★ CONSTRUCTION · CONCRETE · DRIVEWAY
$3,214.81 in all, $8.04 a square foot. A 20 by 20 ft driveway at 4 in thick needs 5.43 cubic yards with waste — $814.81 of concrete and $2,400.00 of labor. Going to 6 in adds $407.41. Enter your size and prices to price your driveway.
A concrete driveway is priced in three steps: the area, the volume, and the cost. This calculator works out the cubic yards with waste, the concrete and labor cost, the cost per square foot, and how many bags you would need if you mixed it yourself — so the number you get is the number on the quote.
A concrete driveway is priced in three steps: the area, the volume, and the cost. The area is the length times the width in square feet. The volume is the area times the thickness in feet, divided by 27 to turn cubic feet into cubic yards, and the billable volume is the volume times one plus the waste. The concrete cost is the billable volume times the price per cubic yard, the labor cost is the area times the labor per square foot, and the total is the concrete plus the labor. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet; an 80-lb bag yields 0.6 cu ft (45 bags per cubic yard), a 60-lb bag yields 0.45 cu ft (60 per cubic yard), and a 40-lb bag yields 0.3 cu ft (90 per cubic yard).
At the defaults — 20 ft long, 20 ft wide, 4 in thick, $150 a cubic yard, 10% waste, $6 a square foot of labor — the area is 20 × 20 = 400 sq ft, the volume is 400 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 4.94 cu yd, the billable volume is 4.94 × 1.10 = 5.43 cu yd, the concrete costs 5.43 × $150 = $814.81, the labor costs 400 × $6 = $2,400.00, and the total is $814.81 + $2,400.00 = $3,214.81, which is $8.04 a square foot. The concrete alone is $2.04 a square foot.
| Case | Area | Concrete | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default (20 x 20 ft, 4 in) | 400 sq ft | $814.81 | $3,214.81 |
| 6 in thick | 400 sq ft | $1,222.22 | $3,622.22 |
| 24 x 24 ft | 576 sq ft | $1,173.33 | $4,629.33 |
| 12 x 20 ft | 240 sq ft | $488.89 | $1,928.89 |
| 10 x 20 ft | 200 sq ft | $407.41 | $1,607.41 |
| Price $125/cu yd | 400 sq ft | $679.01 | $3,079.01 |
| Price $200/cu yd | 400 sq ft | $1,086.42 | $3,486.42 |
| Labor $8/sq ft | 400 sq ft | $814.81 | $4,014.81 |
| Labor $4/sq ft | 400 sq ft | $814.81 | $2,414.81 |
| Waste 0% | 400 sq ft | $740.74 | $3,140.74 |
| Waste 20% | 400 sq ft | $888.89 | $3,288.89 |
| 30 x 20 ft | 600 sq ft | $1,222.22 | $4,822.22 |
| 3 in thick | 400 sq ft | $611.11 | $3,011.11 |
Setup: length 20 ft, width 20 ft, thickness 4 in, price $150/cu yd, waste 10%, labor $6/sq ft.
Line 1 — the area. 20 × 20 = 400 sq ft.
Line 2 — the volume. 400 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 400 × 0.3333 ÷ 27 = 4.94 cu yd (4.9383 unrounded).
Line 3 — the billable volume. 4.94 × (1 + 10%) = 4.94 × 1.10 = 5.43 cu yd (5.4321 unrounded).
Line 4 — the concrete cost. 5.43 × $150 = $814.81.
Line 5 — the labor cost. 400 × $6 = $2,400.00.
Line 6 — the total. $814.81 + $2,400.00 = $3,214.81, which is $3,214.81 ÷ 400 = $8.04 a square foot.
Reverse: a $3,000 budget leaves $3,000 − $2,400 = $600 for concrete, which buys $600 ÷ $150 = 4.00 cu yd billable, or 4.00 ÷ 1.10 = 3.64 cu yd raw, which covers 294.55 sq ft at 4 in thick. A $5,000 budget buys 1,276.36 sq ft, and $7,500 buys 2,503.64 sq ft. One cubic yard covers 81 sq ft at 4 in and 54 sq ft at 6 in.
6 in thick: the volume is 400 × (6 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 7.41 cu yd, the billable volume is 7.41 × 1.10 = 8.15 cu yd, the concrete costs 8.15 × $150 = $1,222.22, and the total is $1,222.22 + $2,400.00 = $3,622.22, which is $9.06 a square foot. Going from 4 in to 6 in adds $407.41.
24 x 24 ft: the area is 24 × 24 = 576 sq ft, the volume is 576 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 7.11 cu yd, the billable volume is 7.82 cu yd, the concrete costs $1,173.33, the labor costs 576 × $6 = $3,456.00, and the total is $4,629.33.
12 x 20 ft: the area is 240 sq ft, the volume is 2.96 cu yd, the billable volume is 3.26 cu yd, the concrete costs $488.89, the labor costs $1,440.00, and the total is $1,928.89.
