Concrete driveway calculator
Driveways are big pours, so the numbers matter. Enter the length, width and thickness to get cubic yards to order, and add your prices to see what the concrete will cost.
Calculator
Your estimate
Enter your measurements and select Calculate to see how much to order.
- Concrete to order
- cu yd
- Exact volume
- cu yd / cu ft
- Bags of 80 lb mix
- Cost with bags
- Cost with ready-mix
- Best way to buy
How it is calculated: length × width × thickness in feet gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards, then add your extra for waste and round up to the next quarter yard.
How the driveway calculator works
A driveway is a long slab, so the volume is length times width times thickness, with thickness converted from inches to feet. The calculator adds your waste allowance, converts to cubic yards and rounds up to the quarter yard that ready-mix plants sell in.
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × thickness (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
Worked example
A two-car driveway 40 ft long and 20 ft wide, poured 4 in thick:
- Volume: 40 × 20 × (4 ÷ 12) = 266.67 cu ft
- Cubic yards: 266.67 ÷ 27 = 9.88 cu yd
- With 10% waste: 10.86 cu yd, so order 11 cu yd
Eleven cubic yards is more than one truck can carry in many areas, since a full load is often around 10 cubic yards. Ask your plant how they will split the delivery, and plan the pour so the second truck arrives before the first section starts to set.
What to enter
- Length and width. Measure the formed area in feet. For a driveway that widens near the garage or has a turnaround, split it into rectangles, enter each as a section, or add the results.
- Thickness. 4 in is common for driveways that carry cars. Where pickup trucks, delivery vans or RVs will park, 5 to 6 in is usual. Your local code may set a minimum.
- Number of sections. Use this when you have several identical pads, such as parking spaces.
- Waste. Keep 10%. Long pours on subgrade that is not perfectly graded tend to use more concrete than the math suggests.
What this calculator does not include
- Gravel base. Driveways are usually placed on 4 to 6 in of compacted gravel. That is a separate material.
- Reinforcement. Rebar or wire mesh is common in driveways and is bought by the piece or roll.
- Thickened edges. Some designs thicken the slab at the edges. Add those as a footing on the main calculator.
- Removal of an old driveway, forms, expansion joints, sealing and labor.
Limitations
The result is a material estimate. Driveway thickness, reinforcement, joint spacing and base depth depend on soil, climate and loads, and should follow local code or a contractor’s specification. A sloped driveway has the same volume as a flat one of the same thickness, but check the thickness at the low end where the base is deepest.
Frequently asked questions
How many yards of concrete do I need for a 24 by 24 driveway?
At 4 in thick: 24 × 24 × 0.3333 = 192 cu ft = 7.11 cu yd. With 10% waste that is 7.82, so order 8 cu yd. At 6 in thick it is 10.67 cu yd before waste, so order 11.75 cu yd.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
Four inches is typical for passenger cars. Where heavier vehicles park, 5 to 6 inches is common. Local codes and soil conditions can require more, so check before you order.
Can I pour a driveway with bags of concrete?
It is possible for a very small pad, but a 10 cubic yard driveway would need around 450 bags of 80 lb mix and days of mixing, and the sections would not bond well. Driveways are almost always poured from ready-mix trucks.