How Much Does a Concrete Driveway Cost in Georgia?
Published cost guides put a plain concrete driveway at about $5 to $12 per square foot installed. An Atlanta-area guide lists $6 to $11 without steel. Decorative finishes can push the price past $20. Tearing out an old driveway adds about $1 to $4 per square foot.
A concrete industry guide puts a whole driveway at $3,200 to $13,000 nationally. These are market numbers, not our price list. Georgia Premier Contracting Group builds concrete driveways in Monroe and the towns around it, and every quote comes in writing.
What does a concrete driveway cost per square foot in Georgia?
Each guide prices a slightly different job.
| Kind of source | What it prices | Per square foot |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete industry guide, updated in January | Plain gray concrete, installed | $5 to $8 |
| Same industry guide | Decorative colors and finishes | $8 to $21 |
| Atlanta-area cost guide, June 2024 | Plain concrete, no steel | $6 to $11 |
| Same Atlanta-area guide | Reinforced with rebar or wire | $7 to $12 |
| Home improvement site | Standard install, labor and materials | $4 to $15 |
| Personal finance site, September 2025 | Concrete driveway, labor included | $8 to $20 |
The Atlanta-area figures leave out tear-out and decorative work.
What does a typical driveway cost by size?
The Atlanta-area guide prices common sizes, before any tear-out.
| Driveway size | Square feet | Plain, no steel | With rebar or wire |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 by 30 ft | 360 | $2,100 to $3,900 | $2,500 to $4,200 |
| 12 by 50 ft | 600 | $3,500 to $6,500 | $4,100 to $7,000 |
| 24 by 40 ft | 960 | $5,600 to $10,300 | $6,600 to $11,300 |
| 24 by 60 ft | 1,440 | $8,500 to $15,500 | $9,900 to $16,900 |
To size your own, multiply length by width, then by a price per square foot. The industry guide’s average two-car driveway is 16 by 40 feet, or 640 square feet. At its plain range, that comes to $3,200 to $5,120.
What pushes the price up or down?
Thickness and steel
Industry guidance sets 4 inches as the minimum for a driveway. Going from 4 to 5 inches adds about 20 percent to the concrete cost. It also raises the load the slab can carry by nearly 50 percent.
The Atlanta-area site lists ready-mix concrete at $135 to $162 a cubic yard, with stronger mixes at the top. Each extra inch on a 640 square foot drive takes about 2 more yards.
A home improvement site puts rebar or wire mesh at $1 to $3 more per square foot. The industry guide calls for wire mesh in 4 to 5 inch slabs and rebar at 5 inches or more. Synthetic fibers help limit shrinkage cracks, but the guide says fibers add no structural strength.
The ground under the slab
A uniform, well compacted base helps keep a slab from settling and cracking. The industry guide says soft spots should come out and be replaced with gravel or crushed rock.
In Walton County, the federal soil survey maps mostly well drained soils over red clay subsoil. That clay sheds water slowly, so the base and the drainage matter.
Tear-out of the old driveway
Replacement means paying for two jobs. The industry guide puts tear-out near $1 per square foot, plus disposal. The Atlanta-area guide lists $1.20 to $2.00, and the home improvement site lists $1 to $4. On a 640 square foot drive, that adds about $640 to $2,560.
Finish, access and the apron
A broom finish is the standard and sits at the low end. Stamped and decorative finishes cost more, and our guide to stamped concrete costs in Georgia breaks them down.
Access matters too. The Atlanta-area site says pumping and short loads raise the price. It counts any order under 10 cubic yards as a short load. A 4 inch, 640 square foot drive takes about 8 yards. The home improvement site puts a new apron at the street at $3 to $10 per square foot.
Do permits add to the cost?
Georgia’s state building code leaves permit procedures to each city and county. So the rules can change at the town line.
In unincorporated Walton County, a driveway that meets a county-maintained road needs a county driveway permit first. The county’s fee schedule lists it at $75. For a driveway onto a state or federal highway, the county’s ordinance points you to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Inside Monroe city limits, the city code requires a permit before anyone cuts into a paved street or sidewalk. The city’s fee schedule lists a street cut permit at $50. For the driveway itself, ask the City of Monroe Code Department before work starts.
Other towns set their own lists. Marietta, for one, names driveway replacement and extension among jobs that need a permit.
Paving can also show up on a utility bill. Athens-Clarke County bases its stormwater fee on each property’s impervious surface, and it names driveways among those surfaces.
Is concrete or asphalt the better buy in Georgia?
Asphalt costs less up front. Concrete lasts longer and needs less routine upkeep.
| What the guides say | Concrete | Asphalt |
|---|---|---|
| Installed, concrete industry guide | $5 to $8 per sq ft, plain | $3 to $6 per sq ft |
| Installed, personal finance site | $8 to $20 per sq ft | $7 to $15 per sq ft |
| Service life in the two guides | 30 to 40 years or more | 15 to 20 years |
| Routine upkeep, concrete industry guide | Sealer optional on plain concrete | Seal coat every 3 to 5 years |
Georgia’s weather favors concrete. The personal finance site says asphalt can turn tacky in the heat, while concrete can crack in extreme cold. The three NOAA stations nearest Monroe log about 38 to 62 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter. The industry guide adds that light-colored concrete absorbs less heat than asphalt.
Freezes still come, about 46 to 62 nights a year. Walton County’s code rates local weathering as moderate.
How do you read a concrete driveway quote?
Get every quote in writing and compare them line by line. A concrete industry guide lists what a written quote should show. For a driveway, check for these lines:
- The square footage and the layout
- The concrete mix and the slab thickness
- The base work and the reinforcement
- The finish, broom or decorative
- Tear-out and haul-off of the old driveway
- The joint plan
- The timeline and the payment schedule
- Any permit the job needs
The guide warns that a much lower bid can signal shortcuts or missing details. Ask each contractor what the price leaves out.
What is the next step for a firm price?
A firm number comes from a look at your driveway. The size, the slope, the old slab and the ground all change it.
Georgia Premier Contracting builds new and replacement concrete driveways across Monroe and the towns around it. If the walk to your door is cracked too, ask about a matching concrete sidewalk in the same quote. Call or text (770) 743-6706 for a free quote.