Loan Driveway Cost Estimator
Four materials, a five-fold price spread, and one driveway. Enter the size, pick the surface: get the installed range — with tear-out of the old drive priced as its own line, because that is where driveway quotes hide their surprises.
A single car wants 10–12 ft of width; two cars side by side, 20–24. Length runs street to garage door — aprons and turnarounds are extra square feet, so fold them into the length or width before pricing.
How it works
Installed per-square-foot bands: gravel $2–$4.50, asphalt $5–$9, concrete $8–$14, pavers $14–$24. The bands are wide because base work is destiny: a driveway is a structure (excavation, compacted aggregate base, then surface), and quotes differ most in how much structure they include. Tear-out and disposal of an old drive adds about $2 per sq ft. Gravel's band buys a properly based, crowned gravel drive — not a load of stone dumped on dirt, which is a $500 lesson people buy once.
Method & worked example
Method: Total = area × material band (gravel $2–4.50, asphalt $5–9, concrete $8–14, pavers $14–24 per sq ft) + optional tear-out and disposal at $2 per sq ft.
Worked example: A 20 × 20 ft asphalt driveway on bare ground: 400 sq ft × $5–9 = $2,000–$3,600 installed, mid-band $2,800.
When to use this
- You are replacing a driveway and comparing surface materials.
- A paving quote needs a per-square-foot sanity check.
- You are budgeting tear-out of the old drive into the project.
How to use it, step by step
- Measure length × width, folding in aprons and turnarounds.
- Pick the surface material.
- Toggle tear-out if the old driveway must come out.
- Compare quotes per square foot against the band, and ask about base depth.
What the inputs mean
| Input | What it is | Typical values |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway size | Length × width in feet | 20 × 12 single; 20 × 20 double; long rural runs vary |
| Material | Installed band per sq ft | Gravel $2–4.50; asphalt $5–9; concrete $8–14; pavers $14–24 |
| Tear-out | Break-out and disposal of the old surface | $2 per sq ft |
Another worked example
A long concrete drive: 16 × 40 ft = 640 sq ft × $8–14 = $5,120–$8,960 installed, mid-band $7,040. In asphalt the same footprint would run $3,200–$5,760 — on long driveways the surface choice is a four-figure decision per material step.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 20 × 20 asphalt driveway cost?
About $2,000–$3,600 installed (400 sq ft in the $5–$9 band) on bare ground; add roughly $800 if the old drive must come out first. The same footprint in concrete runs $3,200–$5,600; in pavers, $5,600–$9,600; in gravel, $800–$1,800.
How much for a big 16 × 40 concrete driveway?
640 sq ft: $5,120–$8,960 installed. Long driveways are where per-foot pricing compounds — and where a gravel or asphalt surface saves five figures against pavers. Measure the apron and any turnaround into the area.
Asphalt or concrete — which is better value?
Asphalt wins on install price and speed (drive on it in days, sealcoat every few years at modest cost); concrete wins on lifespan and zero sealcoating, and shrugs off fuel drips. Over 20 years the gap narrows; over 5, asphalt is clearly cheaper. The Asphalt Estimator prices the material tonnage if you are comparing a DIY-adjacent route.
Why is the tear-out extra?
Because the old driveway has to go somewhere: breaking, loading and legal disposal of 10+ tons of material is real work and real dump fees. Any quote silent on tear-out is either assuming bare ground or planning a surprise.
Can I just pave over the old driveway?
An asphalt overlay on sound concrete or asphalt exists (that is the 2-in resurfacing option in the Asphalt Estimator) — but over a cracked, settled base it telegraphs every flaw within a season. Overlay sound surfaces only.
🛣️ Doing the asphalt yourself?
If you are buying hot mix by the ton rather than a finished job, the Asphalt Estimator gives exact tonnage by depth — plus the coverage-per-ton check for contractor quotes.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
Four inches over a compacted base is the residential standard, 5–6 in where heavy vehicles park. A quote saving money at 3 in is selling you a future crack map — thickness and base are the two lines to interrogate.
When can I drive on a new concrete driveway?
Typically 7 days for cars (concrete reaches most of its working strength by then), longer for heavy trucks. Asphalt is faster: 24–72 hours in most weather.