Concrete driveway cost
Updated October 2026
A concrete driveway costs $4–$15 per square foot installed — about $3,000 for a typical project (Bob Vila $1,800–$6,000). The basic-pour national band is tighter at $9.86–$12.11/sq ft (Homewyse, Sept 2026). By size, a 10×20 ft slab runs $800–$1,600 and a 20×20 ft runs $1,600–$8,000. Three levers move the number: slab size, thickness and finish.
Cost by slab size
| Slab footprint | Installed cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10×20 ft (single) | $800–$1,600 | Bob Vila size examples |
| 20×20 ft (double) | $1,600–$8,000 | Top reflects premium finish / site prep |
| Any size | $4–$15/sq ft | Whole-job band; basic pour $9.86–$12.11/sq ft |
Cost by thickness
Concrete is bought by the cubic yard ($150/$150 at the top of the $125–$150/cu yd range), so thickness is a volume lever even though the finished job is quoted per sq ft. Standard residential slabs are 4 in for cars; 5–6 in is common for heavy vehicles, RVs or a base under pavers.
| Thickness | Relative concrete volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 in (standard car) | 1.0× (baseline) | Default residential slab |
| 5 in | ~1.25× | Heavier vehicles; more rebar coverage |
| 6 in (heavy-duty) | ~1.5× | RVs/trucks; usually a thicker base |
Honesty note: the dataset prices per cubic yard ($125–$150) and per sq ft ($9.86–$12.11 basic pour); it does not publish a per-thickness cost table. The volume ratios above are the geometric relationship (thickness ÷ 4 in), not a dataset row — a thicker slab consumes more concrete at the cited per-yard rate, plus more labor and rebar (+$1–$3/sq ft). No invented per-thickness dollar band is shown.
Cost by finish
| Finish | Cost (per sq ft) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain (broom) | $4–$6 | Standard finish |
| Stained | $6–$12 | Acid/stain decorative finish |
| Stamped / decorative | $8–$15 | Stamping add-on |
| Heated (snow-melt) | $12–$25 | Premium specialty |
A plain broom finish sits at the bottom; stamping roughly doubles the surface cost; a heated slab is a specialty premium. Stamped sits atop the basic pour as a tier — the two are never averaged.
Concrete vs asphalt
| Concrete | Asphalt | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed (per sq ft) | $4–$15 (basic pour $9.86–$12.11) | $7–$15 |
| Whole-job anchor | just under $6,500 (NerdWallet) | a little over $5,000 (~600 sq ft) |
| Re-seal surface | $0.5–$2.5/sq ft | $355–$600 per job (avg $468) |
| Trade-off | Higher upfront; rigid, cracks with settling | Lower upfront; oil-price volatile, wants periodic sealing |
Per-sq-ft averages overlap; ownership cost is where they diverge. No material-lifespan claims appear — the dataset carries none.
Line items
| Line item | Band | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete material | $125–$150 | per cubic yard |
| Labor | $1.6–$6 | per sq ft (~40% of cost) |
| Equipment | $1–$4 | per sq ft |
| Rebar / reinforcement | +$1–$3 | per sq ft (adder) |
| Sealing | $0.5–$2.5 | per sq ft |
| Brick / stone border | $6–$15 | per linear ft |
| Concrete apron | $3–$10 | per sq ft |
| Old driveway removal / demo | $2–$6 | per sq ft — single-source (flagged) |
What drives the cost
- Slab size. Area × per-sq-ft rate is the base — 10×20 runs $800–$1,600, 20×20 runs $1,600–$8,000.
- Thickness. A thicker slab consumes more concrete at $125–$150/cu yd plus more labor and rebar — no published per-thickness band.
- Finish. Plain → stained → stamped → heated is the premium ladder ($4 → $25/sq ft).
- Site prep & base. Excavation, grading and a compacted base are quoted after the site is opened; soft subgrade adds work.
- Reinforcement. Rebar/mesh adds $1–$3/sq ft and is standard on driveways.
- Regional labor. The $1.6–$6/sq ft labor band swings by market.
What is not included
- Local labor rates — national bands; your market can sit above or below.
- Permits — some jurisdictions require a right-of-way permit for an apron; not in the bands.
- Site excavation / haul-off of unsuitable soil — quoted after the site is opened.
- Drainage work (swales, trench drains) — a separate scope.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost?
$4–$15/sq ft installed, about $3,000 typical (Bob Vila $1,800–$6,000). The basic-pour band is $9.86–$12.11/sq ft (Homewyse, Sept 2026).
How much is a 20×20 concrete driveway?
$1,600–$8,000 (Bob Vila size examples); the top reflects premium finish and site prep.
Is concrete cheaper than asphalt?
On per-sq-ft averages the two overlap ($4–$15 concrete vs $7–$15 asphalt), but asphalt's whole-job anchor (~$5,000) sits below concrete's (just under $6,500); asphalt also needs periodic sealcoating.
Does slab thickness change the price?
Yes — concrete is bought by the cubic yard ($125–$150), so a 6 in slab uses ~1.5× the concrete of a 4 in slab, plus more labor and rebar. The dataset has no per-thickness band, so no invented figure is shown.
Sources
- NerdWallet - Asphalt vs. Concrete Driveway Cost (2026, fact-checked Sep 3, 2025) — high reliability · manual
- Homewyse - Cost to Install Concrete Driveway (2026 cost calculator) — high reliability · manual
- Angi - asphalt driveway cost [2026 Data] (per GO scoring SERP capture) — medium reliability · manual
Estimated installed cost
$4,344 – $6,044
$9.86–$12.11/sqft × 400 sqft + rebar $1–$3/sqft.
Size examples (read-only): 10×20 ft → $800–$1,600; 20×20 ft → $1,600–$8,000.
Concrete vs asphalt: asphalt runs $7–$15/sqft — shown for context, never added to the concrete total. A 6 in slab uses ~1.5× the concrete of a 4 in slab (bought at $125–$150/cu yd); the dataset publishes no per-thickness dollar band, so none is shown here.
Estimate from cited national bands — get local written quotes. Bands are per-source, never averaged. Homewyse's basic-pour band moved ~+2.8% between its May ($9.59–$11.78) and September ($9.86–$12.11) calculators — both recorded; this calculator uses the September figures and says so.
Estimate only — get local written quotes. Figures are national bands from public cost guides (Bob Vila, Homewyse, NerdWallet) as of October 2026, not verified contractor pricing. The removal/demo row is single-source and flagged; Homewyse's basic-pour band moved ~+2.8% between May and September 2026 (both recorded, not smoothed); per-source bands are kept separate, never averaged. Related: the driveway hub and the all-material driveway cost guide.