Concrete driveway cost calculator

These are the installed prices the calculator uses, combined from HomeAdvisor, Fixr, Bob Vila and This Old House. Low is the average of the guides' lows, high the average of their highs, typical sits in the middle.

Reinforcement is extra on concrete. This Old House, the one guide we found that prices it by the square foot, puts wire mesh at $0.35 a sq ft and rebar at $2 to $3 a sq ft. Stamped concrete costs more: HomeAdvisor gives $12 to $18 a sq ft for it.

The paver range is wide because pavers run from plain concrete blocks to natural stone. HomeAdvisor puts concrete pavers alone at $10 to $25 a sq ft.

Concrete is sold by the cubic yard, 27 cubic feet. To work it out:

1. Area: length × width. 40 ft × 12 ft = 480 sq ft.
2. Thickness in feet: inches ÷ 12. 4 in = 0.333 ft.
3. Volume: 480 × 0.333 = 160 cubic feet.
4. Yards: 160 ÷ 27 = 5.93 cubic yards.
5. Waste: add 5% to 10% for spillage, a soft spot in the base and the last bit in the drum. 5.93 × 1.10 = 6.5 yards.

The table is before waste. Fixr says 4 inches is fine for cars and 5 inches for heavier vehicles; HomeAdvisor suggests 6 inches or more where trucks park. Ready-mix ran about $117 to $168 a yard in HomeAdvisor's and This Old House's guides. That cost is already inside the installed price, so the calculator shows it for reference and does not add it again.

• Surface. Asphalt is usually the cheapest to put down, concrete next, pavers the most.
• Tear-out. Breaking up and hauling off an old slab adds about $1.33 to $4.33 a sq ft.
• Base and grading. A soft or sloped site needs more gravel and compaction before the pour.
• Thickness and reinforcement. Thicker slabs take more concrete. Rebar costs more than mesh but holds cracked pieces together better.
• Finish. Broom finish is standard. Stamping, colour and exposed aggregate cost more.
• Access. If the truck cannot reach, the concrete has to be pumped or wheeled.
• Where. The calculator scales the labor share by your state's construction wage.

Permits matter on driveway work. Many towns require one for a new curb cut or for widening a drive, and some have rules on how much of a front yard can be paved. Check before you price, and put the permit on its own line.

Drainage is the other thing to settle up front. The drive should slope away from the house and the garage. Water that sits on concrete or asphalt shortens its life, and water that runs toward the house becomes a basement problem.

Sealcoating puts a protective coat on an asphalt drive to slow down cracking from sun, water and oil. HomeAdvisor gives $1.25 to $1.50 a sq ft for materials and labor; Fixr gives $0.88 to $2.10 on one page and $0.68 to $2.10 on another. Combined, the calculator uses $0.94 to $1.90, typical $1.42.

Bob Vila gives $3 to $7 a sq ft. That sits far above the other three sources, so the calculator leaves it out.

A 1,000 sq ft drive comes to about $940 to $1,900. Crack filling before the seal is usually priced by the foot of crack.

Sealcoat goes on a clean, dry drive in warm weather, and cars stay off it until it cures. Most crews blow off and clean the surface, fill cracks, treat oil spots, then spray or squeegee the sealer. A new asphalt drive is usually left to cure for some months before its first seal; ask the paver who laid it.

From the calculator at national prices, without tear-out or reinforcement:

Fixr puts a single-stall drive at $1,600 to $5,000 and HomeAdvisor puts a 10 by 20 ft concrete drive at $1,600 to $3,000, both close to these. Low-end quotes are usually a plain pour over an existing, sound base.

Worked example: a 12 by 40 ft concrete driveway.

4 inches thick with wire mesh, no tear-out, national prices:

1. Area: 40 × 12 = 480 sq ft.
2. Concrete: 480 × $8.00 to $19.00 = $3,840 to $9,120.
3. Mesh: 480 × $0.35 = $168.
4. Total: about $4,000 to $9,300, typical $6,650.
5. Order: 6.5 cubic yards with 10% waste.

Fixr prices a single-stall 10 by 20 ft drive at $1,600 to $5,000 and a 24 by 24 ft double at $4,610 to $14,400.

• Concrete. Costs more than asphalt to put down and lasts longer with less upkeep. Cracks can show, and stains from oil are hard to lift. Needs about a week before cars go on it.
• Asphalt. Usually the cheapest to install and quicker to drive on. Softens in strong heat and needs sealcoating every few years to stop it drying and cracking.
• Pavers. The most expensive and the most choice in look. Single pavers can be lifted and replaced, so repairs do not show. Weeds can come up through the joints without polymeric sand.

In cold climates, freeze and thaw is hard on both concrete and asphalt. A good base and proper drainage matter more than the surface.

Concrete crews build the price from yards of concrete, base material, forms and reinforcement, then crew days for prep, the pour and finishing, plus the pump or tear-out if needed. Paving and sealcoating crews price mostly by the square foot with a minimum per job.

Put the tear-out, the base and the reinforcement on their own lines so the customer sees what changes when they pick mesh or rebar, 4 or 5 inches. Check the job covers its share of overhead with the profit margin calculator, then "Save as an estimate in Koira" to send it as an estimate from your phone.

Concrete jobs depend on the weather and the truck. Plan pours around rain and frost, and confirm the order the day before. A short load or a missing finisher can ruin a slab. Charge enough to cover a crew that waits now and then.

For sealcoating, the work is volume. Many crews set a minimum per driveway and offer a price for neighbours on the same street, since the setup is already done. Crack filling and oil spot treatment can be priced as add-ons by the foot or by the spot.