How much sealer do I need for a driveway?

A 20 × 20 ft driveway is 400 sq ft, or 440 sq ft with 10% waste. At about 250 sq ft per gallon per coat for a water-based acrylic on broom-finished concrete, two coats take 3.5 gallons, so buy 4. A penetrating silane/siloxane sealer at 225 sq ft per gallon is usually one coat. Change the type, surface and coats in the calculator to see yours.

How many square feet does a gallon of concrete sealer cover?

It depends on the sealer and the concrete. Foundation Armor’s data sheet for its SX5000 WB silane-siloxane lists about 125 to 175 sq ft per gallon on porous concrete and 250 to 350 on dense, troweled concrete, and its solvent-based acrylic AR350 sheet lists up to 175 on porous and up to 200 to 225 on smooth surfaces. Behr’s Low-Lustre Sealer lists 200 to 450. Quikrete’s silane-siloxane waterproofing sealer lists a lower 75 to 150. Typical single-coat values sit between 125 and 300; the table above has the ones the calculator uses.

Should I apply one coat or two?

Follow the label. Film-forming acrylics are usually applied as two thin coats, since one heavy coat can turn cloudy or blister, and Foundation Armor’s AR350 sheet suggests two coats for even coverage and appearance. Penetrating silane/siloxane sealers are usually one saturating application. Each extra coat needs the full gallons again, which is why the calculator multiplies by coats. The second-coat line under the result tells you what a second coat would add.

Why does broom-finished or porous concrete need more?

Rough, open or old concrete has more surface and more pores to soak up sealer, so a gallon covers less. Smooth, troweled concrete is dense and absorbs little, which is why makers quote the higher rates for it. Very smooth concrete may not accept some sealers at all unless the surface is opened by etching or grinding. Try a small test patch: if the first patch soaks in at once, plan on the porous rate.

How are the containers chosen?

The calculator rounds your gallons up and then tries every mix of 5-gallon pails and 1-gallon jugs that holds at least that much, and shows the cheapest. Pails cost less per gallon, so buying a pail can be cheaper than four jugs even if you will not use it all. The prices are typical shelf prices for each sealer type, an estimate, so if your store’s prices differ the cheapest mix may too.

How long does sealer take to dry before a second coat or traffic?

It varies a lot by product, so this calculator does not guess. Foundation Armor’s AR350 sheet lists 4 to 6 hours to dry, 24 hours to recoat and 24 hours to foot traffic. Behr’s Low-Lustre Sealer sheet lists about 4 hours to recoat, 24 to 48 hours for heavy foot traffic and 72 hours for vehicles. Some water-based acrylics list 30 to 60 minutes between coats. Cooler, damper weather slows all of them. Use the times on your product’s label.

Can I seal pavers and concrete with the same product?

Not always. Paver sealers are formulated to work on joint sand and to give a wet or natural look on brick, concrete and stone pavers, and some stiffen the joints. Many concrete sealers are not made for pavers, and some are not meant for garage floors or driveways (Behr’s DeckOver, for instance, says it is not for drivable surfaces). Use the product that names your surface on its label.

Concrete Sealer Calculator

Gallons of sealer = area × (1 + waste) × coats ÷ the area one gallon covers per coat, rounded up. A 20 × 20 ft driveway or garage floor is 400 sq ft, or 440 sq ft with 10% waste. With a water-based acrylic on a broom-finished surface (about 250 sq ft per gallon per coat, a typical figure) and 2 coats, that is 4 gallons. The cheapest way to buy them at typical prices is 1 × 5-gallon pail. One coat would be 2 gallons. Coverage depends on the product and how porous the concrete is, so check your can’s label: these rates are typical, not a guarantee.

Figures based on the sources listed belowUpdated 2026-10-17How we calculate

Length

Width

Waste allowance

Exact (0%)Standard (+10%)Very porous or sprayed (+20%)Custom

Sealer typeTypical coverage per gallon per coat for each type, from makers’ published ranges. Your can’s label wins: compare its figure with the table below the calculator.

SurfacePorous, rough or open surfaces soak up more sealer, so a gallon goes less far. Broom-finished is the midpoint, an estimate.

Coats

Each coat needs its own gallons. Penetrating sealers are usually one coat; film-forming sealers are usually two thin coats.

