"Should I do asphalt or concrete?" is one of the first questions a homeowner asks. A straight answer builds more trust than a sales pitch, and it wins jobs whichever material they pick, if you do both. If you only do one, it tells the homeowner you'll be honest about the rest of the proposal too.
What drives each price
Asphalt prices move with the plant. The binder in the mix tracks oil prices, so get a current plant price before you price the job, and put a validity date on the proposal. The rest is the base work, the crew day, trucking and the minimum load or small-job charge a driveway often runs into.
Concrete prices follow ready-mix, rebar or mesh, forms, and above all finishing labor. A driveway is a finishing crew's day, and skilled finishers are what's scarce in most markets. Decorative work, like stamping or color, adds a lot.
Both depend on what's underneath. Tear-out and removal of the old driveway, grading, and a compacted base cost the same whichever material goes on top, and they're often the biggest line on a residential job.
Price both from your own costs. Don't hand the homeowner a national average per square foot. The one they found online is probably wrong for your town.
Upkeep and lifespan
Asphalt needs attention on a schedule:
- Crack sealing as cracks open.
- Sealcoat every few years, depending on sun, traffic and the product.
- Patches blend in reasonably well.
With that upkeep, an asphalt driveway commonly lasts a couple of decades or more. Without it, it wears out sooner.
Concrete needs less routine work:
- Sealing is recommended in freeze-thaw country with road salt.
- Joints need to stay sealed.
- Cracks and repairs show. A patch in an old slab never quite matches.
A well-built concrete driveway commonly outlasts asphalt, often by a lot.
Be specific about your climate. Lifespans vary so much with base, drainage, freeze-thaw and use that a range from the internet doesn't help the homeowner.
How climate changes the answer
Cold climates with road salt are hard on both. Concrete has to be made for it: a lower water-cement ratio and entrained air so freeze-thaw and deicing salt don't scale the surface. Tell the homeowner not to use deicers on new concrete through its first winter. Asphalt handles freeze-thaw well as long as water stays out of the base, which is what crack sealing is for.
Hot climates soften asphalt in the summer sun, so a car's jack stand or a trailer's tongue can dent it. Concrete in the heat needs careful curing to avoid cracking early.
Snow plowing can gouge either one. Asphalt edges without support crumble under plow trucks and heavy vehicles.
Laying out the comparison
Give the homeowner a simple table with your own numbers, over the same span of years:
| Asphalt | Concrete | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed price | Your asphalt price | Your concrete price |
| Upkeep over the period | Sealcoat visits × your sealcoat price, plus crack sealing | Sealing and joint work, if any |
| Total over the period | Sum | Sum |
For example, over 15 years, with a sealcoat every 3 years, that's 5 sealcoat visits. Multiply by what you'd actually charge them for sealcoating, add crack sealing, and add it to the install. Do the same for concrete with its sealing. The homeowner can see the up-front difference and how much of it closes over time.
Then let them choose. Low up-front cost and fine with upkeep: asphalt. Willing to pay more now for less upkeep: concrete. Either way, it's their driveway for a long time, and they'll remember who explained it straight.
Related articles
- How to price an asphalt overlay: tons, crew days and the margin you need
- Concrete cure time chart: 7, 14 and 28-day strength
- Crack filling vs. sealcoating: what each one does and which goes first
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