The 2-car driveway is the bread and butter of residential flatwork. It is the size most houses have and the quote most concrete contractors write more than any other. A common layout is 20 feet wide by 24 feet deep, which is the 480 square feet preloaded above.
Worked math at the example rates
| Finish | Example rate | 480 sq ft comes to |
|---|---|---|
| Standard broom | $9 / sq ft | $4,320 |
| Exposed aggregate | $13 / sq ft | $6,240 |
| Stamped | $16 / sq ft | $7,680 |
Every rate in that table is an example. Real driveway rates move with local concrete prices and what the contractor builds into the number, so treat these as a sanity check, not a bid.
Why thickness matters more here than on a patio
A patio holds people and furniture. A driveway holds a pickup, and sometimes a loaded trailer behind it. That is why driveways pour at 5 to 6 inches instead of the 4 inches a patio gets. The extra depth is more concrete per square foot, which is part of why a driveway rate runs higher than a patio rate even at the same finish.
Reinforcement earns its keep here too. At the example add-on of $1.50 per square foot, rebar or mesh adds $720 to a 480 square foot pour, and it is cheap insurance against the cracks that generate callbacks.
What pushes the quote past the base math
Tear-out is the big one. Most 2-car driveway jobs are replacements, and at the $4 per square foot example, removing the old slab adds $1,920 before any new concrete goes down. Site prep and grading at the $2 example adds another $960 if the base needs work. Tight truck access, steep grades, and city apron requirements all push labor up from there.
Wondering whether blacktop would come in lower for the same footprint? See concrete vs asphalt for a driveway. For other dimensions, the concrete driveway cost calculator takes any length and width, and how to price a concrete driveway job walks the whole method.
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