How much to charge for a concrete driveway
Concrete is quoted per square foot, but the pour is the short part. Excavation, base and what happens to the old slab decide whether the job makes money.
Below: the published wage for this work, why your billing rate has to be well above it, how this job is actually priced, and what moves the number. Put your own rate into the generator and you get a real itemized estimate built on it.
Generate this estimate now
Describe the job in plain words. No email needed to see your first estimate — about fifteen seconds for a small job, a little longer for a big one.
What you get — see the format first
A complete estimate you can send to the customer, built from the rate you enter:
| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor — itemized by task | hrs | hour | your rate | — |
| Materials — with your markup applied | qty | ea / sq ft | cost + markup | — |
| Permits, disposal, access | — | — | — | — |
Plus a plain-English scope summary, assumptions (what had to be guessed), exclusions (what you are not doing — the section that prevents most change-order arguments), and a validity period. Printable, or send the link.
Every figure comes from the rate and markup you supply. We never fill in a market price for you.
How a concrete driveway is priced
Flatwork is priced per square foot at a given thickness, with the material component cross-checked against cubic yards ordered so waste and short loads are not absorbed silently. Reinforcement, sub-base preparation, excavation and haul-off of spoil or of an existing slab are separate lines. Finish type and any saw-cut or tooled control joints are priced on top, as is anything that affects placement, such as a pump for a driveway the truck cannot reach.
What moves the number
- Slab thickness and whether the driveway must carry vehicles heavier than cars
- Sub-base: depth of gravel, compaction, and whether the existing soil needs removing
- Reinforcement — mesh or rebar, and the grid spacing specified
- Demolition and disposal of an existing driveway, which is heavy, slow and expensive to tip
- Truck access; anything needing a pump or wheelbarrow runs changes the labour completely
- Finish: broom, exposed aggregate, stamped or coloured, each with different crew time
- Weather and cure window, including whether blankets or retarders are needed
How a concrete driveway gets underpriced
- Pricing off square footage alone and swallowing the excavation and haul-off
- Ordering by area without converting to yards, then paying for the short load
- Treating control joints and finishing as included when they are skilled, timed labour
- Underestimating demo of the old slab, especially if it is reinforced
- No contingency for a soft or wet sub-grade discovered after excavation starts
Related guides
How much to charge
garage floor epoxy · gutter installation · snow removal · sod installation · driveway sealing
Estimate templates by trade
concrete · tree service · pressure washing · junk removal · siding · masonry · excavation · asphalt paving
How to estimate
How to write a contractor estimate · Estimate vs quote vs bid — and which one you should send · What to include in a contractor estimate · How to price a job as a contractor · Should you charge for estimates? · How to follow up on an estimate · How to handle change orders · Estimate vs invoice: what's the difference? · How to raise your prices as a contractor