These are not two prices for the same job, and they are not either/or. Crack filling is the repair. Sealcoating is the coating that goes on after. On most maintenance visits you do both, in that order, and quote them as two separate lines. Reading which cracks are worth filling, and whether the driveway is even sound enough to coat, is most of the estimate.
What each one does
Crack filling is targeted. You clean out a crack and pump in a flexible filler so water stops getting down to the base. It is priced by the linear foot of crack, because that is what you actually treat. Sealcoating is broad. It is a thin coat rolled or sprayed over the whole surface to shield sound asphalt from sun and water and make it black again. It is priced by the square foot. One is surgery, the other is sunscreen.
The order matters
Cracks first, every time. Sealcoat is too thin to bridge a gap, so coating over an open crack just lets the sealer sink in, and the line shows back through within the season. Fill the cracks, let the filler cure, then lay the coat over a surface that is whole. Done in that order the driveway looks finished and the repair lasts. Done backwards it looks patched and comes back on you.
The math, stacked not swapped
Take a 600 square foot driveway with about 120 linear feet of cracks. At the example rates:
| Step | Example rate | This driveway |
|---|---|---|
| Crack filling | $1.75 / linear ft | 120 lf = $210 |
| Sealcoating, 2 coats | $0.32 / sq ft | 600 sq ft = $192 |
Example rates, not market prices. Notice the two lines add up rather than compete: about $402 for the full maintenance visit. Run your own on the crack filling calculator and the sealcoating calculator.
When neither one is the answer
Both assume the asphalt underneath is still sound. If you see interconnected alligator cracking, spots that flex, or water that ponds, the base has failed and no coating or filler saves it. That driveway needs patching or repaving, which is the fork in sealcoating vs repaving. Price the whole thing honestly with how to price sealcoating and asphalt jobs.
PriceDesk runs crack filling and sealcoating as separate lines with your own rates, so the full quote goes out by text from the driveway. Free for 14 days. Text or call (949) 867-1993.