10 x 20 ft: the area is 200 sq ft, the volume is 2.47 cu yd, the billable volume is 2.72 cu yd, the concrete costs $407.41, the labor costs $1,200.00, and the total is $1,607.41.
Price $125/cu yd: the concrete costs 5.43 × $125 = $679.01, and the total is $679.01 + $2,400.00 = $3,079.01, which is $7.70 a square foot. A $25 cheaper yard saves $135.80 on this driveway.
Price $200/cu yd: the concrete costs 5.43 × $200 = $1,086.42, and the total is $3,486.42, which is $8.72 a square foot. A $50 dearer yard adds $271.61.
Labor $8/sq ft: the labor costs 400 × $8 = $3,200.00, and the total is $814.81 + $3,200.00 = $4,014.81, which is $10.04 a square foot. Labor is the bigger half of the job, so the labor rate moves the total more than the concrete price.
Labor $4/sq ft: the labor costs 400 × $4 = $1,600.00, and the total is $2,414.81, which is $6.04 a square foot.
Waste 0%: the billable volume is the raw volume, 4.94 cu yd, the concrete costs $740.74, and the total is $3,140.74. The 10% waste costs $74.07 of concrete on this driveway.
Waste 20%: the billable volume is 4.94 × 1.20 = 5.93 cu yd, the concrete costs $888.89, and the total is $3,288.89.
30 x 20 ft: the area is 600 sq ft, the volume is 7.41 cu yd, the billable volume is 8.15 cu yd, the concrete costs $1,222.22, the labor costs $3,600.00, and the total is $4,822.22.
3 in thick: the volume is 400 × (3 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 3.70 cu yd, the billable volume is 4.07 cu yd, the concrete costs $611.11, and the total is $3,011.11, which is $7.53 a square foot. A 3-in slab saves $203.70 but is too thin for a driveway.
Reverse — the budget and the coverage: a $3,000 budget buys 294.55 sq ft (4.00 cu yd billable, 3.64 raw); $5,000 buys 1,276.36 sq ft; $7,500 buys 2,503.64 sq ft. One cubic yard covers 81 sq ft at 4 in and 54 sq ft at 6 in. Going from 4 in to 6 in on this driveway adds $407.41.
The model assumes a flat rectangular driveway, the length, width and thickness you enter, and a single ready-mix price per cubic yard with a flat labor rate per square foot. It assumes the waste is a flat percentage of the volume, and it leaves out excavation, gravel base, rebar or mesh, forming, sealing, permits and drainage, which are real but not priced here. The bag counts assume an 80-lb bag yields 0.6 cu ft, a 60-lb bag yields 0.45 cu ft, and a 40-lb bag yields 0.3 cu ft. Rounding convention: money is rounded to cents, volumes are shown to two decimals, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Area | length × width | 400 sq ft. |
| Volume | area × (thickness ÷ 12) ÷ 27 | 4.94 cu yd. |
| Billable volume | volume × (1 + waste) | 5.43 cu yd. |
| Concrete cost | billable × price per cu yd | $814.81. |
| Labor cost | area × labor per sq ft | $2,400.00. |
| Total cost | concrete + labor | $3,214.81. |
| Cost per sq ft | total ÷ area | $8.04/sq ft. |
| 80-lb bags | ceil(billable × 45) | 245 bags. |
| 60-lb bags | ceil(billable × 60) | 326 bags. |
| 40-lb bags | ceil(billable × 90) | 489 bags. |
| Concrete alone per sq ft | concrete ÷ area | $2.04/sq ft. |
| Budget $3,000 buys | (budget − labor) ÷ price, then to area | 294.55 sq ft (4.00 cu yd billable, 3.64 raw, $600.00 of concrete). |
| Budget $5,000 buys | (budget − labor) ÷ price, then to area | 1,276.36 sq ft (17.33 cu yd billable, 15.76 raw, $2,600.00 of concrete). |
| Budget $7,500 buys | (budget − labor) ÷ price, then to area | 2,503.64 sq ft (34.00 cu yd billable, 30.91 raw, $5,100.00 of concrete). |
| 1 cu yd covers at this thickness | 27 ÷ (thickness ÷ 12) | 81 sq ft. |
| 1 cu yd covers at 6 in | 27 ÷ (6 ÷ 12) | 54 sq ft. |
| 6 in over 4 in | 6-in total − 4-in total | $407.41. |
| 6 in thick | same model, 6 in | 400 sq ft, 7.41 cu yd, 8.15 billable, $1,222.22 concrete, $2,400.00 labor, $3,622.22 total, $9.06/sq ft. |
| 24 x 24 ft | same model, 24 x 24 ft | 576 sq ft, 7.11 cu yd, 7.82 billable, $1,173.33 concrete, $3,456.00 labor, $4,629.33 total, $8.04/sq ft. |
