Is a double layer of tar and chip worth it?

It costs more and lasts longer. In one national guide, a single layer runs $2 to $3 a square foot and a double $3 to $5. The single layer gets 7 to 10 years there, and the double 12 to 15. That guide also says the double layer is the one used for new driveways.

Can tar and chip go over an old asphalt driveway?

Sometimes. One national guide says the base must be sound, with only light surface wear. It adds that the asphalt should never have been sealed. The guide calls rutted pavement or cracks wider than a quarter inch a poor fit.

Can you plow snow off a tar and chip driveway?

Yes, with care. One national guide says to raise the plow blade about an inch, or it can scrape the chips loose. Snow is light in Middle Tennessee. At the Nashville airport, NOAA's normals show about 4.7 inches of snow a year.

Does a tar and chip driveway need sealcoating?

No. One national cost guide lists no sealing among its pluses, and small cracks tend to close in warm weather. Hot mix asphalt does get sealed, about every two to three years. Count that upkeep in when you compare the two.

When can tar and chip go down in Tennessee?

A Federal Highway Administration checklist calls for temperatures of 50 degrees and rising, with little chance of rain. Road agencies can set tighter limits of their own. One national guide says hot, dry weather helps the chips bond. In Lebanon, NOAA's normals keep average lows above 50 from May through September.

Is this what Paveway Paving Pros charges?

No. The figures above are market numbers from published cost guides, not our price list. Your price depends on your lane's size and the base work it needs. We look at the job and put a free quote in writing, so call or text (615) 894-5175.

Tar and Chip or Asphalt: Which Is Better for a Tennessee Driveway?

Q: Does tar and chip cost less than asphalt?

Yes, up front. National cost guides put tar and chip at about $1 to $5 a square foot installed. They put a new asphalt driveway at about $5 to $13. Tar and chip has the shorter life, so weigh the years you get too.

Tar and chip costs less up front, and hot mix asphalt lasts longer. National cost guides put tar and chip at about $1 to $5 a square foot installed. They put a new asphalt driveway at about $5 to $13. One guide gives tar and chip 7 to 10 years and asphalt 15 to 30.

For most home driveways, we lean toward hot mix. Tar and chip fits a long, quiet farm lane where the up-front cost matters most. We do both, so we can quote tar and chip paving and hot mix side by side. The figures in this guide are market numbers, not our price list.

How is each surface built?

Both start with the ground. It gets graded, and a compacted stone base goes down. One national guide notes that the two use the same ingredients, liquid asphalt and stone, built in different ways.

Hot mix asphalt. On our hot mix jobs, we set string lines and strip out the grass. We grade the ground and pack the crushed stone base with a roller. Then we pave from the top of the drive out to the road. Rollers press the hot mix smooth behind the paver. Our page on asphalt driveway paving walks through each step.

Tar and chip. Also called chip seal, tar and chip is built in place. Hot liquid asphalt is sprayed over the base. Stone chips are spread on top right away and rolled in. A double layer repeats the process with smaller stone, one guide explains.

Extra stone gets swept off after rolling. A Federal Highway Administration checklist calls for the final sweep by the morning after. Expect some loose stone at first, so drive slowly on a new chip surface.

Neither top layer makes up for a weak base. The same checklist says this surface should not go on pavement with structural damage. Around Lebanon, NRCS soil maps show clay over limestone, with rock near the surface in the cedar glades. One cost guide notes that clay soils often need extra base material.

How much does tar and chip cost compared to asphalt?

National cost guides price both surfaces by the square foot. Their ranges differ, so the table shows two guides side by side.

What the guides price	Tar and chip	Hot mix asphalt	Source
New driveway, per square foot	$1 to $5	$7 to $13	National cost guide (2026)
New driveway, per square foot	$2 to $5	$5 to $12 or more	Second national cost guide (2025)
20 by 20 foot driveway	About $1,200	$2,800 to $6,000	National cost guide (2026)
20 by 20 foot driveway	$700 to $2,000	$2,000 to $4,800	Second national cost guide (2025)
Over a sound existing surface	$1 to $3 per sq ft	$3 to $7 per sq ft	Second national cost guide (2025)
Sealcoating	Not needed	About every two to three years	National cost guides
Expected life	7 to 10 years	15 to 30 years	Second national cost guide (2025)

The second guide splits tar and chip by layers. A single layer runs $2 to $3 a square foot, and a double layer $3 to $5. It says the double layer lasts 12 to 15 years.

Long lanes change the math. That guide puts a private one-lane tar and chip road at $20 to $60 a linear foot. Its example of a lane 12 feet wide and 500 feet long runs $10,000 to $30,000.

Hot mix on a long lane is figured by the tons of asphalt and the base work. Our guide to asphalt driveway costs in Tennessee shows how that adds up.

Size moves the price of both surfaces most, the guides say. Tar and chip also moves with the stone you pick and with oil prices.

How do tar and chip and asphalt look and feel?

Tar and chip looks like stone, because the top is stone. Its color comes from the chips, and one guide says most installers offer the stone from their own region. The surface stays rough. That guide calls it too rough for bikes and basketball.

Hot mix goes down black and smooth. The rough chip surface has an edge of its own. One guide lists better traction when it is wet or snow-covered.

Snow is the other test. One national guide says a plow blade should ride an inch up on tar and chip. Otherwise, it can scrape the chips loose. Snow is light here, though. At the Nashville airport, NOAA’s normals show about 4.7 inches a year. An inch or more sits on the ground about three days a year. In Middle Tennessee, the loose stone and the rough texture are the bigger trade-offs.

How long does each one last, and what upkeep does it need?

National cost guides put tar and chip at about 7 to 10 years. One says a fresh layer of chips near the 10-year mark restores traction and strength. Tar and chip needs no sealcoating, and small cracks tend to close up in warm weather.

Hot mix asphalt runs about 15 to 30 years in one guide. Another says 25 to 30 years when it goes in over a solid base. Asphalt does get sealed, about every two to three years. We normally seal the driveways we pave.

So tar and chip skips the sealcoating, but its upkeep shows up in other ways. There is loose stone at first, and a new chip layer comes due sooner than hot mix needs replacing.

When does tar and chip make sense?

One national guide says tar and chip performs best in rural settings and on low-traffic roads where vehicles move slowly. That describes plenty of farm lanes in Middle Tennessee.

It makes sense when you want a sealed surface on a long lane and the up-front cost matters most. A sound, level gravel lane can often serve as the base. One guide says to fill the potholes and level the gravel first. Gravel has gotten expensive, and more owners ask about tar and chip for that reason.

For long runs on acreage, see our page on farm lane and private road paving.

When is hot mix asphalt the better buy?

Hot mix is the better buy for a drive by the house that gets daily use. It gives a smooth surface and the longer life.

We think tar and chip is okay for the right lane, and owners like what it costs up front. Once it is down, many are not in love with it. To us, it is expensive gravel more than it is pavement.

If the up-front cost points you to tar and chip, it can still suit a long lane. Get both quotes, and compare what each one buys over its life.

Can you get both options quoted?

Yes. Paveway Paving Pros quotes tar and chip and hot mix side by side for driveways and farm lanes. We work about 60 miles around Lebanon across Middle Tennessee. Read about our tar and chip service, then call or text (615) 894-5175. We look at the job and put a free estimate in writing for each option.