How sealcoating is priced
Commercial sealcoating is almost always priced by the square foot of pavement coated, sometimes with separate lines for crack sealing, oil spot treatment, edging and striping. The seal coat itself is usually the smallest part of the job. Most of the work, and most of the difference between bids, is in preparation.
What drives sealcoating cost
- Total area. Larger lots cost less per square foot because setup costs are spread out.
- Surface condition. Heavily oxidized or contaminated pavement takes more cleaning and prep.
- Number of coats and product. More coats or higher-grade products raise the price.
- Cracks and repairs. Cracks are sealed and failed areas repaired before coating, and those are priced separately.
- Oil and fuel spots. Stained areas need treatment so the sealer bonds.
- Access and phasing. Closing sections of a lot in stages, or working at night, changes labor.
- Restriping. A fresh layout after the sealer cures.
The prep work you are really paying for
A sealer applied over dirt, oil and open cracks looks fine for a few months and then fails. The prep that matters is sweeping and cleaning, treating oil spots, and sealing cracks. A bid that is much cheaper than the others often skips one of these. See our pages on crack sealing and sealcoating for how the work is sequenced.
Seal coat price versus repair cost
Sealcoating is maintenance, so its value comes from what it prevents. It slows oxidation and keeps water and oil out of the surface, which delays repair and resurfacing. The comparison that matters is not seal coat cost against nothing, it is seal coat cost against the cost of fixing what happens to unsealed pavement.
When sealcoating is wasted money
Sealer does not fix a failed base or a surface that is badly cracked and broken. Sealing that kind of pavement hides the problem for a short time. If your lot is in that condition, asphalt repair or mill and overlay is the better investment.
How to compare sealcoating bids
- Prep. What cleaning, oil spot treatment and crack sealing is included.
- Product and coats. The specific sealer and the number of coats.
- Edges and tight areas. How they are finished.
- Closure and cure times. When the lot is closed and when it reopens.
- Striping. Whether restriping is in the price.
- License and insurance. Ask for an Arizona contractor license number and a certificate of insurance, and verify the license with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Related seal treatments
Sealcoating is one of several pavement seal treatments. Fog seals, slurry seals and chip seals are used in different conditions and priced differently. Our guide to slurry seal, chip seal and fog seal compares them.