Measure Twice › Concrete
Concrete Driveway Calculator
Enter your driveway's size to get the excavation, gravel base, rebar and ready-mix you'll need.
Worked example
- Slab length 40 ft
- Slab width 12 ft
- Concrete thickness 5 in
- Gravel base (compacted) 8 in
- Finished slab above existing grade 1 in
- Reinforcement 10M rebar, 16 in (40 cm) grid
- Geotextile fabric under the base Yes (recommended on clay or soft soil)
- Concrete waste allowance 10%
Result:
- Ready-mix concrete to order
- 6.25 m³
- 1. Dig out (sod + soil) to depth
- 12 in
- 1. Soil to remove (loose, for bins/trucks)
- 22.22 yd³
- 1. Approx. weight of soil removed
- 21.7 tonnes
- 2. Geotextile fabric (+10% overlap)
- 528 ft²
- 3. Gravel base, compacted volume
- 11.85 yd³
- 3. Gravel base to order
- 18.1 tonnes
- 4. 10M rebar (20 ft bars, incl. laps)
- 39 bars
- 5. Concrete incl. waste
- 8.15 yd³
- 5. Same in 30 kg bags
- 439 bags
- Form boards (perimeter)
- 104 ft
- Form stakes
- 39 stakes
- Control-joint panels
- 4 panels (4 × 1)
- Joint spacing along the length
- 10 ft
- Joint spacing along the width
- 12 ft
- Joint depth (¼ of slab)
- 1.25 in
Order an exterior, air-entrained mix — ask the plant for a mix suited to freeze-thaw and de-icing salt.
Slope the base and slab 1–2% (⅛–¼ in per ft) away from the house: 1.4 in–2.9 in of fall across the width.
Load this example into the calculator
How a driveway differs from a patio
A driveway carries cars, so everything gets a bit heavier: a thicker slab (commonly 5–6 in, or 12–15 cm), a deeper compacted gravel base, and a tighter rebar grid. The calculator starts with those defaults. Change them to match your plans or your contractor’s spec.
dig depth = slab thickness + base thickness − height above grade
gravel base = area × base thickness × 1.25 (to allow for compaction)
concrete = area × slab thickness × (1 + waste %)
rebar = (bars each way × run length) × 1.1 ÷ 20 ft
joint spacing ≤ 2.5 × slab thickness (in) → feet
Tips
- Driveways usually need a permit, especially if you’re changing a curb cut or the boulevard crossing. Check with your municipality before you dig.
- De-icing salt is hard on concrete. Ask the plant for an air-entrained exterior mix rated for salt exposure, and seal the surface once it has cured.
- Joints: a 12 ft wide driveway usually gets a joint down the middle or at the edges of panels roughly every 10–12 ft along its length. The calculator gives a starting layout.
- Thicken the edges where the driveway meets the street or garage, and where heavy trucks may turn.
Where to buy in Metro Vancouver
Local suppliers we've checked. Nobody pays to be listed. Call ahead for prices, minimums and delivery to your area.
Ready-mix and small-load concrete
- Vancouver Ready Mix in Langley
Delivers across Metro Vancouver, with small loads and U-Cart concrete for pads and walkways.
- Yard At A Time Concrete in Delta
Mini trucks for tight residential sites; 1 yd³ minimum, up to about 2.4 m³ per load.
- Go Concrete in Surrey
Mixes on site, so you pay for what you pour. Serves the Lower Mainland.
Gravel, sand and soil (bulk)
- Meadows Landscape Supply in Pitt Meadows
Topsoil, bark mulch, gravel, sand, pavers and wall block, delivered across Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
- North Shore Landscape Supply Centre in North Vancouver
Road base, clear crush, soils and mulch, plus Belgard, Barkman and other wall block. Flat-fee delivery.
Related calculators
- Concrete Patio Calculator
Replacing grass with concrete? Enter the slab size to get every layer, from how deep to dig to how much ready-mix to order.
- Concrete Calculator
Enter your slab size and thickness to get the number of bags of concrete, or how much ready-mix to order.
- Gravel Calculator
Enter the area and depth to see how much gravel, sand, soil or mulch to order, in bulk or bags.
Last updated October 28, 2026