Cubic yards, rebar grid, control joints and cost for a poured driveway.
Estimates are planning aids, not a professional quote. Double-check quantities and product coverage — and any local code or permit requirements — before you buy.
⚠ That's enough concrete to order ready-mix — driveways rarely make sense to hand-mix. Confirm truck access to the site and have the crew, forms and joint tooling ready before it arrives.
⚠ Check with your city or county before pouring — many require a permit for a new driveway apron where it meets the public street, and some specify the apron thickness and rebar independently.
| Concrete & Footings | $1,490–$2,016 |
| Soil & Fill | $202–$273 |
| Lumber & Decking | $89–$121 |
| Finishing & Sealant | $81–$110 |
| Fasteners & Hardware | $45–$61 |
| Total | $1,907–$2,580 |
Excludes tools, delivery, tax and permit fees. Labor not included — this is a DIY materials estimate.
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About this calculator
Enter your driveway's length and width and pick who's driving on it, and the Concrete Driveway Calculator sizes the slab the way a driveway actually needs to be built — thickness and base depth scaled to the load, a tight rebar grid instead of a light patio mesh, and a control-joint layout spaced to the slab's own thickness so shrinkage cracks land where you want them, not where they want to go.
It also prices out the concrete itself, in cubic yards or bags with the ready-mix cutover flagged automatically, plus the compacted base, joint sealant, edge forms and an optional flared apron where the drive meets the street or garage. The result is a real materials list and cost range you can hand to a supplier, not a rough area estimate.
Step by step
A step-by-step walkthrough to go with your plan above. Follow the product instructions and any local code or permit requirements as you work.
Decide who's actually driving on it — cars, trucks and RVs, or heavy equipment — since that sets the slab thickness, base depth and rebar spacing you'll build to. Measure the length and width, including any apron.
Dig out to subgrade for the full base plus slab depth, and shape a slight crown or cross-slope so water sheds off rather than pooling or running toward the garage.
Spread and compact the gravel base in lifts with a plate compactor. A firm, well-compacted base is what keeps a driveway from settling and cracking under repeated vehicle loads.
Set straight, well-staked 2× forms to the finished grade, including the flare of an apron if you're pouring one. Driveway forms take real lateral pressure from a large pour — brace them well.
Lay the rebar grid or wire mesh on chairs so it sits at mid-slab depth, tied at the intersections, with the layout matching your planned control-joint spacing.
Place the concrete in manageable sections, working from the far end toward the truck or mixer, and screed it flush to the forms with a straight board.
Bull-float the surface, run an edger along the forms, then tool or saw-cut the control joints within about a day of the pour at your planned spacing.
Keep the surface damp or covered for at least 5 to 7 days, and keep vehicles off it for a full week minimum — longer for heavier loads or cold weather.
Equip the job
Hand-picked categories that match the shopping list above. Links open a current selection so you can compare brands and prices.
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Keep planning
Concrete & Masonry
Answers
Four inches over a compacted base is the standard minimum for cars and light SUVs. Step up to 5 inches for trucks, RVs and trailers, and 6 inches with a tighter rebar grid for heavy equipment or commercial traffic. Thickness is the single biggest factor in whether a driveway cracks and settles under repeated wheel loads, so don't reuse patio-slab numbers here — this calculator sets the thickness from what will actually be parked on it.
Rebar is the stronger, more common choice for driveways because it holds its position at the middle of the slab and resists the repeated flexing of vehicle loads better than mesh, which tends to sag to the bottom of the pour if it isn't chaired up carefully. A #4 rebar grid at 18 inches on center is a solid residential default; wire mesh is acceptable for light car-only use where budget is tight.
A common rule of thumb is spacing in feet equal to about 2 to 2.5 times the slab thickness in inches — so a 4-inch driveway gets joints roughly every 8 to 10 feet, a 5 or 6-inch driveway more like 10 to 12 feet. Cut or tool them within about 24 hours of the pour, roughly a quarter of the slab's depth, so shrinkage cracks form cleanly along the joint instead of randomly across the surface.
The apron is the short, often flared and sometimes thicker section where the driveway meets the public street or the garage floor. Many cities regulate the apron's width, thickness, and even rebar independently of the rest of the drive, and it can require its own permit or inspection. Check with your local road department before you pour if your driveway connects to a public street.
Plan on keeping vehicles off it for a full week at minimum, and light foot traffic only for the first couple of days. Concrete reaches about 70% of its strength in a week but keeps curing for a month, so avoid heavy trucks, trailers or RVs on it for at least 2 to 4 weeks, longer in cold weather where curing slows down.
A small single-car pad is within reach for an experienced DIYer with help for the pour itself, since concrete doesn't wait once the truck arrives. Anything with an apron tying into a public street, heavy vehicle loads, or tricky drainage and grading is worth pricing against a licensed contractor — the concrete itself is a small share of the total cost, and a bad pour is expensive to redo.