What a Driveway Unit Price Contract Really Means
A Driveway Unit Price Contract is the simplest way to price a driveway job: you pay a fixed dollar amount for every square foot that gets installed, replaced, or resurfaced. Instead of a single lump-sum quote that can feel like a black box, the contractor gives you a unit price—say $8.50 per sq ft—and the final bill is that rate multiplied by the finished square footage.
This model is common in municipal work, but it’s gaining traction with homeowners because it lines up cost with actual work completed. If your driveway measures 2,400 sq ft, you write the check for 2,400 × unit price. No mystery, no “allowances,” and no surprise line items for extra gravel that showed up later.
Top Benefits of Pay-Per-Square-Foot Driveway Pricing
Transparent Budgeting
You can measure your driveway with a tape measure or the satellite tool on Google Earth and estimate the job within a few dollars before you ever call a contractor.
Easy Comparison Shopping
Collect three unit prices and you have an apples-to-apples comparison. A $7.75 bid versus a $9.00 bid tells you instantly which contractor is more competitive.
Pay Only for Work Completed
If you decide to stage the project—front apron this year, main driveway next year—you only pay the unit price for the section that’s finished.
Built-In Change Order Clarity
Need to widen the apron 18 in on both sides? Measure the extra square feet and multiply by the already-agreed unit price. No haggling.
Typical Unit Prices by Material (2024 U.S. Averages)
Prices include standard 4-in base, 2-in surface, labor, and local permits. Premium add-ons such as heated coils, decorative borders, or fiber mesh are priced separately.
- Gravel: $1.50 – $3.00 per sq ft
- Recycled Asphalt (RAP): $2.50 – $4.00 per sq ft
- Hot-Mix Asphalt: $4.50 – $7.50 per sq ft
- Concrete (plain broom finish): $6.50 – $9.50 per sq ft
- Stamped/Colored Concrete: $9.50 – $14.00 per sq ft
- Interlocking Pavers: $10.00 – $18.00 per sq ft
Local fuel surcharges, disposal fees, and permit costs can add $0.25 – $0.75 per sq ft. Always ask if the unit price is “all-in.”
How to Measure Your Driveway Like a Pro
Basic Rectangle or Square
Length (ft) × Width (ft) = Total sq ft.
Irregular Shapes
Break the area into rectangles, triangles, and half-circles. Measure each and add them together. A free smartphone app such as “Area Calculator” can snap the outline over a satellite image and give you the square footage in seconds.
Slopes & Curves
Contractors measure “flat projection,” not surface area on a slope. Your quoted sq ft will match the footprint you see on Google Earth, so don’t add extra for grade unless the company specifically says so.
Over-Excavation Allowance
Some crews price the base prep as a separate unit. Clarify whether excavation is included in the per-sq-ft price or billed per cubic yard of soil removed.
Reading a Driveway Unit Price Bid Line-by-Line
- Scope Line: “Supply and install 2.5-in compacted asphalt surface over 4-in crushed concrete base, Type B, PG 64-22.”
- Unit Price: $6.25 per sq ft.
- Approximate Quantity: 3,200 sq ft (±10%).
- Maximum Quantity Before Price Review: 3,520 sq ft.
- Minimum Quantity: 2,880 sq ft.
- Payment Terms: 50% at base completion, 50% at final walk-through.
- Exclusions: Tree removal, permit fees, geo-textile fabric.
Everything above should fit on one page. If the contractor hands you a three-page “estimate” with no unit price, ask for a unit-price breakdown or move on.
Negotiation Tips Without Sounding Like a Rookie
Bundle Adjacent Work
Contractors love larger contiguous areas because mobilization costs drop. Ask for a lower unit price if you include the sidewalk or neighbor’s apron in the same pour.
Offer Flexible Scheduling
Let the crew fit your job into a gap between commercial projects and you can shave $0.25 – $0.50 per sq ft off the quote.
Supply Your Own Extras
If you can source decorative pavers or colored concrete yourself at wholesale, some contractors will apply the unit price to labor and base materials only.
Avoid These Common Unit-Price Pitfalls
Low-Ball Base Price, High Add-Ons
A $5.00 asphalt unit price looks great—until you learn compactable base is $3.00 extra and sealing is another $1.25. Get an “all-in” number in writing.
Thickness Games
Make sure the compacted thickness is specified. A contractor can quote 3 in, then place 2 in and still bill the full unit price. Insist on mid-job core samples or depth checks.
Measurement Disputes
Walk the job with a measuring wheel before the crew leaves. Snap a photo of the final length × width chalk lines and attach it to the invoice. It takes five minutes and prevents 200-sq-ft “rounding errors.”
Homeowner Checklist Before Signing
- ☐ Verify license, insurance, and bonding.
- ☐ Unit price written on contract with material spec.
- ☐ Minimum & maximum sq ft thresholds stated.
- ☐ Payment tied to measurable milestones, not calendar dates.
- ☐ Warranty length and service-call procedure listed.
- ☐ Call 811 for utility locate—confirm who schedules it.
- ☐ Permit responsibility assigned (homeowner or contractor).
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually yes, but always confirm. Most asphalt and paver quotes include removal because the same crew and equipment are on site. Plain “overlay” jobs, however, may bill removal per square foot as a separate unit price around $1.00 – $2.00 per sq ft.
You pay only the actual measured area times the unit price. Reputable contractors measure with you present and round to the nearest whole square foot. Make sure the contract sets a small tolerance band (±5%) so minor measurement variances don’t trigger change orders.
No. Decorative work has its own unit price—typically $4 – $6 higher per sq ft. You can add it later, but the contractor will write a quick change order using the upgraded unit price for that specific section.
Most initial quotes exclude sealing because it’s done six months after installation. Ask for a second unit price for seal-coating (usually $0.15 – $0.25 per sq ft) so you can budget the true long-term cost up front.