Concrete driveway cost

A concrete driveway costs $8 to $15 per square foot installed, typically around $11. A two-car driveway of 500 to 600 square feet is $4,000 to $9,000, with most homeowners paying near $5,500.

Asphalt is cheaper to lay at $7 to $13 per square foot and needs sealing every three to five years. Gravel is $1 to $3 and needs topping up. Pavers are $12 to $30 and last the longest.

Cost by material

Cost by driveway size

At $11 per square foot:

A long driveway is where asphalt pulls ahead sharply on price. Above about 1,000 square feet the material difference stops being marginal.

What is under it decides how long it lasts

Concrete fails from below. The sequence is almost always the same: an inadequate or poorly compacted base settles unevenly, the slab loses support in one area, and it cracks across the unsupported span.

A correct driveway has 4 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate base, 4 inches of concrete for cars and 5 to 6 inches where a truck or RV will park, wire mesh or fiber reinforcement, and control joints cut within the first day at intervals of roughly 10 feet.

Ask about slab thickness and base depth. The difference between 4 inches and 5 is about 12% of the material cost and it is the difference between a driveway that survives a delivery truck and one that does not.

Control joints, and why your driveway will crack

Concrete shrinks as it cures and it cracks. This is not a defect; it is a material property. Control joints are grooves cut into the slab to make the crack happen in a straight line at the bottom of a groove where nobody sees it.

Joints should be cut within 6 to 18 hours of the pour, a quarter of the slab depth, at intervals of roughly 24 to 30 times the thickness in inches. On a 4 inch slab that is every 8 to 10 feet.

A driveway with no joints, or joints cut too late or too shallow, will crack randomly across the surface within a year or two. If a quote does not mention joints, ask.

Repair, resurface or replace

Sealing cracks under about a quarter inch: $300 to $800, and it stops water getting into the base and freezing.

Resurfacing with a thin overlay: $3 to $7 per square foot. Only worthwhile if the slab underneath is structurally sound and the problem is surface wear or staining. It does nothing for a slab that is moving.

Mudjacking or slab lifting for a sunken section: $500 to $2,000, and it is excellent value when a slab has settled but not broken. Polyurethane foam lifting costs more and works in tighter access.

Replacement, when the slab is broken into multiple pieces, has heaved beyond lifting, or the base has failed. Add $1 to $3 per square foot for demolition and removal of the old surface.

The rough test: cracks that are hairline and static are cosmetic. Cracks with a height difference across them, or that grow year to year, mean the base is moving, and no surface treatment fixes that.

Drainage and the apron

Two details that determine whether the job is good.

Slope. A driveway should fall away from the garage and the house at about a quarter inch per foot. One that slopes toward the garage delivers every rainstorm to the door, and it is very expensive to correct later.

The apron, where the driveway meets the street, is often in the public right-of-way and subject to the municipality's specification, sometimes their permit and their inspection. Ask who is responsible for it before assuming it is included.

Frequently asked questions

How long before I can drive on it?

Foot traffic after 24 to 48 hours, cars after 7 days, heavy vehicles after 28 days, which is when concrete reaches its rated strength. Driving on it early is a common way to crack a new driveway.

Do I need a permit?

Frequently, particularly for a new driveway, a widened one, or any work touching the apron and the street. Replacing an existing driveway in the same footprint often does not need one. Check locally.

Is stamped concrete worth it?

It costs 40% to 60% more and it looks considerably better. The trade-off is maintenance: the color is in a surface layer, so it needs resealing every two to three years, and repairs to stamped concrete are visible.

Will salt damage it?

Yes. De-icing salts accelerate surface scaling, especially on concrete less than a year old. Use sand for traction on a new driveway through its first winter, and seal the slab.

Asphalt or concrete?

Concrete lasts longer, handles heat better and needs less maintenance. Asphalt is cheaper, far better in hard-freeze climates because it flexes rather than cracks, and it is quicker to repair. In the northern third of the country asphalt is often the more practical choice.