Asphalt Sealer Calculator
Use the calculator below to estimate how many gallons of sealer you’ll need to seal an asphalt driveway.
Sealer Needed:
| Coverage Area: | |
| Gallons Required: | |
| Estimated Price: | $ |
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Joe is the creator of Inch Calculator and has over 20 years of experience in engineering and construction. He holds several degrees and certifications.
How to Calculate How Much Asphalt Sealer You Need
Adding a fresh coat of sealer every few years is the best way to maintain your asphalt driveway’s appearance and protect the surface from water penetration, oxidation, and cracks. Calculating how much sealer you need is essential to ensure you have the right amount for your application.
You can calculate the amount of sealer required for an asphalt driveway in a few easy steps.
Step One: Determine the Coverage Rate
The coverage rate of an asphalt sealer is a critical factor in determining how much product you need. This rate indicates the area that can be covered by a certain amount of sealer under specific conditions. Manufacturers typically provide this information on the product label, and it is expressed in square feet per gallon (sq ft/gal).
The coverage rate can vary depending on several factors:
- Type of sealer: Different formulas (e.g., acrylic, coal tar, asphalt emulsion) have different consistencies and spreading capabilities.
- Application method: Sprayer, squeegee, or brush applications can affect how thinly or thickly the sealer is applied.
- Surface condition: Rough, porous surfaces require more sealer than smooth surfaces, so if your driveway is in poor condition, it will likely require more sealer to cover.
- Number of coats: Applying multiple coats will obviously require more product.
In our experience, most products cover around 100 square feet per gallon, but some products cover more or less. We’ve also found that when applying multiple coats, the second coat uses far less sealer than the first since the first coat absorbs more sealer.
Step Two: Calculate Sealer Needed
Once you know the coverage rate, you can calculate the amount of sealer needed for your driveway. Here’s the formula:
sealer needed (gallons) = driveway area (sq ft) / coverage rate (sq ft ⁄ gallon)
The amount of sealer required in gallons is equal to the area to be sealed in square feet divided by the product’s coverage rate in square feet per gallon.
Keep in mind that sealer is usually sold in five-gallon buckets, so if you’re project needs 7 gallons, you’ll likely need to purchase two five-gallon buckets of sealer (10 gallons total) for the job.
For example, let’s apply the above formula to a driveway that is 50 feet long and 25 feet wide, using a sealer with a coverage rate of 100 sq ft per gallon for the first coat and 150 sq ft per gallon for the second coat.
Start by calculating the driveway’s area in square feet. You can use our square footage calculator to find this, or use the area formula like this:
area = 50 ft × 25 ft = 1,250 sq ft
Then, calculate the amount of sealer needed for the first coat.
first coat = 1,250 sq ft / 100 sq ft ⁄ gal = 12.5 gallons
You can repeat this to find the amount of sealer needed for the second coat.
second coat = 1,250 sq ft / 150 sq ft ⁄ gal = 8.3 gallons
And finally, add them together to find the total amount of sealer needed for the job.
total sealer needed (gallons) = 12.5 + 8.3 = 20.8 gallons
Therefore, for a 50 by 25 foot driveway, you would need approximately 21 gallons of sealer to apply two coats. You would likely need five buckets of sealer for this project.
You can use our guide to calculating sealer cost to estimate how much this project will cost.