Driveway Cost Comparison
Enter the driveway size and the surface you are leaning toward. All five surfaces are priced below.
Driveways & Paving
Driveway Cost Calculator
Quick answer: driveway cost = area × (installed $/ft² + site prep + removal) + permit + apron or culvert. A 20 × 20 ft driveway (400 ft²) at $6–$12 per ft² for concrete plus $1 per ft² of prep comes to about $2,800–$5,200; the same area in gravel is about $800–$1,600.
Price the same driveway five ways — gravel, asphalt, plain concrete, pavers and stamped concrete — with your own per-square-foot rates, then add tear-out, grading, permit and culvert costs that apply no matter which surface you pick.
Your driveway, side by side
Updates as you change the calculator. Totals include site prep, removal, permit and apron/culvert.
| Surface | Low total | Midpoint | High total | All-in $/ft² (mid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | — | — | — | — |
| Asphalt | — | — | — | — |
| Concrete | — | — | — | — |
| Pavers | — | — | — | — |
| Stamped concrete | — | — | — | — |
How to calculate driveway cost
Contractors quote paving by the square foot, but the per-square-foot number on a flyer rarely covers everything. Breaking the job into a surface rate plus the site work and fixed fees makes quotes comparable and shows which costs stay the same whichever material you choose.
Area × (Rate + Prep + Removal) + Permit + Apron/Culvert
area in ft² · rates in $ per ft² · run once with the low rate and once with the high rate
- Find the area. Length × width for a straight drive. Split curved or flared drives into rectangles and triangles and add them.
- Choose low and high installed rates for each surface. Use the defaults only as a starting point; a local quote is always better.
- Add per-square-foot site work: excavation and grading to reach the base depth, and tear-out and haul-off if an old surface is being replaced.
- Add the fixed items: permit fee, a concrete apron at the street, or a culvert pipe where the drive crosses a roadside ditch.
- Compare midpoints, then weigh the result against lifespan and upkeep in the table further down.
Worked example
A cracked 24 × 24 ft two-car driveway (576 ft²) is being replaced. The contractor quotes $1.00 per ft² for grading, $2.00 per ft² to break out and haul the old slab, and the city permit is $150. Using the default surface rates:
- Extras: 576 × ($1 + $2) + $150 = $1,878, the same for every surface
- Asphalt: 576 × $3 + $1,878 = $3,606 to 576 × $7 + $1,878 = $5,910 → midpoint $4,758
- Concrete: 576 × $6 + $1,878 = $5,334 to 576 × $12 + $1,878 = $8,790 → midpoint $7,062 (about $12.26 per ft² all-in)
- Pavers: $8,790 to $16,278 → midpoint $12,534
Notice that the fixed extras are a third of the low concrete figure — on small driveways, prep and removal can move the total as much as the choice of surface.
Driveway cost by size (installed surface only)
Calculated from the placeholder rates above: gravel $1–$3, asphalt $3–$7, concrete $6–$12, stamped $12–$20 and pavers $12–$25 per ft². Excludes prep, removal, permits and culverts.
| Driveway | Area | Gravel | Asphalt | Concrete | Stamped | Pavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car, 10 × 20 ft | 200 ft² | $200–$600 | $600–$1,400 | $1,200–$2,400 | $2,400–$4,000 | $2,400–$5,000 |
| 2-car, 20 × 20 ft | 400 ft² | $400–$1,200 | $1,200–$2,800 | $2,400–$4,800 | $4,800–$8,000 | $4,800–$10,000 |
| 2-car, 24 × 24 ft | 576 ft² | $576–$1,728 | $1,728–$4,032 | $3,456–$6,912 | $6,912–$11,520 | $6,912–$14,400 |
| Long rural, 12 × 100 ft | 1,200 ft² | $1,200–$3,600 | $3,600–$8,400 | $7,200–$14,400 | $14,400–$24,000 | $14,400–$30,000 |
What drives driveway cost
- Base and thickness. Soft clay or a thicker section for trucks and RVs means more excavation, more stone and more paving material. This is the most common reason two quotes for the "same" driveway differ.
- Access and haul distance. Tight lots that need small equipment or wheelbarrows, and rural sites far from the asphalt plant or ready-mix yard, cost more per square foot.
- Size and minimums. Small jobs carry a minimum charge for mobilization, so a 200 ft² pad often prices higher per square foot than a 1,200 ft² lane.
- Drainage. Culverts, trench drains, regrading to move water away from the garage, and curb cuts can each add hundreds to thousands of dollars.
- Finish and pattern. Color, stamping, exposed aggregate, decorative borders and herringbone paver layouts all add labor.
- Season and region. Asphalt prices follow oil prices and plants may close in winter; concrete prices track local cement and labor markets.
Lifespan and maintenance compared
General ranges often cited for residential driveways on a properly built base. Actual life depends on climate, drainage, traffic and upkeep.
| Surface | Typical service life | Routine upkeep | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel | Base lasts decades; surface needs ongoing work | Regrade ruts, top up stone every few years | Washouts on slopes, snow-plow scatter |
| Asphalt | Roughly 15–30 years | Sealcoat every few years, fill cracks | Softening in heat, edge breakup |
| Concrete | Roughly 25–40 years | Optional sealer, reseal joints | Deicing-salt scaling, settlement cracks |
| Stamped concrete | Similar to plain concrete | Reseal every few years to keep color | Repairs are hard to match |
| Pavers | Often 25 years or more | Re-sand joints, reset settled units | Weeds in joints; base failure shows as dips |
Driveway cost FAQ
What is the cheapest type of driveway?
Gravel is almost always the cheapest to install. Using this page's placeholder of $1 to $3 per square foot, a 400 sq ft two-car gravel driveway runs about $400 to $1,200 before site prep, versus $1,200 to $2,800 for asphalt and $2,400 to $4,800 for plain concrete. Gravel needs more upkeep over time, so compare long-term cost too.
How much does a 2-car driveway cost?
A 24 ft × 24 ft two-car driveway is 576 sq ft. At placeholder installed rates it comes to roughly $576 to $1,728 in gravel, $1,728 to $4,032 in asphalt, $3,456 to $6,912 in concrete and $6,912 to $14,400 in pavers, before tear-out, grading, permit or culvert work.
Is asphalt or concrete cheaper for a driveway?
Asphalt usually costs less to install, roughly half the per-square-foot price of plain concrete in many markets. Concrete typically lasts longer and needs less routine maintenance, while asphalt is usually sealcoated every few years. Local oil and cement prices can narrow or reverse the gap, so get quotes for both.
How much does it cost to remove an old driveway?
Tear-out is usually priced per square foot and depends on thickness, whether the old slab has rebar, access for equipment and local disposal fees. Enter your contractor's removal rate in the calculator; even $2 per square foot adds $1,152 to a 576 sq ft job.
Do I need a permit to pave a driveway?
Many cities and counties require a permit for a new curb cut, an apron in the public right-of-way, or a culvert under the road ditch, and some require one for any driveway replacement. Fees and rules vary by jurisdiction, so call the building or public works department before you schedule work.
How we built this calculator: results use the standard volume, area, and coverage formulas shown on this page, with typical U.S. material densities, bag yields, and waste factors that you can override. Written and checked by the YardsCalculator editorial team. Last reviewed: October 2026.