Sealer pails, crack filler, primer and cost for coating an asphalt driveway.
Estimates are planning aids, not a professional quote. Double-check quantities and product coverage — and any local code or permit requirements — before you buy.
⚠ Sealcoat only over a clean, debris-free, fully dry surface with air and pavement temps holding 50°F+ for at least 24 hours before and after application — rain inside that window washes out an uncured coat and you'll be redoing it.
⚠ Fill cracks and let the filler cure fully (often 24 hours — check the tube) before sealing over it. Sealing over uncured filler traps solvent underneath and the coat blisters.
⚠ Scrub and prime oil or gas stains before sealing — sealer alone won't bond to petroleum-soaked asphalt and will peel off those spots within a season, no matter how many coats go over it.
| Finishing & Sealant | $181–$245 |
| Total | $181–$245 |
Excludes tools, delivery, tax and permit fees. Labor not included — this is a DIY materials estimate.
These are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the calculator recommends — the shopping list comes from your dimensions, not from what pays.
About this calculator
Enter your driveway's length and width, how many coats you're applying, and the condition of the existing asphalt, and this calculator sizes the sealer you need in 5-gallon pails, plus a cost estimate. Coverage swings hard with surface condition — a smooth, recently-poured driveway can go 480 square feet per pail per coat, while porous, sun-oxidized asphalt soaks up nearly half again as much sealer per coat, which is the number most DIYers underestimate when they buy by square footage alone instead of by how thirsty the surface actually is.
It also totals crack filler by the linear foot of cracking you measure, and oil-spot primer by the count of stained spots, since sealer won't bond over petroleum without a bond coat first. This is upkeep for asphalt that's already in decent shape — a routine reseal every two to three years — not a repave or an overlay; for a driveway with real structural cracking, potholes or a failed base, look at Gravel Driveway or Concrete Driveway instead, since sealcoat only protects a sound surface, it doesn't rebuild one.
Step by step
A step-by-step walkthrough to go with your plan above. Follow the product instructions and any local code or permit requirements as you work.
Measure the driveway's length and width, note how weathered the surface looks, and use the calculator to size sealer pails, crack filler and primer. Order a little extra sealer — running out mid-coat leaves a visible lap line.
Sweep or blow off all loose debris, then power-wash or scrub away dirt, moss and any flaking old sealer. Sealer only bonds to a clean surface, and trapped debris shows through as lumps in the finished coat.
Clean loose material out of cracks with a wire brush, then apply cold-pour rubberized crack filler and let it cure fully per the label. Sealing over an unfilled or uncured crack just relocates the water problem underneath the new coat.
Scrub stained areas with a degreaser, rinse, and let them dry completely before rolling on an oil-spot bond primer. This is the step that keeps those spots from peeling within the first season.
Tape off the garage door threshold, expansion joints, and any concrete, brick or grass bordering the driveway. Sealer stains almost anything it touches and doesn't come back off easily once it sets.
Pour sealer along the high end of the driveway and spread it with a squeegee in overlapping passes, cutting in the edges with a brush as you go. Work in sections you can finish before the leading edge starts to skin over.
Once the first coat is dry to the touch — usually a few hours — apply the second coat perpendicular to the first for even coverage. Skip this pass entirely on a routine single-coat maintenance reseal.
Keep vehicles off for at least 24 to 48 hours and foot traffic off a few hours longer, extending that window in cool or humid weather. Check the surface is firm underfoot, not just dry-looking, before driving on it.
Equip the job
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Concrete & Masonry
Answers
A standard 5-gallon pail of acrylic or asphalt-emulsion sealer covers roughly 400 to 500 square feet per coat on a typical driveway, but that number drops fast as the asphalt gets older and more porous. A smooth, recently-sealed surface might get 480 square feet per coat out of a pail, while chalky, oxidized asphalt that's five-plus years since its last coat can soak up a third more sealer per coat. Buy by condition, not just area, or you'll come up short mid-job.
Two coats is the standard for a driveway being sealed for the first time in a while, or one that's visibly gray and porous — the first coat mostly gets absorbed into the surface, and the second is what actually builds the protective film. A driveway that's already in good shape from a coat two to three years ago can often get by on a single maintenance coat. Either way, let the first coat dry tack-free, typically several hours, before applying the second.
Yes — sealer is a thin coating, not a structural repair, and it won't bridge an active crack on its own. Clean loose material out with a wire brush, fill with a cold-pour rubberized crack filler, and let it cure fully (check the tube, often 24 hours) before sealing over it. Skipping this just seals a crack in place that keeps growing underneath the coat, and water gets back in through the same path within a season or two.
Scrub the stain with a degreaser and stiff brush to lift as much petroleum out of the surface as you can, then apply a dedicated oil-spot bond primer and let it dry before sealing over it. Regular driveway sealer doesn't bond to asphalt that's still saturated with oil or gas, so without the primer step those spots peel and lift within one season no matter how many coats go over them elsewhere.
Plan on keeping vehicles off for at least 24 to 48 hours, and foot traffic off for a few hours longer than that, with the exact time depending on temperature and humidity — cool, humid weather can push full cure out several days. Sealer that looks dry on the surface can still be soft underneath, and driving on it too soon leaves tire marks and tracks the coating right back into the garage.
Yes, that's the normal maintenance cycle — most driveways get resealed every two to three years, and a clean, sound existing coat is actually an easier surface to seal than bare, porous asphalt. Just power-wash or broom off dirt and old flaking sealer first so the new coat bonds to solid material rather than sitting on top of loose, failing sealer that will pull the new coat off with it.