How much does driveway sealing cost in Virginia?

Driveway sealing in Virginia has no standard price you can look up and trust. Each quote is built from the same few things: how big the driveway is, how much repair it needs before it is sealed, how many coats go on, and how hard it is to work. If you know those for your driveway, you can judge any quote, and you can work out what doing it yourself would take.

What drives the price

Square footage. Sealer is sold and applied by area, so size is the starting point. Measure the length and width of each section and add them up. Gardner-Gibson rates its Drive-Maxx 300 at about 350 square feet per 5-gallon pail on smooth driveways and 300 square feet on rough or worn ones,^[1] and says two thin coats are mandatory for optimum performance.^[1] SealMaster's E-Z Stir label says one gallon covers approximately 70 to 82 square feet per coat.^[3] Rough, porous, older asphalt drinks more sealer than smooth asphalt does.

Repairs before sealing. Sealer is a thin coating, not a filler for real damage. Under Gardner-Gibson's guide, cracks up to half an inch wide get crack filler, holes up to an inch deep get a trowelled patch, and deeper holes get a pothole patch.^[2] Each of those is extra material and extra time, and a quote should list them. A driveway broken into small pieces or sinking in places needs paving work, which is a different and larger job (see why asphalt driveways crack).

Coats and product. SealMaster's sealcoating FAQ says to apply two coats, with a third on high-traffic areas such as entrances and drive lanes.^[4] Commercial crews may spray rather than squeegee; sealer can go on by brush, squeegee or spray equipment,^[4] and SealMaster calls for clean silica sand in the mix for slip resistance and durability.^[4] One coat with no sand will usually cost less, but it is not what SealMaster specifies.

The product has to be legal. Since July 1, 2025, no one in Virginia may apply a pavement sealant with more than one percent PAHs by weight,^[5] which rules out coal-tar sealers. A quote should name the product. If a crew offers a coal-tar product, that is a reason to look elsewhere.

Access and hand work. Long or curving drives, steep sections, tight edges beside walks and beds, and parking areas the crew must work around all add hand work. So does moving cars and keeping a shared drive open.

What doing it yourself takes

Work out the area, double it for two coats, and divide by the coverage rate on the label. A 12-by-50-foot driveway is 600 square feet, so two coats come to 1,200 square feet, or about four Drive-Maxx 300 pails at the rough-surface rate. Add crack filler, a sealer squeegee, a push broom, a degreaser, tape and plastic sheeting. A full pail of Drive-Maxx 300 weighs 49 pounds,^[1] so plan on carrying and pouring several of them. Prices change by store and season, so price the list at your local store on the day. The method is in how to seal an asphalt driveway.

What a written quote should include

Ask every business to put these in writing, so the quotes can be compared line by line:

• The square footage they measured.
• The sealer by product name, the number of coats, and whether sand is added.
• Crack filling (method and roughly how many feet of cracks) and any patching.
• Cleaning and oil-spot treatment.
• How long you must keep cars off, and who blocks the driveway.
• Cleanup, overspray on walks and garage floors, and what happens if it rains before it cures.
• The total price, payment schedule and start date.

Virginia's Board for Contractors says: "Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work."^[8] It also advises homeowners to get at least three written bids or estimates^[8] for the same described work, and adds: "Beware of any bid substantially lower than the others."^[8]

Licences and payment

Sealing is improvement work under Virginia's contractor law, where a Class C licence covers jobs where a single contract is over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[6] Asphalt paving and sealcoating is its own licensing specialty, abbreviated PAV, and it covers sealcoating on driveways.^[7] Check the business on DPOR's lookup before you sign.

On payment, the Board's rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.^[8] Its other advice: do not pay 100% of the bill until the job is 100% complete, and never pay cash.^[8] If a crew knocks with an offer, take its card and get the quote in writing like any other. If you agreed to a deal at your home after a seller came to you, the notice that Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act requires the seller to give you says you may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction.^[9]

Stop and call a pro if

• The driveway has wide cracks, potholes, sunken areas or patches of small broken pieces; that is a repair or paving job to price first.
• It is too steep, long or busy for you to keep cars off for a day or two.
• A quote is far below the others, asks for most of the money up front, or does not name the product.

Get quotes on Loclis

Browse driveway sealing businesses, find exterior pros around Blacksburg, or read more exterior answers, including how often a driveway should be sealed and whether to do it yourself or hire someone. When you are ready, describe your driveway once and local businesses will quote it.