Q&A for How to Build a Concrete Driveway

In most cases, I recommend excavating the soil away and backfilling it with roadbase underneath. This stabilizes the driveway. You'll also want to use either rebar or heavy-duty mesh to make sure the driveway will remain structurally intact no matter the amount of traffic it has to take.

You don't have to use rebar. However, putting down rebar or heavy-duty mesh will help your concrete driveway remain structurally intact.

The roadbase should be about 5 inches thick after it's compacted. Then, you can pour the concrete.

The standard width is about 20 feet. Park the cars next to each other in a way that's comfortable for you in a parking lot and measure the distance for a more accurate number.

Yes, it is a good idea to place dowel bars to help bind the new concrete to the existing concrete.

Yes, a layer of gravel will add stability and keep the concrete from shifting or cracking. It’s especially important to put down gravel if your soil doesn’t drain well, since the gravel will help prevent water from pooling directly under the concrete and damaging it.

In the U.S., a plain gray concrete driveway usually costs around $3-7 per square foot (0.09 square meters). If you want a decorative driveway, the cost goes up to around $8-18 per square foot.

If you’re planning to park passenger cars on your driveway, it should be at least 4 inches (10 cm) thick. If you need to park anything heavier than a car on the driveway, make the pavement at least 5 inches (12.7 cm) thick.

Only for stepping stones. Anything more than that should be at least three inches thick atop one inch of sand. Above very light pedestrian traffic, you'll need two inches of crushed rock underneath that. If the soil doesn't drain well, you'll need another two inches of rock. And if you're putting a vehicle on top, use at least six inches of crushed rock. All of this must be compacted (using a hand tamp or plate compactor) - after every inch of material. You'll probably want the plate compactor.

As a homeowner, I have poured three driveways in my lifetime and I have never dug and poured piers. I have always used the concrete with the fiberglass infused within the mixture so I would not need to worry about reinforcing with grated mesh or digging a simple footing. I have simply created a layout, calculated the amount of concrete needed, prepped the surface, poured, and troweled. I haven't had a problem with cracking or settling along outside perimeters.

Control joints are placed not more than 12 feet apart, typically 8 to 12 feet in slabs. Feel free to make them closer together for aesthetic purposes.

This will vary with the size of the truck. It typically is 10 yards, which is about 270 cubic feet.

3500PSI (or higher) fiber-reinforced* air-entrained concrete. You'll want 3 to 6 inches of slump depending on how its being applied (eg if you need a line pump). There's a lot of factors besides water that can adjust the slump amount - call your concrete supplier and ask for their recommendation.

Calculate the square footage, multiply by the thickness in inches, and divide by 12 to get cubic feet. Divide that number by 27 to get cubic yards. Don't forget to order a little extra to ensure you don't run out.

No. The rebar should be at least two inches off the ground. You need chairs or mesh to hold the bars.

Six to eight inches should do if the ground is solid.

It is very important, as you are basically building a new driveway! You are taking away the old to make it ready for the new; treat it like it is a new install for the best results.

You need to use underpinning to tie into an existing driveway and saw cut a straight edge. This is not a job for a DIYer.

They should be 1/4 of the thickness of the slab. So for a 4" slab, the depth of the control joint should be 1".

In Florida it ranges from $4 - 6 per square foot. This is for a basic patio slab, not footers or rebar.

If you're talking about a 2-axle truck with a 16 ft. refrigerated box on it (or something very similar), then you're probably talking about a truck that's less than 26,000 lbs. That type of truck shouldn't hurt a properly poured residential driveway, although if the concrete is thin in places or the base has eroded, then it could crack the driveway. It may not happen right away, and it really depends on the condition of the driveway.