TruTec Blog
Sealcoating is one of those trades where the barrier to entry is low enough that you can start with a truck and a few thousand dollars, but the ceiling is high enough that established operators run multi-crew companies pulling six and seven figures in seasonal revenue. The work is straightforward, the demand is predictable (asphalt deteriorates whether the economy is up or down), and property managers always need someone to keep their lots looking maintained.
But "straightforward" doesn't mean easy. Most new sealcoating businesses that fail don't fail because the work is too hard. They fail because they underbid jobs, skip compliance steps, or buy expensive equipment before they've figured out how to sell. This guide is built to prevent all three.
Whether you're coming from a paving crew and want to go independent, or you're exploring trades as a business opportunity, here's what you actually need to know to start a sealcoating business, price jobs profitably, and land your first real customers. We'll cover everything from entity formation and insurance to equipment tiers, material selection, estimating formulas, and a simple sales system that works for commercial properties.
At TruTec, we build construction estimating tools for paving contractors, so we see hundreds of sealcoating businesses at various stages. The patterns of what works (and what doesn't) are remarkably consistent.
What Is Sealcoating and What Can It Not Fix?
Sealcoating is a thin protective layer applied over existing asphalt pavement. Its job is to slow down oxidation and UV damage, improve the surface's appearance and traction, and extend the life of the underlying asphalt. Think of it like a clear coat on a car: it protects what's underneath, but it doesn't fix dents or rust.
That distinction matters more than you'd think, because your profitability depends on scoping correctly. Sealcoating does not repair structural problems like a failing base, alligator cracking, or drainage issues. Those need patching, crack sealing, or sometimes a full overlay before sealcoat makes any sense.
If you seal garbage pavement without calling out the repairs it needs first, you're going to eat callbacks and reputation damage. Your proposal should always separate what's getting sealed from what needs repair work beforehand. That honesty is actually a selling point with experienced property managers. They've been burned by contractors who promise cosmetic fixes on structural problems, so someone who's upfront about it stands out.
How to Register and Set Up Your Sealcoating Business
Before you buy a single piece of equipment, get the administrative foundation right. It's boring, but it's the stuff that keeps you from losing a commercial contract over missing paperwork.
How to Choose a Business Structure for a Sealcoating Company
The Small Business Administration's "Launch Your Business" guide walks through the basics: choose your entity type (sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation), register with your state, get your tax IDs, set up a business bank account, and line up insurance. Most sealcoating operators start as an LLC because it separates personal and business liability without the complexity of a corporation.
The SBA's official Register Your Business page walks through every entity type and registration step. Bookmark it — you'll reference it multiple times during setup.
How to Get an EIN for Your Sealcoating Business
If you're forming an LLC, hiring anyone, or opening business bank accounts, you'll need an Employer Identification Number. The IRS lets you apply online for free, and you'll typically have it within minutes. Don't pay a third-party service to do this for you.
Sealcoating Business License and Permit Requirements
This is where things get location-specific. License requirements depend on your state, city, and exactly what services you're offering (sealcoat only vs. paving vs. striping vs. traffic control). The SBA's license and permit page is a reasonable starting point, but you'll need to check your city and county requirements directly.
Practical rule for commercial work: assume you'll be asked for proof of insurance, a current business license, and tax forms (W-9) before you ever get paid. Build your admin stack early so you're not scrambling when a property manager asks for a certificate of insurance the day before a job starts.
What NAICS Code Do Sealcoating Contractors Use?
For insurance applications, banking, and some registrations, you'll be asked for a NAICS code. Sealcoating typically falls under broader "specialty trade contractors." Canada's NAICS classification explicitly includes "asphalt coating, sealing... parking lots and driveways" under code 238990. Use whatever code your insurer or accountant recommends, but 238990 is a solid default.
Coal Tar Sealant Restrictions: What's Legal in Your State
This is where a lot of new operators accidentally create legal and reputational risk without realizing it.
Coal tar sealants contain high levels of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and a growing number of jurisdictions restrict or outright ban them for environmental and health reasons. You don't need to take a political stance on this. You just need to avoid getting fined, forced to redo work, or locked out of contracts that require environmental compliance.
States That Have Banned or Restricted Coal Tar Sealants
Here are real, official examples you should treat as a "check your own jurisdiction" wake-up call:
Washington State: Refined coal tar is defined as a hazardous substance, and the state restricts pavement products containing coal tar with specific sale and application restrictions.
