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MaterialCalc — Concrete Driveway Cost Calculator

Estimate prepared 09/01/2026. Estimates only; verify against your plans before ordering.

Concrete Driveway Cost Calculator

Ten feet for one car, sixteen to twenty for two abreast.

Five inches for cars, six if a loaded truck uses it.

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Result

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A driveway is the one flatwork job where thickness is not optional. Five inches is the working minimum under passenger vehicles and six is right if a loaded truck, RV or delivery vehicle uses it — and because a driveway is long, each extra inch costs several cubic yards. This prices the concrete, the base and the labor.

Assumptions used

These are the numbers behind the result. Where one of them is soft, the cost range widens rather than pretending to a precision the data does not have.

Driveway slab thickness
5 in

Passenger vehicles. Go to 6 in for trucks or RVs — the extra inch is cheap next to cracking.

ACI 330R, residential pavement — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

80 lb bag yield
0.6 ft³

Yield of one 80 lb bag of standard concrete mix.

Quikrete product data sheet — Published product data, checked 09/01/2026

60 lb bag yield
0.45 ft³

Yield of one 60 lb bag of standard concrete mix.

Quikrete product data sheet — Published product data, checked 09/01/2026

Ready-mix short-load threshold
1 yd³

Below roughly one cubic yard, most suppliers add a short-load fee that erases the price advantage over bags.

Regional ready-mix supplier schedules — Rough figure — widens the estimate range, checked 09/01/2026

Bags per pallet
42 bags

Above roughly one pallet of 80 lb bags, ready-mix is usually cheaper and always faster.

Home Depot / Lowe's pallet quantities — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Compacted gravel base under slab
4 in

Drains water away from the underside of the slab. Skipping it is the usual cause of a slab that heaves.

International Residential Code (2021) — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Crushed gravel density
105 lb/ft³

Compacted 3/4 in crushed stone. Varies by quarry and moisture; loose stone runs lighter.

USGS aggregate bulk density range — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Compaction allowance
0.2

Loose stone loses roughly a fifth of its volume once compacted, so order above the finished volume.

Standard earthwork practice — Rough figure — widens the estimate range, checked 09/01/2026

Vapor barrier roll coverage
1000 ft²

Home Depot / Lowe's published product data — Published product data, checked 09/01/2026

Welded wire mesh sheet coverage
150 ft²

One 5x10 ft sheet, less the overlap at the seams.

Home Depot / Lowe's published product data — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Prices verified 09/01/2026 (US national average, big-box retail shelf price and regional ready-mix quotes). Regional adjustment: Blended from RSMeans city cost index bands and BLS construction wage differentials.

The formula

Length × width × thickness ÷ 27 = cubic yards. A 40x12 driveway at 5 in is 480 ft² × 0.4167 ft = 200 ft³ = 7.4 yd³ before waste. Base tonnage is the same calculation at the base depth, times density, divided by 2,000.

Worked examples

40x12 driveway at 5 in

Driveway length: 40 Driveway width: 12 Thickness: 5 Waste: 10

About 8.1 cubic yards with waste and roughly 6 tons of base. One truck, and a pour that needs a crew of three or four to stay ahead of.

60x10 driveway at 5 in

Driveway length: 60 Driveway width: 10 Thickness: 5 Waste: 10

Roughly 10.2 yards. Long and narrow means more control joints and more forming per yard of concrete than a square slab.

40x20 double-width at 6 in

Driveway length: 40 Driveway width: 20 Thickness: 6 Waste: 10

About 16.3 yards — two trucks. At this size the pour has to be staged, and a concrete pump starts to look reasonable if the site is hard to reach.

Choosing materials

  • Six inches wherever a truck turns or parks. Concrete fails at the point loads — the apron by the street and the spot the delivery truck backs into are where a thin driveway cracks first.
  • The base matters more here than anywhere else, because a driveway is long enough to cross more than one kind of soil. Compact in lifts and do not skip the plate compactor.
  • Control joints every 10 to 12 feet, and a joint at any change in width. A driveway will crack at its narrowest point if you do not give it a joint there first.
  • Ten feet is enough width for one car but not enough to open the door onto pavement. Twelve feet is the width people wish they had built.
  • Check who owns the apron. The section between the sidewalk and the street is usually the municipality's, needs a permit, and often has its own thickness and mix specification.

Common questions

How thick should a concrete driveway be?

Five inches for passenger cars on a good base, six inches if a loaded pickup, RV or delivery truck uses it regularly. Four inches is common in older work and is why so many older driveways are cracked.

How much concrete for a 40x12 driveway?

At 5 inches thick, 7.4 cubic yards before waste and about 8.1 with a 10% allowance. At 6 inches it is 8.9 yards before waste. Order to the quarter yard and round up.

What does a concrete driveway cost?

Material for a 40x12 driveway typically runs $1,800 to $2,800 including the base. Poured and finished by a contractor, expect roughly $5 to $10 per square foot, so $2,400 to $4,800 for this size. Removal of an old driveway is extra.

Concrete or asphalt for a driveway?

Concrete costs more up front and lasts 30 or more years with little maintenance. Asphalt is roughly half the price, goes down faster, and needs sealing every few years. In hot climates asphalt softens; in freeze-thaw climates concrete needs air entrainment and a good base.

Do I need rebar in a driveway?

Rebar on an 18 inch grid is the usual specification, because a driveway carries concentrated wheel loads and long slabs move. Mesh is acceptable at 5 inches on excellent base, but rebar is the safer call for the small extra cost.

How long until I can drive on new concrete?

Seven days for passenger vehicles and 28 days for anything heavy, when the concrete reaches full design strength. Driving early does not crack it immediately — it shortens its life in ways you notice years later.

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