Asphalt Driveway Cost in Seaside, Oregon: 2026 Price Guide

What Does an Asphalt Driveway Cost in Seaside?

Seaside is one of Oregon's busiest beach towns — a north-coast resort community where the Necanicum River, the Pacific, and a steady stream of visitors all shape the housing stock. A lot of the driveways here serve vacation rentals and second homes, and they're built on the same sandy, water-rich ground that defines the Clatsop County coast. That subgrade, plus the salt air and heavy rain, is what makes a Seaside driveway its own kind of project.

Owners want one price; the real answer is a range. Industry sources have historically reported residential asphalt driveway baselines of roughly $3 to $7 per square foot over a sound base. For a typical 600-square-foot two-car driveway, that's a historically reported baseline of about $1,800 to $4,200. In Seaside, actual costs often climb above that once sand-subgrade correction, drainage, and the cost of hauling hot mix to the coast are factored in.

Whether you're paving a rental property near the Prom, a year-round home in the hills, or a new build off Highway 101, understanding each cost component helps you budget and compare quotes.

Seaside Asphalt Driveway Prices: Detailed Breakdown

Per-Square-Foot Installation

Industry baseline ranges shown below. Actual coastal costs run higher with subgrade, drainage, or haul factors.

Driveway Size	Approx. Square Footage	Industry Baseline Range
1-car	300–400 sq ft	$1,000–$2,800
2-car	500–700 sq ft	$1,800–$4,200
3-car / long	800–1,200 sq ft	$2,800–$7,500

Bigger driveways cost slightly less per square foot as setup costs spread out, but Seaside's haul distance from inland plants tempers that savings.

Cost Components

Baseline industry ranges. Actual figures depend on soil, access, and drainage.

Component	Industry Baseline Range
Excavation & grading	$1.50–$4.00 per sq ft
Crushed rock base (4–8 in)	$1.00–$3.00 per sq ft
Old driveway removal & haul-off	$1.00–$3.50 per sq ft
Asphalt surface course (2–3 in)	$2.00–$5.00 per sq ft
Geotextile fabric over sand	$0.30–$0.80 per sq ft

On Seaside's sandy soil, geotextile fabric and a solid base depth are usually necessities. They stop the structural rock from sinking into the loose sand below.

Removal, Slope & Drainage Factors

Industry baseline ranges. Seaside's high water table makes drainage a frequent cost driver.

Factor	Typical Added Cost
Tear-out of existing concrete/asphalt	$1.00–$3.50 per sq ft
Steep approach regrading	$500–$2,500
Channel or trench drain	$30–$75 per linear foot
Culvert at road approach	$800–$2,500

With Seaside receiving well over 70 inches of rain in a typical year, drainage is rarely optional. Getting water off and away from the driveway is key to keeping it from failing early.

Factors That Affect Driveway Cost in Seaside

Sand Subgrade and Salt Air

Loose, saturated coastal sand is the central challenge. A driveway laid straight onto unimproved sand will rut and crack within a few seasons. Proper base depth, compaction, and fabric add up front but separate a driveway that lasts fifteen-plus years from one that fails fast. Salt air also accelerates surface oxidation, which makes a steady asphalt maintenance plan more valuable here.

Haul Distance and Access

There's no asphalt plant in Seaside. Hot mix is trucked in — often from the Astoria area or over the Coast Range — and has a limited window before it cools below compaction temperature. That logistics reality is a real line item on coastal quotes. Tight rental-property lots and steep hillside driveways add labor as well.

Driveway Size and Layout

Size is the biggest single cost lever. A simple rectangular pad is far cheaper per square foot than a curved or terraced hillside driveway. See our driveway cost by size guide for how square footage maps to price.

Timing and Scheduling

Seaside's paving window is short — crews need dry pavement and temperatures above about 50°F, which the wet north-coast climate limits to late spring through early fall. With so many vacation-rental owners scheduling work between peak seasons, summer slots fill fast. Booking ahead usually means better availability and pricing.

Current Market Reality

The baselines above reflect historically reported averages. In Seaside, actual costs frequently exceed them due to:

• Subgrade correction — Loose, saturated sand routinely needs fabric and deeper base rock
• Haul premiums — Trucking hot mix to a coastal town adds cost no inland job carries
• Drainage scope — Heavy rain and a high water table mean more drains, culverts, and grading
• Access difficulty — Hillside and tight rental lots slow crews and equipment
• Material upgrades — Thicker surface courses and better binders cost more but resist coastal wear

Treat any published range as a starting reference, not a budget target. A site visit is the only way to get a number that fits your lot.

How Seaside Compares to Inland Oregon

North-coast driveway work generally runs higher than comparable inland jobs in Salem or Eugene — driven by haul distance, drainage demands, and sand-subgrade correction, not contractor markup. A 600-square-foot driveway that sits mid-range inland often lands toward the upper end in Seaside. For the statewide view, read how much an asphalt driveway costs in Oregon and the complete asphalt driveway guide for Oregon.

What a Contractor Can't See Until Work Begins

Even a careful estimate can move once excavation starts:

• Water table higher than expected — Saturated sand may need dewatering or extra base depth
• Soft sand pockets — Localized weak spots require over-excavation and import of structural rock
• Buried debris or old base — Previous fill that changes the dig
• Hidden drainage paths — Low spots that channel runoff under the pad
• Root intrusion — Coastal pine and shore pine roots that have lifted an old surface

This is why an on-site assessment beats any price chart. A contractor who walks your lot gives a far more accurate quote than any average.