Minnesota: State law prohibits the sale of pavement products containing coal tar.
Washington, D.C.: The district has prohibited the use and sale of coal tar pavement sealants.
Maine: Law prohibits the sale of coal tar sealants after October 1, 2023, and prohibits application after October 1, 2024.
Virginia: Bans retail sale of "high PAH" sealants (defined as greater than 1% by weight) on or after July 1, 2024, and bans application on or after July 1, 2025.
Coal Tar Sealant Restrictions in Canada
Canada has moved toward national restrictions on coal tar-based sealant products. According to the government's compliance guide, manufacture and import is prohibited starting October 1, 2025, and sale is prohibited starting December 31, 2025, with a temporary exception for certain industrial uses until July 1, 2028.
How to Choose a Compliant Sealant Product
Bottom line: Choose product lines that are compliant in your area (typically asphalt emulsion or synthetic options), keep Safety Data Sheets and product data sheets on file, and include a simple clause in your proposals: "Materials selected will comply with applicable local, state, and provincial restrictions."
That clause protects you and signals to property managers that you take compliance seriously.
What Insurance Does a Sealcoating Business Need?
For commercial work, insurance isn't optional. It's the ticket that gets you in the door. Most property managers won't even look at your bid without a certificate of insurance, and many require specific coverage minimums.
How Much Does Sealcoating Business Insurance Cost?
Insureon's paving contractor benchmarks (based on median premiums from their customers) give you a realistic starting point for budgeting:
| Coverage Type | Median Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| General Liability | $77/month |
| Business Owner's Policy (BOP) | $98/month |
| Workers' Compensation | $254/month |
| Commercial Auto | $173/month |
| Tools & Equipment | $14/month |
| Professional Liability | $74/month |
| Umbrella | $81/month |
| Surety Bonds | $8/month |
These are median figures from Insureon (October 2025). Your actual costs will vary based on state, vehicle value, payroll, claims history, and coverage limits.
What Each Type of Insurance Covers for Contractors
If you're new to business insurance, here's the plain-language version:
General Liability covers you when you accidentally damage someone's property or someone gets hurt because of your work. A sprayer malfunction that coats a client's building? That's GL.
Commercial Auto covers losses involving your truck and trailer. You're hauling heavy equipment and chemicals on public roads, so this one's essential.
Workers' Comp covers employee injuries. Sealcoating involves physical labor, chemical exposure, and working around traffic. If you have employees, most states require this coverage.
Tools & Equipment covers theft or damage to your gear. At $14/month median, it's a no-brainer.
Umbrella kicks in when a claim exceeds your base policy limits. For $81/month, it's cheap peace of mind.
Sealcoating Safety Requirements and Crew Protections
Even if you never touch coal tar products, you're still working with chemical coatings, fumes, and solvents. The CDC/NIOSH pocket guide notes that coal tar pitch volatiles have an OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.2 mg/m3 and flags cancer, skin, and respiratory risks.
Your safety baseline should include:
Respirators appropriate to the product and conditions you're working in
Chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves
A wash-up plan so you're not bringing contamination home in your truck or on your clothes
An SDS binder (digital or physical) and hazard communication training for every crew member
Traffic control equipment: cones, barricades, and signage (this is a liability reducer, not a nice-to-have)
The traffic control piece deserves extra emphasis. You're asking people to not drive on surfaces for 24+ hours. Clear barricading and signage protect you from liability if someone drives through your fresh sealcoat.
Sealcoating Equipment Costs: 3 Budget Tiers to Consider
Your equipment choice should match your customer type and sales capability. Don't buy a $20,000 trailer rig if you don't have a way to sell commercial lots yet.
Here's a quick comparison of what each tier looks like:
| Tier | Best For | Approximate Cost | Key Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Driveways and small lots | Under $5,000 | Squeegees, brushes, blower, cold-pour crack fill |
| Tier 2 | Early commercial growth | $5,000 to $15,000+ | Skid sprayer (225 to 325 gal), truck |
| Tier 3 | Full commercial operations | $30,000 to $50,000+ | Trailer rig, line striper, hot crack melter |
Tier 1: Starting with Driveways and Small Lots
Goal: Prove demand, build reviews, learn the process.
