Cost Guide: Concrete For Patio and Driveway

Written By Kenneth Wilson  |  0 Comments

Your property’s curb appeal can say a lot about you and your lifestyle. As your relatives, neighbors, guests, and other people see your property from the street, they’ll see your home’s exterior first more than anything. Chances are, you might not be paying much attention to them.

Your driveway, front and back yard, gutters, and garage are also considered a part of your property. Aside from spending time and money on interior home projects, treat your home’s exterior just as necessary.

Importance of Having a Good Patio and Driveway

Upon entering your property, you’ll have to greet your driveway and patio first. Whether you admit it or not, the appearance of your patio and driveway can leave a significant first impression on your property.

As exterior parts of your home, your patio and driveway are exposed to outside elements 24/7, including sunlight, heat, snow, and rainwater. If you own a vehicle, heavy load, oil stains, and studded tires also contribute to driveway stress. With these in mind, your driveway and patio will eventually succumb to wearing and degradation.

Fear no more, as the right choice of material and proper care and maintenance lengthens the lifespan of your patio and driveway. If you’re planning for a new driveway installation, pouring a concrete driveway is your most worthwhile bet.

Patio and Driveway Improvement: Why Concrete?

Among various patio and driveway material candidates, concrete is a favored option by homeowners and contractors alike. What sets concrete apart from asphalt, gravel, porcelain, and other materials?

Concrete as a building material consists of a mixture of water, Portland cement, and aggregates like sand and rock. It’s much pricier than popular options like asphalt and gravel. For every square foot, gravel can be as little as $1 to $3, asphalt falls between $2 to $4, but concrete stands the most expensive at $4 to $6

The national average cost for concrete driveway paving is estimated at $5,184 with a minimum of $1,152 and a maximum of $11,520, but keep in mind that prices may exceed if you’re in for a more extravagant concrete driveway project.

On the other hand, a concrete driveway is relatively cheaper than concrete pavers, cobblestone, and brick, which focuses more on appeal. However, concrete can still outlast them thanks to its durability, load-bearing capacity, low maintenance, pleasant surface, and most importantly, longevity.

In light of this, this guide rounds up your expected costs in welcoming a new concrete driveway in your property. However, take note that these estimates may differ depending on these key factors: location, contract terms, quality of parts and materials, and completion time.

Costs According to Size

Assessing costs according to measurements is the gold standard of the construction industry, as larger areas will need more materials and labor expenses. Check out the table below for the concrete driveway costs depending on standard driveway sizes:

Size

Minimum Cost

Maximum Cost

Single stall (10 x 20 ft)

$800

$4,000

Single (12 x 24 ft)

$1,152

$5,760

Double stall (20 x 20 ft)

$1,600

$8,000

Double (24 x 24 ft)

$2,304

$11,520

Triple (24 x 36 ft)

$3,456

$17, 280

Additionally, a 50-diameter circular concrete driveway measured at 1,650 feet ranges from $7,500 to $15,000.

Meanwhile, an 80-diameter, 2,800-foot circular driveway costs between $12,000 to $25,000. If your driveway has a specific shape aside from a circular one, professionals may incur additional fees as they’re required to tweak your driveway’s configurations. Some residential properties have semi-circular, L-shaped, or S-shaped driveways.

Costs According to Concrete Finish

The versatility of concrete is another advantage why it’s preferred as a driveway material. Aside from being paved into various shapes and sizes, concrete can also be cut, colored, and stained in numerous ways.

Take a look at the table below for the average costs per square foot of each concrete finish:

Finish

Minimum Cost

Maximum Cost

Plain

$6

$8

Colored

$8

$12

Textured

$8

$12

Polished

$8

$12

Slate

$12

$18

Imprinted

$12

$18

Stamped

$12

$18

  • Plain finish: A basic driveway finish without any decorative details.
  • Colored finish: You’ll choose a color to be mixed, painted, or stained into the concrete. Prices may increase if multiple colors stains or specific designs are performed.
  • Textured finish: Basically, this finish adds texture as your driveway’s accent. Exposed aggregate, salt, and broom finishes fall under this category. Textured driveway finish is great for adding grip and preventing slips and falls, especially when the driveway is wet.
  • Polished finish: In contrast to textured finishes, a polished driveway has an extra smooth surface that almost looks reflective. This isn’t a fairly popular option as it’s a safety hazard, and neither increases the concrete strength nor hide noticeable stains.
  • Slate finish: A slate finish makes your driveway look like it’s designed with individual pieces of slates. Some installers may add slate color and size options.
  • Imprinted finish: An imprinted or engraved driveway is similar to stamping, but additional patterns and texture are added onto the surface.
  • Stamped finish: This finish requires pressing and stamping the mold into wet concrete, thus mimicking  a stone or brick finish.

Additional Concrete Driveway and Patio Costs

Concrete Driveway Heating

Many regions experience freezing temperatures in the winter then glaring heat in the summer. These temperature changes are a considerable threat to the concrete’s durability and longevity. Fortunately, you can opt for a heated driveway installation which costs from $5,000 to $10,000. (Related article: How Much Does It Cost To Install a Heated Driveway at Home? We Break It Down)

Adding heat into your driveways helps you melt snow effortlessly and prevent large ice and snow structures from forming in front of your property. It can also benefit you and your family’s safety as heated driveways reduce fall and slip injuries.

Concrete Driveway Apron

A concrete driveway apron is crucial to mark the entrance to your property from the public right-of-way. Concrete driveway aprons are valued at $3 to $10 per square foot, but adding decorative elements increase the costs to $6 to $25 per square foot.

Concrete Sealing

If you think that using concrete as the material for your driveway guarantees its excellent condition consistently, you’re wrong. Since driveway materials have to put up a lot for years of use, they could use an additional treatment like concrete sealing.

Proper sealing prevents scaling, cracks, and water damage into your concrete driveway, but it doesn’t warrant your driveway from damage and deterioration. Professional contractors offer concrete driveway sealing for $1 to $2 per square foot.

Final Thoughts

Building a concrete driveway is like getting the best of both worlds: paying less but getting more. Having a concrete patio and driveway is an affordable option that can last up to 20 years, meaning you’ll have to replace them only once during your property ownership.

While concrete stands as an affordable material, it’s not an excuse to settle for subpar work as well. Proper base and reinforcement will ensure that you’ll reap the benefits of having a concrete driveway, but if the installation is poorly performed, you can end up paying more.

About the Author

I can build it, and I can help you get the patio enclosure you want! I got my start in the Florida patio industry back in the 70s as a young general laborer looking for something to make a few bucks. At the time I never thought it would end up as my career. Over the years I grew beyond the laborer position, becoming a foreman, superintendent, and then into executive management for some of the largest patio contractors, and material vendors. Now into retirement and slightly bored, I offer consulting services to new and existing contractors, and publish this website to help the people who love their patio's and screen enclosures the most - YOU!

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>