Concrete driveway cost in Alabama
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (600 sq ft)
- $3,100 – $7,700
- Per sq ft
- $5.15 – $12.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −16%
- US $6,450
- Metros covered
- 9
Alabama prices for concrete driveway: $3,100 to $7,700 for 600 sq ft, or $5.15 to $12.50 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 16% below the national one. Local wages for cement masons and concrete finishers are $21.50 an hour.
Inside Alabama, the metros we cover range from $5,200 (Dothan) to $5,550 (Birmingham) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Alabama (statewide), standard level
$4,500 to $6,300
About $7.35 to $10.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 64% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,650 | $2,000 |
| Labor | $2,800 | $4,150 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $140 |
| Total | $4,500 | $6,300 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Alabama
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,350 | $1,800 | $2,300 | 34% |
| Labor | $1,750 | $3,450 | $5,200 | 64% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $180 | 2% |
| Total | $3,100 | $5,400 | $7,700 | 100% |
Why two Alabama quotes can differ
Thickness
HomeGuide prices a standard 4-inch driveway at $6-$15/sq ft and a 6-inch one, recommended for heavy vehicles, at $8-$20/sq ft.
Old driveway removal
Tearing out the old surface adds about $2-$6 per sq ft, and some cities want the haul-off documented.
Grading and drainage
Professional grading runs $3-$8 per sq ft or $700-$2,500 for a typical job. A sloped lot or poor soil raises it.
Finish
Decorative driveways run $10-$25 per sq ft installed: colors and borders at $10-$15, stamped patterns at $15-$20, and high-end finishes at $20-$25+ (HomeGuide).
Permits and the apron
A driveway permit is typically $50-$200 and is often required for new work. The apron where the driveway meets the street can need a separate right-of-way permit.
Alabama seasons and concrete driveway
Weather decides when pouring concrete can happen, and Alabama is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Daphne has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Alabama at 11 months (February through December); Decatur has the shortest at 6 (March through June and September through October). Rainfall runs from 49 inches a year in Decatur to 66 inches in Daphne.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 35 | 91 | 57 | 7: March through June and September through November |
| Huntsville | 33 | 92 | 54 | 7: March through June and September through November |
| Mobile | 43 | 92 | 61 | 9: September through May |
| Montgomery | 37 | 94 | 51 | 6: March through May and September through November |
| Tuscaloosa | 35 | 92 | 57 | 6: March through May and September through November |
| Daphne | 39 | 89 | 66 | 11: February through December |
| Auburn | 35 | 89 | 56 | 9: March through November |
| Decatur | 32 | 90 | 49 | 6: March through June and September through October |
| Dothan | 40 | 93 | 54 | 8: February through May and September through December |
Related projects, priced for Alabama
Each project weights the trades differently, so Alabama's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, asphalt driveway is −11% and concrete patio −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,750 – $6,550 | −11% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,200 – $8,950 | −12% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,150 – $4,650 | −11% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $2,900 – $6,900 | −13% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,750 | −13% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,100 – $3,450 | −13% |
Alabama versus the states around it
Alabama ranks 49 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for concrete driveway, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $9,600 and the cheapest Mississippi at $5,400, both for 600 sq ft at the midpoint. Alabama sits at $5,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 170 miles away | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,600 | +3% |
| Mississippi | 180 miles away | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,400 | level |
| Tennessee | 190 miles away | $3,300 – $8,300 | $5,800 | +7% |
| Louisiana | 310 miles away | $3,200 – $8,000 | $5,600 | +4% |
| South Carolina | 350 miles away | $3,300 – $8,250 | $5,800 | +7% |
Which Alabama city is cheapest for concrete driveway?
4 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $5,400, and the top-to-bottom gap is 8%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (600 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,550 | +3% |
| Huntsville, AL | $3,200 – $7,900 | $5,550 | +2% |
| Decatur, AL | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | +2% |
| Daphne, AL | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | +1% |
| Mobile, AL | $3,150 – $7,700 | $5,400 | level |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,400 | level |
| Auburn, AL | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,350 | −1% |
| Montgomery, AL | $3,100 – $7,600 | $5,350 | −1% |
| Dothan, AL | $3,000 – $7,350 | $5,200 | −4% |
Basic, standard or premium: Alabama prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft to 3-car (900 sq ft).
Basic
$3,100 to $4,950
Plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site
Standard
$4,500 to $6,300
5-inch with rebar and saw-cut joints, a border or one color
Premium
$5,850 to $7,700
6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,250 – $2,050 | $1,850 – $2,600 | $2,400 – $3,200 |
| 2-car (20x24), 480 sq ft | $2,500 – $3,950 | $3,600 – $5,100 | $4,700 – $6,200 |
| 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) | $3,100 – $4,950 | $4,500 – $6,300 | $5,850 – $7,700 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $4,650 – $7,350 | $6,700 – $9,400 | $8,700 – $11,400 |
Wages behind the Alabama number
Alabama's labor line is priced from 4 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.79 times the national level.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $21.50 an hour, 22% below the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $17.96 and $26.36 an hour. About 2,110 work in the state. That is 10.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 13.3 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $17.74 an hour, which is 22% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.41 and $21.75 an hour. BLS counts 18,400 of them working in the state, 87.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 10% of the weighting: a median of $22.84 an hour, 21% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $19.12 and $27.66 an hour. About 9,640 work in the state. That is 45.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $23.18 an hour, 20% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $19.43 and $27.11 an hour. About 5,560 work in the state. That is 26.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for cement masons and concrete finishers ($26.36 an hour) would add about $390 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($17.96) would take off about $280. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,113,660 jobs across Alabama (May 2025), which is 1.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $17.96 | $21.50 | $26.36 | $27.41 | 0.78 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $14.41 | $17.74 | $21.75 | $22.66 | 0.78 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $19.12 | $22.84 | $27.66 | $28.78 | 0.79 | state |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $19.43 | $23.18 | $27.11 | $29.12 | 0.80 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
Add-ons priced for Alabama
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.88 for Alabama, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.79) and goods price index (0.96). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $530 – $1,600 |
| Remove the old driveway | $1,050 – $3,150 |
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Concrete driveway in Alabama: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete driveway in Alabama?
$3,100 to $7,700 for 600 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Alabama can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Alabama is cheapest for concrete driveway?
Dothan at about $5,200 (midpoint, 600 sq ft). The priciest is Birmingham at $5,550.
+Is concrete driveway cheaper in Alabama than the US average?
It is 16% cheaper: $5,400 against $6,450 for 600 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Alabama?
About 64% ($3,450). Materials are 34%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.79x the national wage level.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Alabama?
The BLS statewide median is $21.50 an hour, against $27.41 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.96 to $26.36.
+Where does Alabama rank for concrete driveway costs?
49th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $5,400 for 600 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium concrete driveway work cost in Alabama?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,100 to $4,950 and premium work $5,850 to $7,700. Basic means: plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site. Premium means: 6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed.
+Does the season matter for concrete driveway in Alabama?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Alabama metros we cover, Daphne has the most comfortable months (11 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add rebar reinforcement" add in Alabama?
$530 to $1,600 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Concrete driveway by city in Alabama
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Concrete Driveway Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- SimplyWise: Concrete Estimate Template: Free PDF + Excel (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = SimplyWise's sample 600 sq ft, 4-inch driveway line ($1,400-$2,400 in materials) divided by 600 sq ft.