This is the entry-level kit:
Blower for surface prep
Squeegees, brushes, and buckets
Crack filling basics (cold pour to start)
Cones, caution tape, and signs
PPE and spill kit
Basic marketing (yard signs, Google Business Profile)
Budget varies depending on what you already own, but this is the "under $5,000 is possible" tier if you keep it lean and already have a truck.
Tier 2: Pickup Truck and Skid Sprayer Setup
Skid sprayers let you handle real volume without committing to a full trailer rig. As of February 2026, equipment suppliers list skid systems including:
225-gallon skid sprayer: $4,999
325-gallon skid sprayer: $5,399
Higher-end skid systems running into five figures (~$14,000+)
This tier usually means one truck, one operator plus a helper, and the ability to start handling small commercial lots with reasonable efficiency.
Tier 3: Commercial Trailer Rig and Full Service Setup
For bigger parking lots, a dedicated trailer unit becomes the standard. Seal-Rite trailer units are a common choice, with models including:
SR 300 Trailer Unit: $19,308
SR 550 Trailer Unit: $20,678
Add-ons that unlock higher-ticket service packages:
Line striping machine: A Graco LineLazer V 3900 typically runs in the $9,752 to $13,589 range depending on the seller and package.
Hot crack melter: A small 10-gallon melter/applicator runs around $1,983.
Buying philosophy: Buy the minimum gear that lets you sell a higher-quality outcome. Most of your early profit should go into three things: (1) better prep capability, (2) better estimating accuracy, and (3) reliability, because equipment downtime kills your margin faster than almost anything else.
How to Choose the Right Sealcoating Materials
Your customers won't ask about "emulsions" right away. They'll ask how long it will last, whether it's legal in their area, why your price is different from the last guy, and whether it'll track into their building.
Industry data on common sealer types gives you a useful relative comparison:
| Sealer Type | Material Cost (per sq ft) | Typical Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Tar | $0.06 to $0.10 | 2 to 4 years |
| Asphalt Emulsion | $0.08 to $0.10 | 4+ years |
| Latex Acrylic | $0.20 to $0.25 | Varies |
These are consumer-facing numbers, but they're helpful for understanding relative positioning. The "right" product for your business depends on a few factors:
Local legality (check the coal tar section above)
Oil and gas resistance needs (parking lots with heavy vehicle traffic have different requirements than church lots)
Cure time expectations (some products need longer dry times, which affects scheduling)
Environmental and odor concerns (residential neighborhoods are more sensitive than industrial parks)
Your crew's ability to execute consistent prep and application with that specific product
Pick one or two product systems you can execute perfectly, not eight you execute inconsistently. Mastering your material system means tighter waste control, more predictable job times, and fewer callbacks.
How to Estimate and Price Sealcoating Jobs
This is where businesses live or die. Get estimating wrong and you'll either lose money on every job or price yourself out of every bid. The good news? Sealcoating estimating follows a logical formula once you understand the components.
What to Include in Every Sealcoating Estimate
Every bid you send should account for these eight things:
Measured sealcoat area (square footage)
Number of coats (one vs. two)
Prep scope (cleaning, edging, oil spot priming, crack filling, patching)
Traffic control (barricades, scheduling constraints, phasing for occupied lots)
Material quantity calculation with a waste factor
Labor hours plus mobilization time
Overhead and profit
Exclusions (what you're explicitly not responsible for)
That last one is critical. Written exclusions prevent the "I thought you were doing that section too" conversations that eat your margin.
How to Calculate Sealcoating Material Quantities
Manufacturers and product specs vary, so there isn't one magic application rate. But the formula structure is always the same:
Gallons needed = (Area in sq ft / 9) x (Application rate in gal/sq yd per coat) x (Number of coats) x (Waste factor)
The U.S. federal guide specifications for asphalt emulsion seal coats allow a broad application range of 0.05 to 0.25 gallons per square yard depending on pavement conditions, and they recommend using test sections to confirm your rate on unfamiliar surfaces.
The Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association's best practices guide emphasizes weather limits, with a commonly referenced minimum application temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
For your first season, build bids around conservative application rates and include a small waste factor, then tighten your numbers over time with actual job data. Do a test area on any unfamiliar pavement texture. And don't underbid a lot just because it "looks easy." Prep work and access control are where commercial jobs go sideways.
Sealcoating Price Benchmarks Per Square Foot
You need an anchor to sanity-check your pricing, even though your actual bids should be built from costs up.