Price per gallon (optional)

Buy 4 gallons

400 sq ft + 10% waste = 440.00 sq ft

Surface to seal: 400 sq ft
Sealer needed (with waste and coats): 3.5 gal
Cheapest containers: 1 × 5-gallon pail (5 gal)
Second coat: 2 coats are included, about 1.8 gal per coat; apply thin coats and let each dry per the label

Low

$112.00

Expected

$160.00

High

$224.00

Includes 40.00 sq ft waste

How this number is calculated

400 sq ft + 10% waste = 440.00 sq ft ÷ 125 sq ft per gallon = 4 gallons

Shopping list

Concrete sealer (5 gal)
Concrete cleaner or degreaser
Sealer roller (3/8 in nap) and extension pole
Pump sprayer for sealer
Paver cleaner

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Typical coverage by sealer type and surface

Square feet one gallon covers in a single coat. These are typical figures inside the ranges makers publish for each kind of sealer; broom-finished is the midpoint of the other two and the paver figure for open surfaces is an estimate. The calculator uses these numbers and divides by your number of coats.
Sealer type	Smooth or dense (sq ft/gal)	Broom-finished (sq ft/gal)	Porous or rough (sq ft/gal)
Penetrating silane/siloxane	300	225	150
Solvent-based acrylic	200	175	150
Water-based acrylic	300	250	200
Epoxy or urethane	300	250	200
Paver sealer	200	150	125

How much sealer for common surfaces

Worked by this calculator on a broom-finished surface with 10% waste. Penetrating and paver sealer at 1 coat, solvent- and water-based acrylic at 2 coats. Containers are the cheapest mix of 1-gallon jugs and 5-gallon pails at typical prices, an estimate.
Surface	Area with waste (sq ft)	Penetrating, 1 coat	Solvent acrylic, 2 coats	Water-based acrylic, 2 coats	Paver sealer, 1 coat
10 × 10 ft patio	110	1 gal (1 × 1-gallon jug)	2 gal (2 × 1-gallon jugs)	1 gal (1 × 1-gallon jug)	1 gal (1 × 1-gallon jug)
12 × 16 ft patio	211.2	1 gal (1 × 1-gallon jug)	3 gal (3 × 1-gallon jugs)	2 gal (2 × 1-gallon jugs)	2 gal (2 × 1-gallon jugs)
20 × 20 ft two-car garage floor	440	2 gal (2 × 1-gallon jugs)	6 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail + 1 × 1-gallon jug)	4 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail)	3 gal (3 × 1-gallon jugs)
10 × 30 ft single driveway	330	2 gal (2 × 1-gallon jugs)	4 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail)	3 gal (3 × 1-gallon jugs)	3 gal (3 × 1-gallon jugs)
20 × 24 ft double driveway	528	3 gal (3 × 1-gallon jugs)	7 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail + 2 × 1-gallon jugs)	5 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail)	4 gal (4 × 1-gallon jugs)
20 × 40 ft long driveway	880	4 gal (4 × 1-gallon jugs)	11 gal (2 × 5-gallon pails + 1 × 1-gallon jug)	8 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail + 3 × 1-gallon jugs)	6 gal (1 × 5-gallon pail + 1 × 1-gallon jug)

Methodology & assumptions

Surface area is length times width, less any area you will not seal. The area is multiplied by 1 plus the waste allowance (0%, 10% or 20%) and by the number of coats, then divided by the square feet one gallon covers in a single coat, and rounded up to whole gallons. The coverage per coat comes from the sealer type and surface (smooth, troweled or dense, broom-finished, porous, rough or open pavers). The values are typical figures chosen inside the ranges makers publish: for example, Foundation Armor lists 125 to 175 sq ft per gallon on porous concrete and 250 to 350 on dense concrete for its silane-siloxane, up to 175 and up to 200 to 225 for its solvent-based acrylic, and Behr lists 200 to 450 for its water-based low-lustre sealer. Epoxy and urethane rates depend on film thickness, so the figures here are a middle value of published data sheets. The broom-finished column, the open-paver paver-sealer figure and the waste percentages are rules of thumb and estimates, not published rates. Containers: the gallons are rounded up, then every mix of 5-gallon pails and 1-gallon jugs that holds at least that many is priced with typical shelf prices for the sealer type, and the cheapest is shown (ties go to fewer containers). Those prices are estimates and vary by store and brand. Drying and recoat times differ by product and are not calculated; use your label. The metric toggle shows lengths in m and areas in m²; sealer still comes in the US container sizes.

Foundation Armor, Armor SX5000 WB silane-siloxane concrete sealer technical data sheet: 125-175 sq ft/gal porous, 250-350 dense or trowel-finished, average 250
Foundation Armor, Armor AR350 solvent-based acrylic concrete sealer technical data sheet: up to 175 sq ft/gal porous, 200-225 smooth, 4-6 hours dry, 24 hours recoat and foot traffic
Foundation Armor, Armor WB25 water-based acrylic cure and seal technical data sheet: 200-250 sq ft/gal porous, 250-325 dense
Behr, BEHR PREMIUM Low-Lustre Sealer product page: spread rate 200-450 sq ft/gal
Behr, BEHR PREMIUM ADVANCED DeckOver product pages: two coats, not for drivable surfaces such as garage floors and driveways
Quikrete, Concrete & Masonry Waterproofing Sealer product page: coverage by porosity (listings differ, 75-200 sq ft/gal)
APF, Polyurethane 250 VOC product data sheet: 250-300 sq ft/gal at 5-6 wet mils
Techniseal, WL4 Wet Look Sealer data sheet (paver sealer): up to 150 sq ft/gal; SRW paver sealer data sheets: 150-200 sq ft/gal
Seal-Krete, Clear-Seal acrylic concrete sealer product listings: 150-500 sq ft/gal depending on porosity, commonly quoted at 300
Typical US shelf prices for 1-gallon and 5-gallon concrete sealer containers (estimate)

