to 800 square feet, from a single-car to a double-car layout.
A long run from the road to the house adds square feet fast. Every one of those feet needs base stone and asphalt.
What drives the price of an asphalt driveway?
Two driveways with the same square footage can price far apart. These line items move a quote up or down.
- Removal. Taking out the old surface adds about $1 to $2 a square foot to a replacement, one national guide says.
- Grading and soil. Clay soils often need extra digging and more base material, a national cost guide notes. Heavy leveling and grading push labor costs higher.
- Base stone. A national guide calls for 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel base under a typical home drive. That stone is part of the price. We haul the crusher run and base stone for our driveway jobs in our own dump trucks.
- Thickness. Most home drives get 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt, the same guide says. Drives that carry heavier vehicles get 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches of base.
- Access and shape. Tight turns and steep slopes slow the machines down. One guide’s Atlanta page says shape and design can add 10 to 30 percent.
- Work at the street. A drive that crosses a roadside ditch may need a culvert pipe. In Carroll County the owner pays for it, since the county no longer installs driveway culverts on private property. A new connection to a county road or a state route may also need a permit from the road’s owner.
Why do asphalt prices in Georgia change during the year?
Hot mix asphalt is crushed stone and sand held together by asphalt cement, an oil-based binder. The Georgia Department of Transportation posts a monthly price for that binder. Payments on its eligible paving contracts are tied to that price.
The price read $577 a ton for November 2025 and $559 for March 2026. Then it jumped to $721 for June and stood at $700 for November 2026. The May 2025 and March 2026 guide figures above came before that rise. Ask how long a quote’s price holds before you sign.
Does an overlay cost less than a new driveway?
Usually, when the old driveway is sound. A national cost guide lists an overlay at $3 to $7 a square foot. A full replacement runs $8 to $15, since the old surface comes out first. A second guide puts the savings at 20 to 30 percent.
An overlay is a new layer of hot mix asphalt over the old one. It only works on a solid base. Widespread potholes or spiderweb cracks call for a full replacement instead, the October 2026 guide says.
If the old drive is mostly sound, ask about asphalt resurfacing and milling. Milling grinds off old asphalt where it is needed, at edges and drains, before the new layer goes down.
What should a written driveway quote include?
A national cost guide says each quote should cover excavation, base preparation, the asphalt and cleanup. Look for these lines on yours:
- the square footage to be paved
- removal and haul-off of the old surface, if any
- the grading, and the depth of the compacted stone base
- the asphalt thickness after compaction
- any culvert pipe, ditch or drainage work
- how long the price holds
Plan for upkeep as well. National guides put an asphalt driveway’s life at 15 to 30 years. They say regular sealcoating and quick crack repair stretch that life.
How do you get a written quote for your driveway?
Ground Effects Paving serves Dallas, Georgia and the west side of metro Atlanta. We look at the job and put the quote in writing. See how we build a new asphalt driveway, from grading to paving. Call or text (770) 940-0861 to have us look at your driveway.