Industry benchmarks estimate the average cost of sealing a 1,000-square-foot asphalt driveway at roughly $569, which works out to approximately $0.57 per square foot for a small residential job with minimums and labor baked in.
In Canada, typical homeowner spending falls between $0.15 to $0.45 per square foot for driveway sealing.
Commercial lots typically price lower per square foot than small driveways because your mobilization cost gets spread across a much larger area. But here's the key insight: you don't pick a price first. You pick a margin first.
How to Price Sealcoating Jobs with a Margin-First Formula
Here's the framework that keeps you profitable instead of guessing:
-> Direct materials (sealant + sand/additives + crack filler + paint)
-> Direct labor (crew hours x burdened hourly rate)
-> Direct equipment costs (fuel + wear + any job-specific rentals)
-> Mobilization (drive time + setup + cleanup)
-> Risk buffer (weather delay, rework, unknowns; start at 5 to 15%)
= True Cost
Then: Bid Price = True Cost / (1 - Target Profit Margin)
So if your true cost for a lot is $3,400 and you want a 30% margin:
$3,400 / 0.70 = $4,857
That's your bid. No guessing, no "vibes pricing," no wondering why you're working all season but your bank account doesn't grow.
How Aerial Measurement Tools Improve Estimating Accuracy
The biggest source of estimating errors isn't the pricing formula. It's the measurement inputs that go into it. Getting the wrong area, missing islands or curb returns, or miscounting parking stalls throws off every downstream calculation.
This is exactly where automated takeoff tools like TruTec come in. Instead of spending an hour in Google Earth trying to trace lot boundaries, or driving to every site just to get basic measurements, you can pull takeoffs from aerial imagery in seconds. That means you're quoting more properties with accurate numbers, and spending your windshield time on jobs that are already sold.
How to Run a Sealcoating Job from Start to Finish
Consistency is what separates profitable sealcoating companies from ones that lose money on every job. Here's a practical sequence you can standardize for commercial lots.
Step 0: Pre-Job Site Planning (What Most Contractors Skip)
Before your crew shows up, you should already know:
Access windows (when cars need to be moved and how long the lot needs to stay clear)
Staging area (where your equipment and materials will sit during the job)
Storm drain locations (plan protection to prevent runoff)
Entrance and exit barricade plan
Weather window (sealcoat and rain don't mix, and neither do sealcoat and cold)
A solid pre-job plan starts with accurate site measurements and aerial takeoffs so you can map out logistics before your crew arrives on-site.
Step 1: Surface Preparation Before Sealcoating
Blow and sweep the entire surface thoroughly
Edge along grass and dirt lines
Treat oil spots if your product system requires it
Crack seal and patch per scope
Mask any sensitive areas (curbs, walkways, building edges)
This is where jobs go right or wrong. Skimping on prep is the number one reason for callbacks, and callbacks destroy your margin and your reputation.
Step 2: Mixing and Applying the Sealcoat
Mix per manufacturer spec (water, sand, additives)
Keep agitation consistent throughout the job (settling causes streaks and thin spots)
Apply coat one evenly
Allow proper cure time before coat two. Don't rush this. Applying the second coat too early is how tracking happens, and tracking complaints from building tenants are the fastest way to lose a property management account.
Step 3: Line Striping After Sealcoating
Striping after sealcoat is a huge upsell because it's the most visible value to the property owner. A freshly sealed and striped lot looks brand new. Offering striping as part of your sealcoat package increases your ticket size and makes you harder to replace. Knowing your exact parking stall counts and striping measurements upfront ensures your striping bids are accurate.
Step 4: The Closeout Package That Wins Renewals
This step is how you win renewal contracts:
Before photos (taken during your initial site visit or pre-job walkthrough)
After photos (taken immediately after completion)
A one-page maintenance recommendation outlining cracks to monitor and when the next seal window should be
Send this as a clean PDF report to the property manager within 48 hours. It positions you as a professional, not just a contractor, and it gives them something to show their boss or board. TruTec's Site Photos feature can help you build these reports automatically with GPS-tagged, staged photos and branded PDF exports.
How to Get Your First Sealcoating Customers
Most new sealcoating operators fail at this step because they think "marketing" means printing flyers. Commercial sealcoating work is closer to B2B sales than door-to-door, and it takes a different approach.
