In Queensland practice, a spray seal (often called a chip seal) is hot bitumen sprayed onto a prepared surface and covered straight away with crushed stone, then rolled. Bitumen spray seal cost is set by the site, not a rate card: the area, base repairs, preparation, seal type, stone and binder, access, traffic control, travel and any staging.
Updated 25 September 2026.
Every site prices differently. Book an on-site assessment. Based in Cooroy, working across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie, Moreton Bay, Brisbane north, the Fraser Coast, the Burnetts, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and the Western Downs. See our service areas.
A spray seal is priced from the site. The main drivers are the area and its shape, the condition of the base and any repairs, surface preparation, whether a prime or primerseal goes down first, one coat or two, the stone and binder, access, traffic control, travel, and staging or weather standby. A site visit measures each one.
For roads, yards, farm roads and reseals, see our bitumen spray sealing service. The table sets out each driver, what it is measured in and why it can move the price.
| # | Driver | Measured in | Why it can move the price | What a site visit looks at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Area and shape | Square metres; lineal metres of edge | The area sets how much binder and stone go down. Spots the sprayer cannot reach need hand spraying, which TMR’s specification allows only there. | Measured area, widths, edges and obstacles |
| 2 | Base condition and repairs | Square metres of repair; number of failed areas | A seal waterproofs the surface but adds no structural strength, so failed base is repaired first. A seal does not correct a rough shape either. | Soft spots, potholes, shape and crossfall, drainage |
| 3 | Surface preparation | Square metres; crew hours | Loose and foreign material is removed and the surface swept, and fixtures are protected from bitumen. Old surfaces are patched before a reseal. | The existing surface, patches, pits, lids and kerbs |
| 4 | Prime or primerseal first | Treatments; visits | A new base gets an initial treatment before the final surface: an extra treatment and usually a later, separate visit. | New or existing base; the specification |
| 5 | One coat or two | Coats | A two-coat seal places two applications of binder and stone, so it uses more of both. | Traffic, turning and the specification |
| 6 | Stone size and binder | Nominal stone size (mm); binder type | Traffic and stone size set the binder rate, and a specialised binder such as a polymer modified binder increases the price. | Traffic mix, heavy vehicles and turning |
| 7 | Access and site constraints | Crew hours; plant | Nearby fixtures are protected from overspray, and on TMR works hand spraying is allowed only where the sprayer cannot get in. | Entry, turning room, slopes and overhead clearance |
| 8 | Traffic control | Days; traffic controllers | Work that interrupts traffic on a public road needs traffic management approved by the road owner, and Austroads counts traffic management among a treatment’s initial costs. | Road status, speed and traffic volume |
| 9 | Travel and mobilisation | Kilometres from base; visits | Travel and set-up are part of every job, and each extra visit repeats them. | Distance to the site; number of visits |
| 10 | Staging and weather standby | Visits; days | Staging by area keeps a working site open but can add visits, and spraying waits for dry weather (see the best time of year to spray seal). | Operating hours, the stage plan and the season |
Sources: Austroads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4K (2026); TMR MRTS11 (July 2025); TMR Technical Note 118; Queensland MUTCD Part 3 (November 2025). Checked 25 September 2026. No prices are published on this page.
Line marking, kerbs and channels, drainage works and signage are often quoted as separate items, so check what your quote includes.
There is no reliable per-square-metre figure for a spray seal without measuring the site. Each job adds its own mix of base repairs, preparation, travel and set-up, and on a public road, traffic control, to the binder and stone. A published rate describes another job’s area, specification and scope, so it rarely transfers to yours.
A finished seal combines materials that grow with the area, the binder and the stone, with work that every job needs whatever its size, such as travel and set-up. On public-road work, traffic management is part of the initial cost as well. That is why a spray seal cost per square metre only means something once the area and the scope are known.
A figure found online or in a tender result was built for a different job. Three differences matter most:
A site visit sets the price. To make it quicker, have these ready:
Then book an on-site assessment.