How to calculate how much concrete sealer you need

Measure the surface. Measure the length and width of the driveway, patio or floor in feet and multiply them. Subtract any area you will not seal.
Pick the sealer type and surface. Choose penetrating, solvent- or water-based acrylic, epoxy/urethane or paver sealer, then smooth, broom-finished or porous. Check the coverage on your can and compare it with the table.
Set the coats. Enter the number of coats the label calls for. Penetrating sealers are usually one; film-forming sealers are usually two thin coats.
Add waste. Add 10% for edges, spills and roller loss, or 20% for very porous concrete or spraying.
Divide and round up. Multiply the area with waste by the coats, divide by the square feet one gallon covers per coat, round up, then buy the cheapest mix of 5-gallon pails and 1-gallon jugs.

Worked examples

Project	Result
20 × 20 ft driveway, water-based acrylic, broom finish, 2 coats, 10% waste	400 sq ft + 10% waste ≈ 440 sq ft → 4 gallons
12 × 16 ft patio, penetrating silane/siloxane, broom finish, 1 coat, 10% waste	192 sq ft + 10% waste ≈ 211 sq ft → 1 gallon
20 × 24 ft double driveway, solvent-based acrylic, broom finish, 2 coats, 10% waste	480 sq ft + 10% waste ≈ 528 sq ft → 7 gallons
10 × 10 ft paver patio, paver sealer, open pavers, 1 coat, 20% waste	100 sq ft + 20% waste ≈ 120 sq ft → 1 gallon

Frequently asked questions

How much sealer do I need for a driveway?: A 20 × 20 ft driveway is 400 sq ft, or 440 sq ft with 10% waste. At about 250 sq ft per gallon per coat for a water-based acrylic on broom-finished concrete, two coats take 3.5 gallons, so buy 4. A penetrating silane/siloxane sealer at 225 sq ft per gallon is usually one coat. Change the type, surface and coats in the calculator to see yours.
How many square feet does a gallon of concrete sealer cover?: It depends on the sealer and the concrete. Foundation Armor’s data sheet for its SX5000 WB silane-siloxane lists about 125 to 175 sq ft per gallon on porous concrete and 250 to 350 on dense, troweled concrete, and its solvent-based acrylic AR350 sheet lists up to 175 on porous and up to 200 to 225 on smooth surfaces. Behr’s Low-Lustre Sealer lists 200 to 450. Quikrete’s silane-siloxane waterproofing sealer lists a lower 75 to 150. Typical single-coat values sit between 125 and 300; the table above has the ones the calculator uses.
Should I apply one coat or two?: Follow the label. Film-forming acrylics are usually applied as two thin coats, since one heavy coat can turn cloudy or blister, and Foundation Armor’s AR350 sheet suggests two coats for even coverage and appearance. Penetrating silane/siloxane sealers are usually one saturating application. Each extra coat needs the full gallons again, which is why the calculator multiplies by coats. The second-coat line under the result tells you what a second coat would add.
Why does broom-finished or porous concrete need more?: Rough, open or old concrete has more surface and more pores to soak up sealer, so a gallon covers less. Smooth, troweled concrete is dense and absorbs little, which is why makers quote the higher rates for it. Very smooth concrete may not accept some sealers at all unless the surface is opened by etching or grinding. Try a small test patch: if the first patch soaks in at once, plan on the porous rate.
How are the containers chosen?: The calculator rounds your gallons up and then tries every mix of 5-gallon pails and 1-gallon jugs that holds at least that much, and shows the cheapest. Pails cost less per gallon, so buying a pail can be cheaper than four jugs even if you will not use it all. The prices are typical shelf prices for each sealer type, an estimate, so if your store’s prices differ the cheapest mix may too.
How long does sealer take to dry before a second coat or traffic?: It varies a lot by product, so this calculator does not guess. Foundation Armor’s AR350 sheet lists 4 to 6 hours to dry, 24 hours to recoat and 24 hours to foot traffic. Behr’s Low-Lustre Sealer sheet lists about 4 hours to recoat, 24 to 48 hours for heavy foot traffic and 72 hours for vehicles. Some water-based acrylics list 30 to 60 minutes between coats. Cooler, damper weather slows all of them. Use the times on your product’s label.
Can I seal pavers and concrete with the same product?: Not always. Paver sealers are formulated to work on joint sand and to give a wet or natural look on brick, concrete and stone pavers, and some stiffen the joints. Many concrete sealers are not made for pavers, and some are not meant for garage floors or driveways (Behr’s DeckOver, for instance, says it is not for drivable surfaces). Use the product that names your surface on its label.