Asphalt Driveway Cost in St Helens, Oregon: 2026 Price Guide

What Does an Asphalt Driveway Cost in St Helens?

St Helens sits on the lower Columbia River in Columbia County, north of Portland where the valley opens toward the river's wide lower reaches. It is one of the wetter corners of the region, with long rainy winters and river-influenced ground that holds moisture. For a driveway, that means drainage and base depth carry extra weight — water is the constant a paving crew has to design around here.

Homeowners after a straight number should start with the basics that drive pricing — square footage, the condition of the ground underneath, and how much site prep the job needs. Industry sources have historically reported baseline ranges of roughly $3 to $7 per square foot for a standard residential asphalt driveway. For a typical two-car driveway, that puts many projects in the $3,000 to $7,000 range, though actual costs in the current market frequently run higher once removal, base rebuild, or slope work enters the picture.

The numbers below are reference baselines, not a Cojo quote. The only way to know your real figure is a site visit that measures the driveway and checks the sub-grade.

St Helens Asphalt Driveway Prices: Detailed Breakdown

Industry baseline ranges shown below. Actual costs vary and may be significantly higher based on site access, base condition, slope, and current market conditions.

Driveway Size	Approx. Square Feet	Industry Baseline Range
1-car	400–600 sq ft	$1,500–$4,200
2-car	600–900 sq ft	$3,000–$7,000
3-car / extended	900–1,400 sq ft	$5,000–$11,000+

Per-square-foot pricing tends to drop as the driveway gets larger, because mobilization and setup costs spread across more area.

What Goes Into the Price

• Removal of the old surface — Tearing out and hauling off existing asphalt or concrete adds to the total. Old asphalt is recyclable, which can offset some disposal cost.
• Base preparation — Crushed aggregate base rock, graded and compacted, is the foundation of a driveway that lasts. The lower Columbia's wet, river-influenced soils hold moisture, so adequate base depth matters here.
• Asphalt thickness — Residential driveways are typically paved in a two- to three-inch compacted surface. Thicker sections cost more but stand up better to heavy vehicles.
• Slope and grading — Lots on the rise above the river may need extra grading and drainage work.

Factors That Affect Driveway Cost in St Helens

Site access and removal

A driveway hemmed in by fencing, mature landscaping, or a tight in-town lot near the riverfront takes longer to demo and pave. Easy equipment access keeps labor time — and cost — down.

Base, sub-grade, and standing water

This is where St Helens demands attention. If the existing base is sound, a crew can build on it. But in the lower Columbia's wet, moisture-holding soils, soft or saturated sub-grade is common and has to be dug out and replaced with stable rock. Standing water and a high water table make base drainage the make-or-break factor.

Slope and drainage

Properties on the rise above the river often need grading to direct water away from the pad. Good drainage is the single biggest factor in how long a St Helens driveway lasts, given the area's heavy rainfall.

Material and season

Hot-mix asphalt prices fluctuate with oil costs and the season. Paving runs best from late spring through early fall, when temperatures stay warm and dry enough for proper compaction and curing.

Current Market Reality

The baseline ranges above reflect historically reported national averages. In practice, real project costs in St Helens and across Columbia County frequently exceed those figures, depending on:

• Removal scope — Tearing out a thick old concrete pad costs more than paving over prepared ground
• Base condition — Saturated or undersized sub-grade requires more excavation and aggregate, common in this wet area
• Slope and drainage — River-side grading and drainage control add labor
• Material upgrades — Thicker asphalt sections and premium mixes raise the per-foot cost
• Market conditions — Crew availability, fuel, and asphalt pricing shift seasonally and year to year

Treat published ranges as a starting reference, not a budget target. For statewide context, our Oregon asphalt driveway cost guide and the complete asphalt driveway guide for Oregon put local numbers in perspective.

New Driveway, Resurfacing, or Replacement?

The cost question depends on what your driveway actually needs. If you are paving fresh ground or upgrading a gravel drive, our new driveway installation in St Helens walkthrough covers the process. If the surface is tired but the base is solid, driveway resurfacing in St Helens is the cheaper path. When the foundation has failed, see driveway replacement in St Helens for tear-out and rebuild pricing. To protect a finished driveway, our driveway sealcoating cost in St Helens guide covers maintenance pricing.

How to Compare St Helens Driveway Quotes

When you collect bids, make sure each one specifies the same things: square footage, base rock depth, compacted asphalt thickness, drainage, and what happens if the sub-grade needs extra work. In an area this wet, a low bid that thins out the base or skips drainage is not a bargain — it is a driveway that cracks early. A contractor who measures your lot and evaluates the soil and water situation will give you a far more accurate quote than any industry average.