Concrete Driveway Cost Calculator
A concrete driveway costs $7–13 per square foot installed: about $2,800–$5,200 for a 20×20 ft two-car driveway and $7,000–$13,000 for a 20×50 ft one. Enter your dimensions below for a detailed materials and labor estimate based on your exact size.
Pro Tips
- →Driveway installation costs $7-13 per square foot
- →Thicker driveways (6 inches) cost more but last longer
- →Decorative finishes add $2-4 per square foot
- →Removal of old driveway adds $2-3 per square foot
- →Base preparation is critical for longevity
Estimated concrete cost (materials + delivery) · For projects over 1 cubic yard, ready-mix is typically more economical and easier to work with.
764 bags × 80lb
16.98 cubic yards + delivery
1000 sq ft × $3.00–$8.00/sq ft
Based on 2026 U.S. national pricing. Prices vary by location and time — contact local suppliers for accurate quotes.
Getting quotes for this job? See volume ↓
Four short emails: what a fair price looks like at this size, the scope items that move a quote by $500 or more, and when doing it yourself is cheaper. Send us any quote you receive and Dave will review it.
Includes 10% waste factor
For general step-by-step instructions, read our complete Driveway Guide and Driveway Thickness.
Driveway Cost by Size
Concrete driveway cost scales with square footage at a $7–13 per square foot installed baseline — higher than plain flatwork ($6–12/sq ft) because driveways carry vehicle loads, need a thicker section, and almost always include an apron and reinforcement. Read the low end as a broom finish in a low-cost region (Southeast, Midwest) and the high end as reinforced 6-inch work in a high-cost metro (Northeast, West Coast).
| Driveway Type | Typical Size | Sq Ft | Installed Cost ($7–13/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car | 12×24 ft | 288 | $2,020–$3,740 |
| 2-car | 20×24 ft | 480 | $3,360–$6,240 |
| 2-car deep | 20×50 ft | 1,000 | $7,000–$13,000 |
| 3-car | 30×40 ft | 1,200 | $8,400–$15,600 |
| Long rural | 12×150 ft | 1,800 | $12,600–$23,400 |
These figures include site prep, forms, reinforcement, concrete, finishing, and cleanup. They exclude demolition, decorative finishes, sealing, and permits — covered below. For a side-by-side against patios, garage floors, and sidewalks, see the concrete slab cost calculator.
Removing an Old Driveway
Replacing an existing driveway adds demolition and haul-off on top of the installed price:
| Removal Type | Cost per Sq Ft |
|---|---|
| Asphalt removal | $1.00–$2.00 |
| Concrete removal (4 in) | $1.50–$2.50 |
| Concrete removal (6 in+) | $2.00–$3.50 |
On a 400 sq ft driveway, removal adds $400–$1,400, so a full tear-out and replacement of a 20×20 driveway runs about $3,200–$6,600. See the concrete removal guide for what drives demolition pricing.
Decorative Finishes
The installed range above assumes a broom finish. Decorative finishes are priced as an add-on per square foot:
| Finish | Added Cost over Broom Finish |
|---|---|
| Integral color | +$2–$4/sq ft |
| Exposed aggregate | +$4–$6/sq ft |
| Stamped | +$4–$8/sq ft |
Stamped and colored driveways also need resealing every 2–3 years to protect the surface. Price a stamped section separately with the stamped concrete cost calculator.
Driveway Cost by Region
Labor is the largest regional variable, so the same driveway can differ by several dollars per square foot between metros:
| Region | Typical Cost per Sq Ft |
|---|---|
| Southeast | $6–$10 |
| Midwest | $7–$11 |
| Northeast | $9–$14 |
| West Coast | $9–$13 |
For metro-level pricing backed by state DOT bid data, see concrete driveway costs by city, for example Chicago or Los Angeles.
Concrete vs. Asphalt Driveway Cost
| Factor | Concrete | Asphalt |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $7–$13/sq ft | $3–$5/sq ft |
| Lifespan | 30–40 years | 15–20 years |
| Sealing | Optional, every 2–3 years in freeze-thaw climates | Every 2–3 years |
| Repairs | Harder to patch invisibly | Easy patch repairs |
Asphalt wins on upfront cost; concrete usually wins over the life of the driveway. The driveway lifetime cost guide runs the full comparison.
Driveway Width: Single, Double, and RV
Width is the single biggest lever on total cost because it multiplies directly against length. Get it right before pricing thickness or finish.
| Layout | Recommended Width | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single car | 10–12 ft | 12 ft preferred for door clearance |
| Single + walk space | 14–16 ft | Room to exit either side |
| Double car | 20–24 ft | Two vehicles side by side |
| RV / boat parking | 12–14 ft lane | Often a 6-in reinforced section |
A 50-foot driveway at 12 ft wide is 600 sq ft ($4,200–$7,800); the same length at 20 ft is 1,000 sq ft ($7,000–$13,000). The extra 8 feet of width nearly doubles the bill, so don't over-build the lane unless the parking pattern needs it.
