What a Driveway Costs in Edison, NJ.

National price ranges by surface

These are national averages from cost guides such as HomeGuide, not our prices. They are installed costs per square foot, materials and labor together, and they are the right starting point for comparing surfaces before anyone measures your driveway.

Driveway replacement cost for a 600 sq ft two-car driveway

To make the ranges concrete, here is the arithmetic for a 600 square foot driveway, about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long. This is national-average arithmetic on the HomeGuide ranges above, not our prices and not a quote. It shows how the choices stack, and why two honest bids can differ by thousands.

Read the replacement row carefully. Most of the spread between $4,200 and $10,800 is the base: how much old material comes out, how much stone goes back, and how thick the asphalt is. For a typical home, HomeGuide’s spec is a gravel base of 6 to 8 inches, compacted, under 2 to 3 compacted inches of asphalt; where heavier vehicles park, it moves to an 8 to 10 inch base with 3 to 4 inches on top. Two bids for the same 600 square feet that specify different bases are pricing different driveways.

If the base is sound, an overlay is the cheaper path: HomeGuide says an overlay on a driveway in reasonable condition typically saves 20 to 30 percent compared to full replacement, and its asphalt guide puts resurfacing at $3 to $7 per square foot. On 600 square feet that is $1,800 to $4,200. See driveway resurfacing for when an overlay is the honest answer and driveway replacement for when it is not.

What actually moves the number

Driveway paving in Edison, NJ: permits that touch the budget

Two Edison permits can touch a driveway budget, according to the township’s flow charts. Anything in the public right-of-way (sidewalk, curb, apron, and similar) goes through the Department of Public Works as a Road Opening Permit. On your own lot, the trigger for a Site Improvement Permit is over 500 square feet of new impervious surface, 1,250 square feet of disturbance, or any drainage or grading change; below those, the township decides at zoning review whether one is needed. A widening that adds impervious surface can cross that 500 square foot line, so measure before you design.

We do not list Edison permit fees here, because they are set by the township and we would rather you get them from the source. Next door in South Plainfield, the borough’s Residential Zoning Permit application lists a $75 fee and requires a property survey when a driveway is replaced; see the South Plainfield page for those rules. In other towns, ask the zoning, engineering, or public works office before you budget.

How to compare asphalt driveway contractors in Edison, NJ

HomeGuide recommends getting at least three detailed estimates, each covering excavation, base preparation, asphalt installation, and cleanup, and being wary of significantly lower bids. Make the bids comparable: base depth and material, asphalt thickness and courses, what happens to the apron, whether haul-off is included, and who applies for any permits.

New Jersey law sets the paperwork, and it is worth using as a checklist. Driveways fall under the state’s home improvement rules, so check each bidder’s registration with the Division of Consumer Affairs. Once a job tops $500, N.J.S.A. 56:8-151 requires a signed, written contract naming the company’s legal name, its business address, and its registration number, and it gives you until midnight of the third business day after you get your copy to cancel. On money, the Division’s hiring guide flags any request for more than one third of the price up front, and the last payment belongs after the work is finished.

Why the lowest bid is usually the most expensive

The classic lowball works one way: thin asphalt over an unexamined base. The job looks identical on completion day and fails early, often with alligator cracking. The difference was never visible in the finished surface; it was in the base spec, the compaction, and the courses, which is exactly why our quotes state them in writing. A quote that will not commit those to paper is telling you where it plans to save.

The lifetime cost picture

Installation is one number; the years after are another. HomeGuide puts a typical asphalt driveway at 15 to 30 years with maintenance, and says to seal it after one year, then every 2 to 3 years. On the 600 square foot example, each sealing at $1 to $2 per square foot is $600 to $1,200. HomeGuide puts small asphalt crack and pothole repairs at $100 to $400 and major repairs at $600 to $3,000.

Concrete lasts up to 30 years, per HomeGuide, and its concrete guide recommends sealing after the 28 to 30 day cure and every 2 to 3 years after that, at $1 to $3 per square foot. Pavers cost the most up front and last the longest, 25 to 75 years in HomeGuide’s general guide, with occasional joint sand and repairs that are hard to spot. The cheapest driveway per year of service is rarely the cheapest one on installation day. Compare surfaces on asphalt paving, concrete, and sealcoating.

Get your real number

A real quote takes a walk on your driveway: probe the base, measure, look at the apron and the water. It is written and itemized, and we will gladly line-item any competing bid against ours. Call, or send the form, to set up the visit.