How much does a concrete driveway cost? (concrete only)
The concrete for a single 12 x 24 ft driveway 4 inches thick is 3.9 cubic yards with 10% waste, about $675 delivered at $150 a yard in 2026; a double 24 x 24 ft driveway is 7.8 yards and about $1,200, or $1,500 at the 5 inches most contractors pour. That is roughly $2.06 to $2.44 per square foot of concrete alone. The installed price is several times that; the tables show the material line so you can read a quote.
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Concrete cost by driveway size and thickness
Each table is one thickness. The volume includes 10% waste, and the price is a ready-mix delivery at $150 per cubic yard in quarter-yard steps, with the $75 short-load fee only where the order is under 5 yards. Change any of those in the concrete cost calculator to match your quote.
| Driveway | Type | Sq ft | Cubic yards | Concrete delivered | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft | single, one car | 200 | 2.7 | $488 * | $2.44 |
| 12 x 24 ft | single, roomy | 288 | 3.9 | $675 * | $2.34 |
| 10 x 40 ft | single, long | 400 | 5.4 | $825 | $2.06 |
| 20 x 20 ft | double, short | 400 | 5.4 | $825 | $2.06 |
| 24 x 24 ft | double, two cars | 576 | 7.8 | $1,200 | $2.08 |
| 20 x 40 ft | double, long | 800 | 10.9 | $1,650 | $2.06 |
| 24 x 40 ft | double, long | 960 | 13 | $1,988 | $2.07 |
| Driveway | Type | Sq ft | Cubic yards | Concrete delivered | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft | single, one car | 200 | 3.4 | $600 * | $3.00 |
| 12 x 24 ft | single, roomy | 288 | 4.9 | $750 | $2.60 |
| 10 x 40 ft | single, long | 400 | 6.8 | $1,050 | $2.63 |
| 20 x 20 ft | double, short | 400 | 6.8 | $1,050 | $2.63 |
| 24 x 24 ft | double, two cars | 576 | 9.8 | $1,500 | $2.60 |
| 20 x 40 ft | double, long | 800 | 13.6 | $2,063 | $2.58 |
| 24 x 40 ft | double, long | 960 | 16.3 | $2,475 | $2.58 |
| Driveway | Type | Sq ft | Cubic yards | Concrete delivered | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft | single, one car | 200 | 4.1 | $713 * | $3.56 |
| 12 x 24 ft | single, roomy | 288 | 5.9 | $900 | $3.13 |
| 10 x 40 ft | single, long | 400 | 8.1 | $1,237 | $3.09 |
| 20 x 20 ft | double, short | 400 | 8.1 | $1,237 | $3.09 |
| 24 x 24 ft | double, two cars | 576 | 11.7 | $1,763 | $3.06 |
| 20 x 40 ft | double, long | 800 | 16.3 | $2,475 | $3.09 |
| 24 x 40 ft | double, long | 960 | 19.6 | $2,963 | $3.09 |
* includes the short-load fee: the order is under the plant's minimum load.
Why the installed price is so much higher
The concrete is the easy part of a driveway. Before the truck arrives the old surface is broken up and carted away, the ground is dug to depth, 4 to 6 inches of crushed stone is spread and compacted (the gravel for a driveway guide works that out), forms are set to the falls, and mesh or rebar is laid on chairs. After the pour comes the screed, float and broom finish, the control joints, and a week of curing before the first car. All of that is labour and machinery, and it is why contractors quote per square foot installed rather than per yard of concrete.
Use the tables to check the concrete line of a quote: if a 24 x 24 driveway at 5 inches shows much more than $1,500 of concrete, ask what mix and what thickness are being priced. If you are the one quoting, the Pro quote builder adds the labour, extras, margin and tax on top of the material list.
Bags are not an option
A double driveway at 4 inches would be 352 bags of 80 lb, about $2,464 before the mixer, and would need to be mixed and placed in one continuous pour. Ready-mix at $1,200 is both cheaper and the only practical way to get a slab this size down without cold joints. See the yard of concrete guide for where bags do still win.
Before you order
- Measure the formed area, including any apron or flare at the street, and keep the 10% waste: a driveway that runs short mid-pour gets a second short load, with the fee.
- Pour 5 inches unless you know the driveway will only ever see cars; the extra 2 yards on a double driveway is the cheapest strength you can buy.
- Yards and bags by size are in concrete for a driveway; sealing the finished slab is in the driveway sealer guide.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a 24x24 concrete driveway cost in concrete?
- 7.8 cubic yards at 4 inches, about $1,200 delivered at $150 a yard; 9.8 yards and $1,500 at 5 inches; 11.7 yards and $1,763 at 6 inches. All three clear the minimum load, so there is no short-load fee. The base, forms, reinforcement, finishing and labour are extra.
- How much is a concrete driveway per square foot?
- In concrete only, about $2.06 to $2.44 per square foot at 4 inches and a quarter more at 5 inches, at 2026 ready-mix prices. Contractors quote installed prices per square foot that are several times higher, because they include removal of the old surface, excavation, the gravel base, forms, rebar or mesh, the pour, finishing and joints. Ask for the concrete as a separate line and compare it with the table.
- How thick should a concrete driveway be?
- 4 inches is the minimum for cars; 5 inches is the usual contractor spec and adds only a quarter to the concrete; 6 inches with rebar for trucks, RVs or a steep grade. Thickness is the cheapest place to add strength: going from 4 to 5 inches on a 24 x 24 ft driveway is 2 more yards, about $300 of concrete.
- Can I pour a driveway from bags?
- Not sensibly. Even the smallest single driveway in the table is 123 bags of 80 lb, and a double is 352: pallets of mix, days of hand mixing, and a slab that has to be poured in one go to avoid cold joints. A driveway is a ready-mix job; bags are for the patch and the post.
- How many yards of concrete for a driveway?
- Width × length × thickness in feet, divided by 27, plus 10% waste: 3.9 yards for 12 x 24 ft at 4 inches, 4.9 at 5 inches; 10.9 yards for 20 x 40 ft at 4 inches. The concrete for a driveway guide has the full yard and bag tables; this page prices them.
- What else is on a driveway quote?
- Breaking out and hauling away the old driveway, excavation to depth, 4 to 6 inches of compacted gravel base, forms and stakes, wire mesh or rebar, the pour and broom finish, control joints every 8 to 12 feet, curing or sealer, and the permit where one is needed. Each is a line a contractor can price; the concrete itself is usually a minority of the bill.
More guides
- How much is a yard of concrete? (delivered, 2026)
Ready-mix runs about 125 to 175 per cubic yard in the US, 2026, plus a short-load fee under 3 to 5 yards. What 1 to 10 yards cost delivered, and the same volume in bags.
- How much does a concrete slab cost? (10x10 to 24x30)
Material cost of 10x10 to 24x30 ft slabs at 4 and 6 inches: cubic yards with waste, ready-mix delivered with fees, the same job in 80 lb bags, and cost per square foot.
- How much does a cinder block garage cost? (blocks, mortar, grout and slab for 1, 2 and 3 car)
Blocks, mortar and grout for 1 to 3 car block garages, 12x20 to 36x24 ft, 8 ft walls, doors and windows taken off, plus the 4 in slab, at 2026 prices.
- How much does a ton of gravel cover? (at 2, 3 and 4 inches, by stone)
A ton of 3/4 in crushed stone is 0.79 cubic yards: about 85 sq ft at 3 in, 128 at 2 in, 64 at 4 in. Coverage by stone, tons for 100 to 1,000 sq ft, price.
Last updated 2026-09-14. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.