Should I seal my driveway myself or hire someone?

Most homeowners can seal a sound asphalt driveway themselves. The job is cleaning, filling narrow cracks and spreading two thin coats, and SealMaster markets its E-Z Stir pail as suited to maintenance crews and do-it-yourselfers.^[3] Hiring makes sense when the driveway needs more than a coating, when it is long or steep, or when you cannot give up the driveway and a weekend to the weather window. Many people do both: a business fixes the damage, and they seal it themselves.

When doing it yourself makes sense

The asphalt is sound. Sealer protects a surface; it does not rebuild one. A driveway that has faded to grey and has a few narrow cracks is a good candidate. Gardner-Gibson's guide sends cracks up to half an inch wide to a crack filler and holes up to an inch deep to a trowel-on patch.^[2]

You have the weather and the parking. Sealer needs a warm, dry window. SealMaster's E-Z Stir label asks for temperatures above 50°F during application and for at least 24 hours afterwards,^[3] and Gardner-Gibson's Drive-Maxx 300 needs 24 to 48 hours before vehicles can use it.^[1] If your cars can sit on the street or a neighbour's drive for two days, you are set.

The driveway is flat and not huge. Drive-Maxx 300's label is plain: "This sealer is not recommended or warranted for use on surfaces containing slopes of greater than 20°."^[1] Size matters for your back as much as your budget. A full 5-gallon pail weighs 49 pounds,^[1] and one covers about 300 to 350 square feet per pail per coat,^[1] so a large driveway means many pails lifted, poured and spread in one session.

You are fine getting dirty. Wear old clothes, gloves and eye protection; the label warns that the product may cause skin irritation.^[1] The full method is in how to seal an asphalt driveway.

When to hire someone

The damage is beyond a coating. Wide cracks, potholes, sunken areas and patches broken into small many-sided pieces need repair first, and some need the asphalt replaced. Sealing over them hides the problem for a season. Why asphalt driveways crack explains what each pattern usually means.

You want a commercial-grade application. Professional sealer can be applied by brush, squeegee or specialized spray equipment,^[4] and SealMaster says clean silica sand should be in the mix because it adds slip resistance and durability,^[4] and that a third coat may go on high-traffic areas.^[4] A crew with spray equipment and a mixing tank can also do the whole job in one visit.

The driveway is long, steep or shared. A steep or very long drive is hard to coat evenly and safely, and a shared drive has to be closed in sections.

Virginia rules that apply either way

The product. Since July 1, 2025, no one in Virginia may apply or use a pavement sealant with more than one percent PAHs by weight,^[5] which means coal-tar sealers are out for homeowners and contractors alike, with a civil penalty of $250^[5] for a violation. Ask any business to name its product in writing.

The licence. Virginia's contractor law treats this as improvement work: a Class C licence covers jobs where a single contract is over $1,000 but less than $30,000,^[6] and the Board for Contractors defines a specialty for asphalt paving and sealcoating (PAV) that covers sealcoating on driveways.^[7] Do not take the number on a flyer at face value. The Board puts it this way: "A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor’s license is valid."^[8] Check it on DPOR's licence lookup.

How to hire well

If a crew comes to the door with an offer, hold it to the same standard as any other quote. Two of the Board's warning signs fit these pitches closely: "The contractor tells you this is a special price available only if you sign the contract today"^[8] and "You are asked to pay for the entire job in advance, or to pay cash instead of writing a check or money order."^[8] Either one is a reason to say no.

Then do what the Board recommends for any home job: get at least three written bids or estimates^[8] for the same described work. Each should name the sealer, the number of coats, whether sand is added, the crack filling and patching included, and how long you must stay off the driveway. Keep the down payment to an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less,^[8] and pay the rest after you have walked the finished driveway.

If you said yes at home to a seller who came to your door, 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] Costs and what to ask for in a quote are covered in what driveway sealing costs in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

• More than a small area is broken into pieces, or the surface moves or sinks underfoot.
• Potholes are wider or deeper than a homeowner patch can fill.
• Water pools on the driveway or runs toward the house after rain.
• The driveway is steeper than your sealer allows.

Find a business on Loclis

Browse driveway sealing businesses, look for exterior pros around Blacksburg, or keep reading the exterior answers, starting with how often to seal an asphalt driveway. To get quotes, describe your driveway once and licensed local businesses will respond.