DW · P-01 · Driveways
Concrete driveways
Tear-out and replacement, new drives, widening and aprons. Built on 6 inches of compacted gravel, with steel in the slab and joints cut the same day.
- Thickness
- 4 in for cars. 5 in for heavy pickups, RVs, trailers or a boat.
- Base
- 6 in of 21AA crushed gravel, compacted in two lifts
- Mix
- 4,000 psi, air-entrained (5 to 7% air), fiber in the batch
- Price
- from $8 per sq ft
Scope
What we pour
A driveway takes the worst of a Michigan year: plow blades, salt tracked in on tires, water that freezes and thaws dozens of times. Ours start with the part you never see. We dig out the old base, compact new crushed gravel in lifts, set the steel on chairs so it sits in the middle of the slab, and slope the whole thing so water runs away from the garage.
- 01 Tear-out and replacement of cracked, sunken or flaking driveways
- 02 New driveways for new homes, garages and additions
- 03 Widening a single drive for two cars, or adding a parking pad
- 04 Garage aprons and the city approach, with the right-of-way permit
- 05 Matching walks and steps poured the same day
Specification
Built like this
This is what goes on the written quote. If another bid does not say these things, ask.
- Thickness
- 4 in for cars. 5 in for heavy pickups, RVs, trailers or a boat.
- Base
- 6 in of 21AA crushed gravel, compacted in two lifts
- Mix
- 4,000 psi, air-entrained (5 to 7% air), fiber in the batch
- Steel
- Wire mesh on chairs. #4 rebar grid at 24 in as an upgrade.
- Joints
- Every 10 ft or less, 1 in deep, cut within 6 to 18 hours
- Slope
- At least 1/8 in per foot, away from the garage and house
- Finish
- Light broom across the slope, for grip in the wet
Top: Broom across the slope, cure compound day 0, sealer after day 28
Slab: 4,000 psi, air-entrained, fiber in the batch
Steel: Wire mesh on chairs, or #4 rebar at 24 in
21AA crushed gravel, compacted in two lifts
Native soil, soft spots dug out and replaced
Prices
What it costs
-
Broom finish, new
Base, steel, joints and cure compound included
$8 to $12 per sq ft
-
Tear-out and haul-away
Added to the line above when replacing
$2.50 to $4.50 per sq ft
-
5 in thick upgrade
Heavy vehicles
+$1.00 to $1.75 per sq ft
-
Colored or exposed aggregate
See the finish table
$10 to $17 per sq ft
Worked example
Two-car replacement, 20 × 24 ft
- Area 24 ft × 20 ft = 480 sq ft
- Broom finish: 480 sq ft × $8 to $12 $3,840 to $5,760
- Tear-out and haul-away: 480 sq ft × $2.50 to $4.50 $1,200 to $2,160
Range, rounded to $50 $5,000 to $7,950
Run your own numbersRanges include digging, gravel base, forms, steel, mix, joints and curing unless a line says otherwise. Where you land in a range depends on access for the truck, how much soft soil comes out and how complicated the shape is. The firm number comes after the site visit and does not move unless the scope does.
Before you sign
Honest notes
Cracking
Expect joints every 10 ft or so; that is where the shrinkage crack goes. We line them up with the garage door edges so they look planned, because they are.
Curing
Cars after 7 days. Garbage trucks, moving vans and dumpsters stay off it for 28 days, and nobody parks on the outer edges in week one.
Sealing
A driveway gets more salt than any other slab. Seal at day 28 or later, then every 3 to 5 years with a penetrating sealer.
Freeze-thaw
No deicer at all the first winter. Shovel early, use sand for grip, and keep the plow blade raised a hair off the surface.
Schedule
How the job runs
-
Week before
Layout and permit
We paint the outline, check the slope with a laser and file the approach permit if your drive meets a city sidewalk.
-
Day 1
Tear-out and base
Old slab out and recycled, soft soil dug out, 21AA gravel placed and compacted in two lifts.
-
Day 2
Forms and steel
Forms set to grade, mesh or rebar on chairs, expansion joint at the garage.
-
Day 3
Pour and finish
Truck arrives early. Placed, screeded, floated, edged, broomed, sprayed. Joints cut that evening or next morning.
-
Day 4
Forms off
Forms pulled, edges backfilled with topsoil, cure card in your hand.
-
Day 10
Drive on it
Seven days after the pour, cars are fine. We check in by text.
Questions
Asked about driveways
Can you pour over my old driveway?
No. A new slab on top of a cracked one copies every crack within a winter or two, and it raises the drive above the garage floor. We tear out and rebuild the base.
Should my driveway be 4 or 5 inches?
Four inches is right for cars and light pickups on a good base. If you park a heavy truck, an RV, a trailer or a boat, or get regular dump-truck deliveries, go to 5 in. It adds about $1.00 to $1.75 per square foot.
Do I need a permit?
Usually only for the approach, the piece between the city sidewalk and the street. We file it and pass the fee through at cost.
Next step
Get your driveways price in writing.
Tell us what you want poured and roughly how big. We walk the site, check the base and the slope, and send a written quote within two business days.