The Best First Customers for a New Sealcoating Business
Focus on properties where the decision-maker is accessible and the lot size is manageable for a new operation:
Small retail centers (10,000 to 50,000 sq ft lots)
Churches
Daycares
Small industrial and warehouse properties
Property managers with 3 to 20 sites (not the mega firms yet)
These accounts are big enough to be profitable but small enough that you're not competing against established companies with three crews and a long track record.
How to Build a Sealcoating Customer Target List
Here's the process:
Open Google Maps and search "shopping center," "church," "warehouse," and "office park" in your service area
Drop addresses into a spreadsheet
Find the property manager contact (look at signage, websites, leasing contacts, or county parcel records)
Send a short email and follow up by phone within a few days
Once you have addresses, you can generate takeoffs from aerial imagery for each property before you even make your first call, so you're leading with specific numbers instead of generic pitches.
A Cold Email Template for Sealcoating Property Managers
Subject: Quick question about pavement maintenance at [Property Name]
Hi [Name], I'm [Your Name], a local pavement maintenance contractor. I looked at your lot at [Address] and I can send a quick budget number for sealcoating (and optional crack sealing and striping) if you tell me your preferred timing window.
If you'd like, I'll include a marked-up takeoff so the scope is crystal clear.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Phone]
[License/Insurance Note]
That "marked-up takeoff" line matters. Property managers hate vague proposals with a number and no visual. Including a visual takeoff that shows exactly which areas you're sealing (and which you're not) reduces scope disputes and makes you look more professional than 90% of your competition.
And this is another place where TruTec becomes genuinely useful. You can generate a visual takeoff from aerial imagery before you've even visited the site, attach it to your proposal, and give the property manager exactly the clarity they want.
How TruTec Makes Sealcoating Estimating Faster and More Accurate
The number one place new sealcoating businesses bleed money is bad quantities. Wrong area measurements, missed islands, incorrect stall counts, forgotten curbs and markings. Every measurement error flows directly into your bid, and once you've committed to a price, you're stuck with it.
TruTec is built around solving this problem. Our platform uses AI and computer vision to generate paving takeoffs from aerial imagery. You search an address, and we detect and measure asphalt area, concrete sections, parking stalls, ADA stalls, striping, curbs, stop bars, arrows, and pavement markings. The whole process takes seconds, not hours.
TruTec's platform detects asphalt area, stall counts, striping, curbs, and pavement markings from aerial imagery — no site visit required.
Two Ways TruTec Saves Time on Sealcoating Estimates
1. Faster estimating without driving every site.
Instead of spending your morning driving to three properties just to get rough measurements, you can pull accurate takeoffs from your desk or your truck. That means you're quoting more jobs per day, which means more chances to win work. You verify on-site only for edge cases (heavy tree cover, unusual lot configurations, or properties where the satellite imagery might be dated).
2. Clearer proposals that win more bids.
Include a visual takeoff page in every proposal. The property manager sees exactly which areas are included in your scope, which areas are excluded, and what the measured quantities are. This eliminates the "I thought you were doing that section too" conversation and positions you as a contractor who's precise and transparent.
How to Get Started with TruTec for Sealcoating Estimates
Our registration flow includes 2 free reports, so you can test it on real prospects you're actively bidding. Use those two reports on your highest-value leads (not practice runs) and see how it changes your estimating speed and proposal quality.
Setup takes under 30 seconds. The 2 free reports are there to show you what the takeoff looks like on a real property — use them on active bids.
We also offer a Site Photos module for field documentation, which auto-detects damage, generates captions, and builds client-ready reports with GPS-tagged before/during/after photos. That's directly relevant to the closeout packages we talked about earlier in this guide.
How to Scale Your Sealcoating Business and Manage the Off-Season
Sealcoating is seasonal in most markets. Your business plan needs two modes: production season and off-season.
In-Season Strategy: Keeping Your Pipeline Full
Keep your pipeline full 2 to 4 weeks ahead. If you're scrambling to find work week-to-week, you'll accept bad jobs at bad prices.
Route jobs geographically. Drive time between sites is invisible margin loss. Cluster your jobs so crews aren't crisscrossing your service area.
Track production metrics: square feet sealed per crew hour, gallons used per square foot, callback rate. You can't improve what you don't measure.