Extra treatments and visits add cost. A new gravel base usually needs a prime or primerseal before the final surface, which adds a treatment and a later visit. A two-coat seal uses more binder and stone than a single coat; on TMR works both coats go down within a day. A reseal skips the prime but may need patching first.
| Treatment | What it is | Typical use | How it changes the cost (relative, no figures) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | A primer sprayed onto a new, prepared base to penetrate it and bond it to the seal or asphalt that follows | A new base that will be sealed or surfaced | An extra treatment; on TMR works it stays in place at least 3 days before the next layer |
| Primerseal (an initial seal) | A sprayed seal on an unprimed new base that can carry traffic until the final surface goes on | New roads and estate streets that need to carry traffic before the final surface | An extra treatment now and a separate final seal later, within 1 to 2 years |
| Single-coat seal | One layer of binder covered with one layer of stone | Surfaces without the higher traffic or turning stress that call for two coats | Less binder and stone than a two-coat seal |
| Two-coat seal | Two applications of binder, each followed by stone | Higher traffic and higher-stress areas such as intersections and turning areas | More binder and stone than a single coat; on TMR works both coats go down within one day |
| Reseal | A sprayed seal applied over an existing bituminous surface | A worn surface on a sound pavement | No prime; the cost moves with the patching needed first |
| Asphalt over a seal | Asphalt laid over a sprayed seal | Streets where the council specifies asphalt, as on the Sunshine Coast | A separate asphalt scope on top of the seal |
Sources: Austroads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4K (2026); TMR MRTS11 (July 2025); TMR Technical Note 175 (December 2025); Sunshine Coast Council SC6.14. Checked 25 September 2026.
A primerseal is not the cheap option by default. Austroads rates prime and seal as generally more economic in overall cost, while an initial seal is a one-step treatment that can open to controlled traffic and allows base faults to be repaired before the final seal, but needs a follow-up seal within 1 to 2 years. It buys time under traffic and commits the job to a second treatment.
For new bases, see primer seals. How a road or driveway is spray sealed shows how each layer goes down on the day, and if asphalt is on the table, bitumen vs asphalt explains how the two surfaces differ.
On a road, length times sealed width gives the area, but the price moves with drainage and crossfall, base repairs, the treatment chosen and travel to site. On a public road, work that interrupts traffic also needs traffic management approved by the road owner, which Austroads counts as part of a treatment’s initial cost.
The same drivers set a road sealing cost or a bitumen road cost whether the road is a farm track, an estate street or a council road; what changes is the mix.
A sprayed seal does not correct pavement shape, so a road that is rough after trimming stays rough once sealed. TMR’s technical note on sealing low-traffic unsealed roads says the pavement’s remaining life should be assessed first, to see whether it needs strengthening. The same note says adequate crossfall is critical for drainage on low-traffic roads, and that potholes form most often where drainage or crossfall is inadequate. That is why drainage and crossfall work can appear in a farm road quote alongside the seal. Sharing the road with neighbours? Sealing a private road covers approvals and splitting the cost.
Traffic control is part of a public-road job, not an optional extra. In Queensland:
Estimators comparing subcontract quotes for council or civil work can use the quote checklist further down this page.
A reseal is a new sprayed seal over an existing bituminous surface, so there is no prime. The cost moves with the preparation: defects are patched, ideally well before the sealing work, then loose material is removed and the surface swept. A reseal does not strengthen the pavement, so a road with failed base needs repairs that go beyond a new seal.
How a farm or industrial hardstand, truck yard or car park is used matters as much as its area. Loaded trucks and tight turning call for a sound base and a tougher seal design, run-off has to drain away, and staging keeps the site working but can add visits. Line marking, kerbs and signage are often quoted separately.
A bitumen car park cost follows the same logic: the loads, the turning, the base, the drainage and the staging, not only the square metres.
