01 Concrete driveway cost calculator
Estimate turnkey contractor pricing, ready-mix concrete volume and crushed gravel tonnage for your driveway across the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Planning to form and pour yourself? Price out exact steel bars in our slab rebar calculator and check bag counts in our concrete slab calculator.
02 Where your driveway budget actually goes
Homeowners are often surprised when 10 cubic yards of ready-mix costs ~$1,700 on paper yet contractor quotes come back at $6,500+. A durable flatwork quote covers five distinct stages:
- Excavation & haul-off (10–20%): Stripping topsoil or breaking out old pavement and grading a 1–2% drainage slope away from the garage.
- Compacted sub-base (10–15%): 4–6 in (100–150 mm) of crushed angular road base compacted in lifts with a vibratory plate or roller.
- Formwork & steel reinforcement (10–15%): Perimeter forms, expansion strip against the garage apron and chaired rebar or mesh.
- Ready-mix concrete & pump/chute fees (25–35%): Air-entrained exterior mix (typically 4,000 psi / 25–32 MPa in freeze-thaw or driveway specs).
- Placing, finishing, saw-cutting & curing (25–35%): Bull-floating, edging, broom or decorative texturing, control-joint cuts within 6–18 hours and curing sealer.
03 Installed cost by driveway size (US benchmark)
Figures below assume a broom finish with compacted 4-inch gravel sub-base and steel reinforcement (excluding old pavement tear-out):
| Driveway size | Area | Thickness | Concrete (+10%) | Installed range (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 × 24 ft (Single car) | 288 ft² | 5 in | 4.89 yd³ | $2,782 – $3,934 |
| 20 × 20 ft (2-car pad) | 400 ft² | 5 in | 6.79 yd³ | $3,864 – $5,464 |
| 16 × 40 ft (Long 2-car) | 640 ft² | 5 in | 10.86 yd³ | $6,182 – $8,742 |
| 24 × 30 ft (Wide 2–3 car) | 720 ft² | 5 in | 12.22 yd³ | $6,955 – $9,835 |
| 24 × 40 ft (3-car / RV) | 960 ft² | 6 in | 19.56 yd³ | $9,762 – $13,602 |
04 Broom vs exposed aggregate vs stamped concrete
Broom / Brushed
- Lowest upfront cost and fastest single-day pour
- High slip resistance in rain and snow
- Easy to clean and patch years later
Exposed Aggregate & Stamped
- Exposed pebble aggregate is ultra-popular in AU, NZ & Pacific NW
- Stamped/colored mimics slate, cobble or ashlar stone
- Needs periodic re-sealing every 2–4 years to keep colour & sheen
05 Thickness, mix strength & control joints
06 Regional pricing: US, UK, Australia & New Zealand
- United States: Quoted per
ft²; ready-mix sold by the cubic yard (yd³), with short-load fees under 5–8 yards. - United Kingdom: Quoted per
m²; pattern-imprinted concrete and brushed C30/C35 driveways typically run £90–£160+ per m² depending on MOT Type 1 sub-base depth. - Australia & New Zealand: Quoted per
m²; plain grey concrete usually lands around A$110–A$160/m² (NZ$130–NZ$185/m²), while exposed aggregate averages A$145–A$200+/m² on flat residential access.
07 Smart ways to trim cost without sacrificing slab life
- Stick to straight forms. Sweeping curves take 2–3× longer to form and create more irregular control-joint cuts.
- Add a decorative border instead of stamping the whole slab. A broom-finished field with a 12-inch stamped or exposed border gives curb appeal at a fraction of full-stamp pricing.
- Never cut sub-base thickness or psi to save 8%. Replacing a cracked, settled apron costs twice the original job.
08 Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost per square foot?
In the United States, a standard broom-finished concrete driveway typically costs $8 to $14 per square foot installed including gravel base and reinforcement, while exposed aggregate runs $12 to $18/ft² and stamped decorative concrete runs $15 to $24+/ft².
How much does a 2-car concrete driveway cost?
A typical 20 × 20 ft (400 sq ft) two-car apron costs roughly $3,600 to $5,400 installed for a broom finish, while a full 16 × 40 ft (640 sq ft) driveway usually ranges from $5,800 to $8,700 before old pavement demolition.
How thick should a residential concrete driveway be?
Most residential driveways for passenger cars and SUVs are poured 5 inches (125 mm) thick—or 4 inches minimum on well-compacted granular soil—while driveways serving heavy pickups, RVs, boat trailers or delivery trucks should be 6 inches (150 mm) thick with steel rebar.
How much does it cost to tear out and replace an existing driveway?
Demolishing and hauling away old concrete or asphalt typically adds $2 to $4 per square foot ($20 to $35 per m² in the UK, Australia and New Zealand) depending on slab thickness, embedded wire mesh and dump fees.
How many cubic yards of concrete does a 16×40 driveway take?
At 5 inches thick, a 16 × 40 ft (640 sq ft) driveway requires 9.88 net cubic yards—or about 10.9 cubic yards once you add a 10% waste buffer, which is slightly more than one standard 10-yard ready-mix barrel.
Is concrete worth the extra upfront cost over asphalt?
Concrete usually costs 30–50% more upfront than hot-mix asphalt, but a properly jointed concrete driveway lasts 30–40+ years without periodic coal-tar sealcoating every 3 years, often making its lifetime cost lower.
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