Guide
Concrete driveway cost: price per square foot and what changes it
A plain broom-finish concrete driveway usually costs about $4 to $7 per square foot installed, and decorative finishes such as stamped or colored concrete run higher, often $8 to $18. Those are ranges from published cost guides, cited below, next to the prices concrete contractors publish on their own websites. Here is what moves the number and how to get quotes you can compare.
Concrete driveway cost per square foot
Concrete driveways are priced by the square foot, installed: the contractor's price covers the concrete, forms, reinforcement, labor and finishing. Published cost guides agree on the shape of the range, if not on every number.
| Source | Plain or simple finish | Decorative or full range |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Vila (citing HomeAdvisor), 2024 | $4 to $6 a sq ft (broom finish) | $4 to $15 a sq ft standard; $8 to $18 elaborate |
| Inch Calculator, 2023 | $5 to $7 a sq ft | $8 to $18 a sq ft decorative |
| Contractor websites (our data) | $6 to $15 a sq ft, typical $8, from 73 companies across the US | |
The last row is live: it is the middle 80% of the concrete per square foot prices that 73 contractors publish on their own websites, which we read and check again regularly. It mixes plain and decorative work, so it sits between the two guide columns. Your city page shows the companies near you.
Treat any per square foot figure as a starting point. Two quotes for the same driveway can differ by a lot, mostly because of the base work, tear-out and access, which a per square foot number hides.
Cost by finish
The finish is the biggest choice you control. Rough ranges per square foot, installed, from the Bob Vila guide:
- Broom finish (plain gray): about $4 to $6. A stiff broom drags lines across the wet surface for grip. It is the cheapest and the most common.
- Stained or colored: about $6 to $12. Color can be mixed into the concrete or stained onto the surface after it cures.
- Stamped: about $8 to $15. Mats press a stone, brick or slate pattern into the wet concrete, usually with color added. Stamped surfaces need resealing every few years.
- Exposed aggregate: the top layer is washed off to show the stones in the mix. It is priced like a decorative finish; ask for a quote.
Rebar adds about $1 to $3 per square foot, and a heated driveway with cables or tubing in the slab costs about $12 to $25 per square foot (same source).
Cost by driveway size
Multiply your area by a per square foot price to get a first estimate. Using $4 to $7 for a plain finish:
| Driveway | Size | Area | At $4 to $7 a sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| One car, short | 10 by 20 ft | 200 sq ft | $800 to $1,400 |
| One car | 12 by 40 ft | 480 sq ft | $1,920 to $3,360 |
| Two car, square | 24 by 24 ft | 576 sq ft | $2,304 to $4,032 |
| Two car | 20 by 40 ft | 800 sq ft | $3,200 to $5,600 |
These are arithmetic, not quotes. Bob Vila puts a typical concrete driveway at $1,800 to $6,000 in total, with a national average of $3,000; Inch Calculator gives $3,200 to $11,500. The gap between those two guides is a good reminder to get local quotes.
What changes the price
Thickness
Most home driveways are 4 inches thick. Where heavy trucks, RVs or equipment park, contractors pour 5 or 6 inches. A 5 inch slab needs a quarter more concrete than a 4 inch one, and a 6 inch slab half again as much, so thickness shows up directly in the price.
Tear-out of an old driveway
Breaking up and hauling away old concrete or asphalt is often quoted separately. Ask whether it is included and whether the price changes if the old slab is thicker than expected or has rebar in it.
Base and grading
Concrete needs firm, well drained ground. Soft or clay soil, a slope that sends water toward the garage, or tree roots mean more digging, more gravel and more compaction before any concrete arrives.
Access and pumping
If the ready-mix truck cannot get close to the forms, the crew has to wheel the concrete in or rent a pump. Narrow side yards and steep lots cost more.
Permits and the apron
Many cities ask for a permit for a new driveway, a wider one, or a new curb cut. Bob Vila puts typical permit fees at $50 to $200, and a new apron where the driveway meets the street at $3 to $10 per square foot where one does not already exist. Your contractor often pulls the permit; ask who does.
Job size and season
Small jobs cost more per square foot, because the crew, the truck and the setup cost about the same whatever the size. Spring and early summer are busy; quotes for late in the season can be easier to get.
How much concrete you need
Concrete is ordered by the cubic yard. Multiply the length by the width in feet, then by the thickness in feet (4 inches is 0.33 ft), and divide by 27. A 20 by 40 ft driveway at 4 inches is 800 x 0.33 / 27, or about 9.9 cubic yards. Order 5 to 10 percent extra for uneven ground and spillage. The concrete driveway calculator does the math, and adds a price when we have one.
How to compare concrete quotes
Measure first (see the measuring steps in the asphalt vs concrete guide), then ask every contractor to quote the same thing in writing:
- Area, slab thickness and the finish, by name.
- Reinforcement: wire mesh, rebar or fibers, and where the control joints go.
- Base: how deep the gravel is and how it is compacted.
- Tear-out and hauling of the old driveway, the permit, and the apron.
- The concrete mix: in cold climates, air-entrained concrete resists freeze and thaw damage.
- When you can walk on it, and when you can drive on it (usually about a week, longer for heavy vehicles).
- The warranty, in writing.
Still choosing between materials? The asphalt vs concrete driveway guide compares life, upkeep and climate side by side.
Sources
- Bob Vila, "How Much Does a Concrete Driveway Cost?" (updated April 2024; per square foot figures from HomeAdvisor)
- Inch Calculator, "Cost to Install Concrete Driveway" price guide (updated July 2023)
- American Concrete Institute (ACI) guidance on concrete driveways and slabs on ground
- Concrete per square foot prices published by contractors on their own websites (pavingfind.com data, live on this page)