Austroads treats the volume and mix of traffic as key inputs when choosing the treatment and materials, and traffic volume and stone size as primary factors in setting the binder rate. Braking, accelerating and turning traffic can dislodge stone, so high-stress seals with modified binders are used where traffic brakes, accelerates or turns. TMR notes that two-coat initial seals suit higher-traffic and higher-stress areas such as intersections and turning areas. The stone is the load-bearing, wearing layer of the seal, so it is chosen for the loads, not the look. None of this fixes a weak base: a seal adds no structural strength, so a soft pavement under a truck yard is repaired first.
On a trading yard or car park, work is often staged by area so part of the site stays open, which can add visits. Cuzkell’s published hours are Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm.
Run-off has to leave the surface. TMR’s low-traffic technical note links potholes to inadequate drainage or crossfall, so falls and drainage are checked before sealing. Line marking and signage sit outside the seal itself, so check whether each quote includes them.
Pricing a yard, hardstand or car park? Book an on-site assessment.
On a new estate, surfacing cost follows the council’s required treatment and the construction schedule. A prime or primerseal first, then a final seal or asphalt, usually means at least two mobilisations, and releasing stages separately adds more. Council inspection points and hold periods set the timing, so share the staging plan early.
A new base gets an initial treatment before the final surface: either a prime followed by a seal, or a primerseal followed by a seal within one to two years. Where a council specifies asphalt, it can also specify the seal underneath; on the Sunshine Coast, for example, council policy requires asphalt streets to be laid over a 7 mm single seal. See primer seals for the first layer, and primer seal vs tack coat on estate roads for the layer order.
Each layer needs time before the next. TMR’s specification for state roads sets minimum waits: a prime stays in place at least 3 days, with traffic kept off unless cover material is applied, and an initial seal with more than 2% cutter oil waits at least 3 months in warm weather, and at least 6 months in cooler conditions, before the next treatment or asphalt. Those are TMR defaults, but they show why the final surface is a separate, later visit on most new work. Staging matters too: Sunshine Coast Council requires pavements on staged developments to allow for construction traffic from later stages, or be reconstructed before the last stage comes off maintenance.
Council inspections set the sealing date. Sunshine Coast Council holds mandatory hold-point inspections on development roadworks, including subgrade, pavement and pre-seal inspections, so the seal cannot go down until the pre-seal inspection is passed. Each council sets its own standard for new estate roads, so check your council’s development manual; Sunshine Coast policy, for example, considers sprayed seals on new roads only where they match existing works in rural areas.
A surfacing budget for an estate stage should cover:
Developing an estate or subdivision? Send your plans for a quote.
Three things outside the site move a Queensland quote. Travel and set-up are part of every job. Spraying needs dry weather and a warm pavement, so wet or cold spells can mean standby. Bitumen is refined from crude oil and its price moves month to month; Queensland’s longer state road contracts adjust for it through rise and fall.
| Factor | What it means for a quote | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and mobilisation | Travel and set-up are part of every job, and staged work repeats them; the crew is based in Cooroy | Cuzkell (3 Johnson Ct, Cooroy) |
| Rain | On TMR works, spraying stops in rain or when rain is likely before the stone is spread and rolled, and seal sprayed on a wet surface is rejected | TMR MRTS11 |
| Wet months | Near Cooroy, long-term averages show February and March as the wettest months, and late winter to early spring as the driest | Bureau of Meteorology |
| Cold | On state roads, TMR sets minimum pavement temperatures before spraying (for example 20°C for standard Class 170 bitumen) and, by default, does not permit spraying from June to August for seals (other than initial seals) that the public will drive on above 40 km/h | TMR MRTS11 |
| Binder price | TMR publishes a monthly C170 bitumen price index, and its state road contracts running over a year adjust the contract price for changes in the cost of bitumen | TMR |
| Supply in 2026 | The Australian Flexible Pavement Association reported disrupted bitumen supply and expected cost increases | AfPA |
For a private job, ask whether a quote passes on binder price changes and how long its price holds. The months and weather limits are covered district by district in best time of year to spray seal.
