Cost of Concrete Driveway

If you want to make your concrete driveway look attractive and long-lasting for the coming years, some important specifications need to be followed during installation. The life and performance of a driveway fully depend on the quality of workmanship and materials that go into it. There are numerous factors on which moving costs rely. Judging the approximate concrete driveway cost is a bit difficult for most homeowners. The most important thing is the installation process. Whether commercial or residential costs of concrete driveways depend on different factors. If you are looking for concrete driveway installation at your home, here we are sharing complete guidelines about the concrete driveway and its cost.

There are many positive reasons why you’ll often like to see concrete driveways in front of high-end homes. Not all driveways are the same. There are a number of colours, designs, and material qualities that keep it looking good for the long term. Also, their cost will fluctuate according to the requirement. If you want to replace your driveway with concrete or install a new driveway at your homefront, then here we are sharing the main factors that impact the total cost of your driveway installation.

The most important factor that decides the cost of driveway installation, is labour cost. You should hire a professional and experienced contractor for the same. Because not every homeowner has time to replace or repair their driveway constantly due to their busy schedule. Some house fronts and materials require more skills and effort to install than others. The total asphalt driveway might be higher than the other one. More labourer efforts require length, shape, and design. Like if you want fancy curves or semi-circles, it would definitely increase the cost.

All driveways are different when it comes to depth, finishing, and features. For example, a normal driveway is 4 inches deep, but if you want your driveway to hold heavy vehicles, you need to make it 6 inches deep. If you have multiple vehicles at your home you should upgrade it to 9-inch depth, the cost of the driveway will automatically increase with the requirement of strength and thickness.

Most of the time driveways come in different shapes and sizes, as per front yard designs. As if the length and breadth of the house front will increase the cost will be automatically increased.  The normal cost of concrete is $5 to $15 per square foot. With a few measurements, you can get the estimated cost of your project and collect multiple estimates from contractors to compare options. Driveways are often in the range of $2,340 and $7500 (including the removal of existing concrete). But usually, it depends on the size of the front door.

That’s quite obvious, that it is cheaper to install a new driveway instead of replacing an existing one. Because if you replace your driveway you need to pay the full price of the new driveway, plus additional charges of approximately $1 or $2  per sqr ft. for workers to collect and throw old dirt and cart them away in debris. Due to expensive labour costs replacing the driveway is not a good idea.

Some cities require a permit to install a new driveway, but it may also be waived off if there’s already a connecting paved apron in the property to a public street.

The cost of transportation that will be required at the time of material delivery will be excluded from the labour cost. While taking the total estimate of driveway installation make sure to add transportation costs as well.

A concrete driveway is popular for many reasons. The most important thing is that it helps to save road surfaces from the breakage of heavy vehicles. Here we have a huge list of the different types of driveways.

A plain concrete driveway is the most convenient, basic, and economical choice. Concrete helps to make the driveway hard and non-slippery. It helps to reduce erosion during heavy rainfall and prevent moisture from entering the house. Furthermore, you will get the best foundation if you plan to add something fancy later after some time. You can try to construct your plain concrete driveway on your own. You might find it simple and easy for professionals. As per experience, you can produce strong, stable, and long-lasting driveways with the best materials and methods.

Advantages of Poured Concrete Driveways

• Easy to Maintain
• Long-lasting
• Better Reaction to Heat and Light
• Load bearing
• Environment-friendly

Gravel driveways always come with a rocky surface. Most of the contractors prefer to have gravel driveways because it helps to assist in their upkeep. It also comes in a great variety of colors, which help to obtain the attractive look of the driveway. Gravel doesn’t let the water clog on the surface.

Advantages of Gravel Driveway

• Budget-friendly
• Quick Installation
• Less maintenance cost 
• Diverse style

A crushed stone driveway is the most affordable and easy to maintain. It is a bit similar to a gravel driveway. It also offers some flexibility in colors. There are various designs and styles available in crushed stone driveways.