Thickness by Vehicle Load
The right thickness is set by what drives on the slab, not by preference. The IRC sets a 3.5-inch minimum for residential floor slabs (IRC R506.1), but driveways carry concentrated wheel loads, so the practical floor is 4 inches — and ACI 330R guidance for parking and light-duty pavements points to 5–6 inches once trucks or RVs are involved.
| Thickness | Suitable For | Reinforcement | Cost Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | Passenger cars only | Mesh or fiber | Baseline |
| 5 in | Standard residential, light SUVs/pickups | Mesh or #3 rebar grid | +$0.75–$1.25/sq ft |
| 6 in | Trucks, RVs, dual-axle trailers | #4 rebar grid | +$1.50–$2.50/sq ft over 4 in |
Going from 4 to 6 inches adds roughly 50% more concrete volume per square foot. On a 1,000 sq ft driveway that is about 3 extra cubic yards — $450–$600 in material plus reinforcement. See the driveway thickness guide for load math.
Reinforcement: Mesh vs. Rebar
Reinforcement does not stop concrete from cracking — it holds cracks tight so the slab stays a single load-bearing surface. The choice tracks the load.
- Welded wire mesh (6x6 W1.4): $0.50–$1.00/sq ft. Fine for passenger-car driveways at 4–5 inches.
- #4 rebar grid on 18-inch centers: $1.00–$1.50/sq ft. Standard for 6-inch sections, RV pads, and clay/expansive soils.
- Fiber-reinforced mix: about $8–$12 per cubic yard added at the plant; controls surface shrinkage cracking but does not replace structural steel.
For the full comparison, see rebar vs. mesh vs. fiber.
Apron, Slope, and Drainage
The apron (or approach) is the flared section where the driveway meets the street. It is usually 6 inches thick with rebar, sometimes governed by municipal spec, and frequently requires its own permit and inspection. Budget an extra $300–$800 for a standard residential apron.
Driveways need a minimum 1–2% slope (about 1/8–1/4 inch per foot) away from the garage and house for drainage. Flat or reverse-sloped driveways pond water, which accelerates freeze-thaw scaling and undermines the base. On sites that slope toward the structure, add a trench drain or channel drain ($40–$60 per linear foot installed). See the driveway drainage guide.
Joints, Sealing, and Permits
Control joints are tooled or saw-cut at a spacing in feet of roughly 2–3 times the slab thickness in inches — so a 5-inch driveway gets joints every 10–15 feet, keeping panels close to square. Expansion (isolation) joints go where the driveway abuts the garage slab, foundation, and apron. Proper jointing is included in a competent quote; skipping it is a top cause of random cracking.
Sealing is not included by default. A penetrating or acrylic sealer runs $0.50–$1.50/sq ft and should be reapplied every 2–3 years in freeze-thaw climates — see do you need to seal concrete. Permits for a residential driveway typically run $50–$200, and the apron tie-in to a public road often needs a separate right-of-way permit.
DIY vs. Hiring a Contractor
DIY can save 50–60% on labor, but a driveway is near the upper limit of a homeowner pour. A 20×50 ft driveway needs about 17 cubic yards — nearly two full ready-mix trucks (about 10 cu yd each per NRMCA standard truck capacity). That much concrete sets faster than two or three people can screed, float, and joint it, and a cold joint or a wavy finish on a driveway is highly visible and load-bearing.
Reasonable DIY: a single 1-car pad under ~300 sq ft, poured in sections, with help. Hire a pro: anything over one truck, any 6-inch reinforced section, RV pads, or sloped sites needing drainage. Compare honestly with the DIY vs. contractor guide.
How to Get Accurate Driveway Quotes
Give every contractor the same exact length, width, thickness and finish, say whether removal of the old driveway is included, and ask for itemized quotes (demolition, base, reinforcement, concrete, finishing, apron, permit) so you can compare line by line. Get at least three quotes, and check reviews and references rather than defaulting to the lowest bid.
Ready to price your driveway? Enter your length, width, and thickness in the calculator above for an instant materials-and-labor estimate, then use the concrete driveway calculator to lock in your exact concrete volume before you call for bids.
Sunken, Not Broken? Price a Lift First
If an existing driveway has dropped but is still in one piece, replacing it may not be necessary. Lifting a sunken 200 sq ft section costs about $800–1,800 by mudjacking or $1,600–5,000 with polyurethane foam, against $1,500–3,400 to tear it out and pour new at US median prices. The concrete lifting cost calculator compares both for your metro, and sunken driveway repair explains when a lift will last.