Two quotes for the same site can differ because they cover different scopes. One may include base repairs, a prime, traffic control and weather standby; another may leave them out. Compare quotes line by line: measured area, treatment and specification, stone size, preparation, traffic control, number of visits, exclusions and any rise and fall. Ask for anything missing in writing.
| Line item | What it should state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Measured area | Square metres, and how they were measured (plans or site) | Rates and totals only compare on the same area |
| Treatment and specification | Prime, primerseal, single or two-coat seal, or reseal, and the specification it follows (TMR MRTS11 on state roads, or the council’s standard) | Different treatments are different jobs; for new estate roads, see primer seal vs tack coat on estate roads |
| Stone size and binder | Nominal stone size and binder type | Sets material quantities; a specialised binder increases the price |
| Preparation and base repairs | What is included, and how extra repairs are measured | A seal adds no strength, so base repairs are needed first; a quote without them assumes a sound base |
| Traffic control | Included or not, and who prepares the traffic management plan | Public-road work that interrupts traffic needs approved traffic management |
| Mobilisations and staging | The number of visits allowed | Each extra visit repeats travel and set-up |
| Weather standby | How a weather delay is handled | Spraying waits for suitable weather |
| Rise and fall | Whether binder price changes are passed on, and how | The bitumen price moves month to month |
| Exclusions | Line marking, kerbs, drainage, signage and any asphalt | Stops a full scope being compared with a partial one |
| Validity and working hours | How long the price holds; working days and hours | Sets when the price and the working days apply |
Sources: TMR MRTS11 (July 2025); TMR MRS11 (July 2025); Austroads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4K (2026); Queensland MUTCD Part 3 (November 2025); TMR C170 Bitumen Price Index. Checked 25 September 2026.
Two more checks, depending on who you are:
Bitumen on its own is only one part of the price. A finished spray seal is binder plus stone on a prepared surface, so the price for a measured area also covers the stone, preparation and any repairs, the plant, travel and set-up, and traffic control on public roads. That is why a per-square-metre figure only means something for a measured site. How a road or driveway is spray sealed walks through each step of the job.
A road seal is priced from its measured area, so a cost per lineal metre depends on the sealed width, the shoulders, the treatment chosen and the preparation needed. A wide road with base repairs and a two-coat seal uses more material per metre than a narrow single-coat reseal on a sound pavement. On a public road, traffic management adds to the cost as well. For a road price, book an on-site assessment.
Budget by line item rather than by a rate:
Traffic and turning set the seal design, so a car park with truck access or tight turning needs a tougher surface than one used only by cars. Building one? Send your plans for a quote.
It depends on the stage rather than a set rate. The drivers are the area in each stage, the number of stages and mobilisations, the hold period before the final surface, and the council’s inspections. State road schedules measure sprayed seal work differently, by litres of binder and quantities of stone on a specified job, so published schedule and tender rates rarely fit a single estate stage. See primer seals and primer seal vs tack coat on estate roads.
Binders for sprayed sealing are refined from crude oil, and TMR’s monthly C170 bitumen price index shows the price changing from month to month. In 2026 the Australian Flexible Pavement Association reported disrupted supply and expected cost increases. Queensland’s longer state road contracts adjust for bitumen price changes through rise and fall, and AfPA says similar mechanisms apply in several other states. For a private job, check how long a quote’s price holds, or contact us to ask.
Prepared by Cuzkell Pty Ltd, a bitumen spray sealing contractor based in Cooroy, Queensland. The TMR limits quoted here are TMR’s defaults for its own state road works; your job’s specification governs. No prices are published on this page.
Based in Cooroy, working across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie, Moreton Bay, Brisbane north, the Fraser Coast, the Burnetts, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and the Western Downs. See our service areas. Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm. Phone (07) 5447 6619.
All checked 25 September 2026.
Office: 07 5447 6619
Anthony: 0427 890 222
Joel: 0428 896 333
ABN: 78 650 464 136
ACN: 650 464 136