Advantages of Crushed Stone Driveway

• Low cost
• Easier to install
• Gravel can be replenished
• Drains well

This type of driveway is made up of brick, concrete and natural stone, they come with very beautiful designs and colors. These driveways have a “wow” factor when seen on the street. Because of its looks and quality, this driveway is a bit more expensive than others. 

Advantages of Paver Driveway

• Fast installation 
• Multiple color options
• Attractive designs
• Low maintenance cost

Choosing the best and most durable driveway for your front yard is a big and hard decision. It impacts the property for years because homeowners will not be able to change it instantly. Selecting a basalt driveway is a good decision. These driveways have a natural, dark look that makes them more attractive and beautiful.

Advantages of Basalt Driveway

• High durability
• Attractive surface
• UV resistant
• Low maintenance cost

Cobblestone is the all-time favorite design of the driveway for every homeowner. This kind of driveway comes with multiple design choices. It has the capacity to hold a lot of things. These driveways aren’t found everywhere. Due to their high demand and less production. It is a bit expensive and it’s hard to clean snow from the surface of the driveway.

Advantages of Cobblestone Driveway

• Durable
• Weather resistant
• Stain resistant
• Easy to Install

Asphalt paved driveways are most popular among Australians. It provides a durable and long-lasting surface in the parking area and also helps to enhance the look of the front yard. The maintenance cost is affordable for this type of driveway. The life expectancy for asphalt paved driveways is thirty or more years.

Advantages of Asphalt Paved Driveway

• Safe & Smooth 
• Durable 
• Colour and design options

Installing a new driveway will quickly become expensive if you’ll seek to customize the design according to your choice. If you already have a driveway in bad condition that needs repairing you should better consult with a contractor to check out if the driveway can be repaired instead of replaced. This will be under your budget option. You can simply do a quick research on “driveway repair near me” to find reputable driveway contractors. Here we have prepared a list of ways to save money on concrete driveway costs.

• If you already have a driveway in bad condition you should better prefer to repair it instead of replacing it.
• Do as much as work you can in order to save labor costs.
• Get installation and repair quotations from multiple contractors.
• If possible you can wait until the end of the building season. 
• Don’t compromise with the material, always choose good material even if it’s a bit expensive.

Usually a perfectly designed driveway will stay long and last at least 30 years. But due to some conditions that can shorten the lifespan of the driveway and in result, homeowners will get crackings, discoloration, imbalanced surfaces, and scaling. There are two choices, either you can repair your driveway or replace it. It all depends on the condition of the surface. If the driveway has small cracks, imbalanced surfaces, or discoloration, you can go for repair of driveways. You can color or refill the cracks on your own. It is a reliable and budget-friendly idea.

On the other hand, if the crack and holes are larger than wide can be an indication of a bigger problem and require more investigation. It can be the reason for the leakage of pipes and vehicle damage. Still if in this situation you will choose the repair of your driveway it will not be a long-term solution to your problem. We would suggest you to better choose a replacement for the driveway instead of repairing it.

Every homeowner tries to save money from where they can. But if you are thinking of saving by installing a driveway on your own, this will be your wrong decision if you don’t have any experience. Laying in a concrete driveway is not as simple as it seems. Even if it’s just a flat rectangle, a little bit of complexity is involved in it. The required tools to lay down the driveway are very important. If you still choose to do DIY you will end up regretting it. After some time you will get your driveway cracked, broken, and rough. To recover it either you will need to repair your driveway or replace it. So you should better go for professional driveway installers instead of dreaming to save dollars while installing a driveway on your own.

After reading this blog you would know the role of the driveway in the front of your home. A number of factors and types of driveways influence the cost of the driveway. You should better go through the whole blog before making a decision. It is true you would be able to install or replace your driveway on your own but it will not be a long-term solution. It will require manpower and tools to install the driveway. So, in our opinion, make sure to hire a professional team to get the best and life-long results.

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