Millings Driveway: Cost, Coverage and How to Install It Right
Updated · By the Roof to Footing editors
A millings driveway is made from asphalt millings: the chunks and crumbs ground off old roads when they're resurfaced. Spread 3 to 4 inches thick and compacted, millings bind together as the old asphalt in them softens in the sun, giving a firm, dark surface that sits somewhere between gravel and pavement. Millings cost about $10 to $20 per ton for the material, according to HomeAdvisor and Angi, and a ton covers roughly 60 to 80 square feet depending on depth.
How much you need
| Depth | Coverage per ton (approx.) | Tons for a 12 x 50 ft driveway (600 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 inches | about 80 sq ft | about 7.5 tons |
| 4 inches | about 60 sq ft | about 10 tons |
Coverage figures are from HomeAdvisor (3 inches) and Angi (4 inches). Order 5 to 10 percent extra for compaction and edges. Delivery is usually extra and depends on distance.
Installation steps
- Prepare the base. Strip sod and topsoil down to firm subsoil. If the ground is soft or clay, lay a woven geotextile fabric and 4 inches or more of compacted crushed stone first. A millings surface is only as good as what's under it.
- Shape for drainage. Give the driveway a crown (higher in the center) or a cross-slope so water runs off, roughly 1/4 inch per foot.
- Spread the millings evenly with a skid steer or tractor box blade, in lifts of 2 to 3 inches.
- Wet lightly and compact each lift with a vibratory roller or plate compactor. Rolling is what turns loose millings into a surface. A heavy roller does a far better job than a plate.
- Let the sun finish it. Millings keep tightening over the first hot season as the asphalt binder softens and traffic packs them. Rolling again after a few warm weeks helps.
Installing on a hot day helps the millings bind faster. Spreading them in cold weather works, but they'll stay loose until summer.
Optional: seal it
Spraying an asphalt emulsion over compacted millings, or doing a chip seal on top, makes a tighter, more pavement-like surface and keeps the top from raveling. It adds cost but extends life.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Much cheaper than new hot-mix asphalt | Rougher, more textured surface than asphalt |
| Firmer and less dusty than gravel once it binds | Quality varies by batch; can contain debris |
| Reuses road material | Can soften and track in extreme heat at first |
| Patches easily with more millings | Snowplows can catch loose areas |
How long it lasts
A well-compacted millings driveway on a good base commonly lasts many years with occasional top-ups of a ton or two in low spots and potholes. Lifespan depends far more on the base and drainage than on the millings.
Before you order
- Ask the supplier whether the millings are screened (more uniform) or "run of mill."
- Check local rules. A few towns and states restrict recycled asphalt near streams, wetlands or wells.
- Look at a driveway they've done that's at least a year old.
For how millings compare with crushed recycled asphalt and new asphalt, see recycled asphalt driveway.