Off-Season Strategy: Adjacent Services to Keep Cash Flowing
Offer services that don't require ideal sealcoating weather:
Crack sealing (some products can be applied in cooler temperatures)
Patching and small asphalt repairs
Snow and ice work (if your market supports it)
Line striping (often more flexible on temperature requirements than sealcoat)
These adjacent services keep revenue flowing, keep your crew employed, and give you touchpoints with existing customers that lead to next-season sealcoat renewals. Understanding parking lot resurfacing costs also helps you upsell property managers who need more than just a sealcoat.
Common Mistakes That Kill New Sealcoating Businesses
Every one of these mistakes is preventable with planning. The businesses that survive their first two seasons are the ones that treat estimating, compliance, and documentation as seriously as the actual application work.
Buying a big rig before you have a sales process to fill it
Underbidding prep work (cleaning, crack filling, barricading) because you want to win on price
Ignoring local sealant restrictions and getting hit with fines or forced rework
Operating without insurance, then losing a commercial contract because you can't provide a certificate of insurance
Not using written scope documents, then eating "free work" when the client expects more than you quoted
Not tracking material usage, so you never learn your real costs per square foot
Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a Sealcoating Business
How much does it cost to start a sealcoating business?
It depends on where you start. A bare-bones residential setup (squeegees, buckets, blower, crack fill, PPE, and signage) can come in under $5,000 if you already have a truck. A skid sprayer setup runs $5,000 to $15,000+, and a full commercial trailer rig with a line striper and hot crack melter can push past $30,000 to $40,000. Add insurance, licensing, and initial materials, and your total first-year investment ranges from roughly $8,000 on the low end to $50,000+ for a fully equipped commercial operation.
Is a sealcoating business profitable?
Yes, if you price correctly. Sealcoating has strong margins because material costs per square foot are relatively low and the work doesn't require heavy machinery or large crews. The key is building your bids from actual costs (materials, labor, mobilization, overhead) and targeting a specific profit margin (25 to 35% is common for well-run operations). The businesses that struggle with profitability are almost always underbidding, underestimating prep time, or not tracking their real costs.
What licenses do I need for a sealcoating business?
Requirements vary by location. At minimum, you'll need a general business license from your city or county and an EIN from the IRS. Some states require a contractor's license for pavement work, and many commercial clients require proof of specific insurance coverage before they'll award a contract. Check with your state's SBA office and local building department for exact requirements.
How do I price sealcoating jobs?
Build every bid from costs up, not from a per-square-foot number down. Calculate your direct materials, direct labor, equipment costs, mobilization, and a risk buffer. Add those up to get your true cost, then divide by (1 minus your target profit margin). For example, a job that costs you $3,400 with a 30% target margin would be bid at $4,857. This approach ensures every job is profitable, regardless of size. Construction estimating software can help you build accurate bids faster by automating the measurement step.
What's the best sealcoating equipment for beginners?
Start with the minimum equipment that matches your customer type. For residential driveways, squeegees, brushes, a blower, and cold-pour crack filler will get you started for under $5,000. When you're ready to take on small commercial lots, a 225 or 325-gallon skid sprayer ($5,000 to $5,400) is the sweet spot because it lets you handle real volume without the commitment of a trailer rig. Upgrade to a trailer unit only when your sales pipeline consistently demands it.
Can I run a sealcoating business part-time?
Absolutely, especially in the early stages. Many operators start by doing residential driveways on evenings and weekends while keeping their day job. The seasonal nature of sealcoating actually works in your favor here, since you're only active for part of the year anyway. The transition to full-time usually happens when you've built enough commercial accounts that the volume justifies dedicating all your working hours to it.
How do I handle sealcoating in winter or the off-season?
Sealcoating requires minimum temperatures (typically around 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and dry conditions, so it's not a year-round service in most climates. Smart operators fill the off-season with adjacent services: crack sealing, patching, snow and ice management, and line striping. These keep cash flowing and maintain relationships with property managers who'll book you for sealcoating when the season opens.
Do I need special training to start sealcoating?
There's no mandatory certification for sealcoating in most jurisdictions, but that doesn't mean you should skip training. Material manufacturers often offer application training (and it's worth taking). Working on a crew for a season before starting your own business is the fastest way to learn proper technique, material handling, and job logistics. The difference between a clean, consistent sealcoat job and a streaky, thin one is almost entirely technique and prep, not equipment.