| 12 x 20 ft | same model, 12 x 20 ft | 240 sq ft, 2.96 cu yd, 3.26 billable, $488.89 concrete, $1,440.00 labor, $1,928.89 total, $8.04/sq ft. |
| 10 x 20 ft | same model, 10 x 20 ft | 200 sq ft, 2.47 cu yd, 2.72 billable, $407.41 concrete, $1,200.00 labor, $1,607.41 total, $8.04/sq ft. |
| Price $125/cu yd | same model, $125/cu yd | 400 sq ft, 4.94 cu yd, 5.43 billable, $679.01 concrete, $2,400.00 labor, $3,079.01 total, $7.70/sq ft. |
| Price $200/cu yd | same model, $200/cu yd | 400 sq ft, 4.94 cu yd, 5.43 billable, $1,086.42 concrete, $2,400.00 labor, $3,486.42 total, $8.72/sq ft. |
| Labor $8/sq ft | same model, $8/sq ft labor | 400 sq ft, 4.94 cu yd, 5.43 billable, $814.81 concrete, $3,200.00 labor, $4,014.81 total, $10.04/sq ft. |
| Labor $4/sq ft | same model, $4/sq ft labor | 400 sq ft, 4.94 cu yd, 5.43 billable, $814.81 concrete, $1,600.00 labor, $2,414.81 total, $6.04/sq ft. |
| Waste 0% | same model, 0% waste | 400 sq ft, 4.94 cu yd, 4.94 billable, $740.74 concrete, $2,400.00 labor, $3,140.74 total, $7.85/sq ft. |
| Waste 20% | same model, 20% waste | 400 sq ft, 4.94 cu yd, 5.93 billable, $888.89 concrete, $2,400.00 labor, $3,288.89 total, $8.22/sq ft. |
| 30 x 20 ft | same model, 30 x 20 ft | 600 sq ft, 7.41 cu yd, 8.15 billable, $1,222.22 concrete, $3,600.00 labor, $4,822.22 total, $8.04/sq ft. |
| 3 in thick | same model, 3 in | 400 sq ft, 3.70 cu yd, 4.07 billable, $611.11 concrete, $2,400.00 labor, $3,011.11 total, $7.53/sq ft. |
The math is exact for the numbers you enter: the area is the length times the width, the volume is the area times the thickness in feet divided by 27, the billable volume is the volume times one plus the waste, and the total is the concrete plus the labor. What the model cannot do is measure your driveway for you: check the length, width and thickness on the ground, because a 24 by 24 ft driveway and a 20 by 20 ft driveway differ by $1,414.52. It assumes a flat rectangle and a single ready-mix price and labor rate, and it leaves out excavation, gravel base, rebar or mesh, forming, sealing, permits and drainage. For the bags alone, see concrete bag chart; for a slab rather than a driveway, see concrete slab calculator.
Bright Side Kit. "Concrete Driveway Cost Calculator: Price Per Sq Ft 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/concrete-driveway-cost-calculator/ Accessed October 25, 2026.4.94 cubic yards raw, 5.43 billable. A 20 by 20 ft driveway is 400 sq ft, and at 4 in thick the volume is 400 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 4.94 cu yd. With 10% waste the billable volume is 4.94 × 1.10 = 5.43 cu yd, which costs $814.81 at $150 a cubic yard.
$8.04 a square foot all-in at the defaults. The total is $3,214.81 on 400 sq ft, and the concrete alone is $2.04 a square foot. At $8 a square foot of labor the all-in figure is $10.04 a square foot, and at $4 a square foot of labor it is $6.04.
245 bags of 80-lb mix at the defaults. An 80-lb bag yields 0.6 cu ft, so one cubic yard takes 45 bags, and 5.43 billable cu yd × 45 = 245 bags. The same job takes 326 bags of 60-lb mix or 489 bags of 40-lb mix.
4 in is standard for cars; 5 to 6 in is better for heavy vehicles. Going from 4 in to 6 in on the default driveway adds $407.41: the concrete rises from $814.81 to $1,222.22 and the total from $3,214.81 to $3,622.22. A 3-in slab saves $203.70 but is too thin for a driveway.
294.55 square feet. The labor is $2,400 on 400 sq ft, so a $3,000 budget leaves $600 for concrete, which buys 4.00 cu yd billable, or 3.64 cu yd raw, which covers 294.55 sq ft at 4 in thick. A $5,000 budget buys 1,276.36 sq ft, and $7,500 buys 2,503.64 sq ft.
About 10% is typical. At 10% waste the billable volume is 5.43 cu yd against 4.94 raw, and the concrete costs $814.81 against $740.74 with no waste — a $74.07 difference. At 20% waste the billable volume is 5.93 cu yd and the concrete costs $888.89.
81 sq ft at 4 in thick, 54 sq ft at 6 in. One cubic yard is 27 cu ft, so at 4 in (a third of a foot) it covers 27 ÷ (1 ÷ 3) = 81 sq ft, and at 6 in (half a foot) it covers 27 ÷ (1 ÷ 2) = 54 sq ft.