# Methodology

> How Driveway Sealing Lab researches costs, methods and regulations: sources, cost models and limits.

Canonical: https://drivewaysealinglab.com/methodology/

Last updated: 2026-11-08

Every number on this site is either sourced or labelled as an estimate. This
    page explains the difference, and how a claim gets from a source document to a
    published page.

## 1. Primary sources first

    Material claims come from the sealant manufacturer's data sheet: solids
    content, coverage rate, cure time and the surface conditions that void the
    warranty. Asphalt guidance follows the specifications and pavement-maintenance
    publications named on the page. Cost bands come from published US price guides,
    with the month checked stated.

## 2. Cost models show their inputs

    Installed cost is modelled from visible inputs: the material or equipment
    price, the labour and access scope (excavation, drain, electrical, permit),
    consumables, and a reserve for service or repair. We do not present a single
    "average cost" as if it were a quote; the range and what it includes are stated
    on the page.

## 3. How options are compared

    We compare treatments on the pavement condition they address, coverage and
    solids content, expected life, and the weather window each needs. A treatment
    earns a recommendation for a stated pavement condition; no contractor can buy a
    place in a comparison.

## 4. What we have not tested

    We do not run a laboratory or a crew, and we do not carry out every job we write
    about. When a claim comes from a manufacturer document, an adopted code, a
    certification listing or a contractor report, we say which. We do not imply
    first-hand testing we did not perform.

## 5. Sources we work from

     |
       | Source type | What it decides | How it is cited

       | Sealant manufacturer data sheets | Solids content, coverage rate, cure time, rain restrictions | Document and product named

       | Emulsified-asphalt specifications | What a sealcoat product is actually made of | Specification named

       | State DOT pavement-maintenance guidance | Crack filling, patching and surface-treatment practice | Publication named

       | State and local licensing boards | Which registration or licence a contractor must hold | Board named, with its lookup link

       | Published US price guides | Installed cost bands per square foot | Band with the month it was checked

    When two sources disagree, the page says which one it followed and why. A
    figure that cannot be traced to a document is labelled an estimate, and an
    estimate is never presented as the price of a specific job.

## 6. Listings and directory data

    The service-area directory is compiled from public business records: the
    firm's own website, its published address and phone number, and the state or
    local licence register named on the city page. A record is marked verified only
    when the name, address, phone and licence have been checked against those
    sources and the date of the check recorded; everything else is labelled. Where
    a source does not publish a ZIP code or a website, the field is left blank
    rather than guessed.

## 7. Corrections

    If a code, a specification or a listing changes, we update the article and its
    "last updated" date. Email
    [contact@drivewaysealinglab.com](mailto:contact@drivewaysealinglab.com) with the page and the correction.