Concrete driveway cost in Birmingham, AL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $3,200 – $7,950
- Per sq ft
- $5.25 – $13
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −13%
- US $6,450
- Rank of 300 metros
- #248
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to pour a concrete driveway in Birmingham, plan on $3,200 to $7,950 for 600 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $5.25 to $13 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 13% lower than the national one. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median of $22.30 an hour in the Birmingham area, 19% below the US median of $27.41.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Birmingham, AL, standard level
$4,650 to $6,500
About $7.55 to $10.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 65% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,650 | $2,000 |
| Labor | $2,900 | $4,350 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $140 |
| Total | $4,650 | $6,500 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Birmingham, AL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,350 | $1,800 | $2,300 | 33% |
| Labor | $1,850 | $3,650 | $5,450 | 65% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $180 | 2% |
| Total | $3,200 | $5,550 | $7,950 | 100% |
What is behind the Birmingham number
The wage side of the estimate leans on cement masons and concrete finishers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $22.30 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Birmingham is 0.83 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 65% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Birmingham metro is 96.4 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 600 sq ft comes to $1,800, compared with $1,900 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (91.6) and land at $45 to $180.
Climate in Birmingham: timing your concrete driveway job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Birmingham Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
March through June and September through November are the stretches where pouring concrete runs into the fewest weather problems in Birmingham (7 of 12 months). January, February and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below; July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
The 40°F line is a deliberately cautious stand-in. The American Concrete Institute's cold-weather guide (ACI 306R-16) defines cold-weather concreting around an average daily air temperature below 40°F, which is colder than our test of an average overnight low at or below 40°F, so we flag a few extra shoulder months. In cold weather crews may need heated enclosures, insulating blankets or accelerated mixes, and those measures can raise a quote.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
Birmingham gets about 57 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 1 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, April and July (5.7 inches in March). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 4.0 and 3.3 inches. The station averages about 65 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 35 | 5.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 59 | 38 | 5.0 | Cold |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 5.1 | Workable |
| May | 82 | 61 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 5.4 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 4.3 | Hot |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 57 | 38 | 4.9 | Cold |
How Birmingham compares
Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Birmingham is the priciest of the group. Montgomery is the cheapest at $5,350.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, ALthis page | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,550 | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL60 miles | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,400 | −4% |
| Decatur, AL75 miles | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | −1% |
| Montgomery, AL80 miles | $3,100 – $7,600 | $5,350 | −4% |
| Huntsville, AL90 miles | $3,200 – $7,900 | $5,550 | −1% |
| Auburn, AL100 miles | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,350 | −4% |
| Alabama (statewide) | $3,100 – $7,700 | $5,400 | −3% |
| United States | $3,650 – $9,200 | $6,450 | +15% |
Across 300 US metros, Birmingham comes in at #248 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $10,000; the cheapest is McAllen, TX at $4,950 (midpoints, 600 sq ft). Statewide, Birmingham is 3% above the Alabama figure.
Other Alabama metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | 266,650 jobs | $3,200 – $7,900 | $5,550 | −1% |
| Mobile, AL | 172,550 jobs | $3,150 – $7,700 | $5,400 | −3% |
| Montgomery, AL | 165,550 jobs | $3,100 – $7,600 | $5,350 | −4% |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 108,460 jobs | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,400 | −4% |
| Daphne, AL | 87,120 jobs | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | −2% |
| Auburn, AL | 72,710 jobs | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,350 | −4% |
Cities with a workforce like Birmingham's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Birmingham against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo, NY | 534,550 jobs | $3,850 – $9,850 | $6,850 | +23% |
| Omaha, NE | 498,100 jobs | $3,400 – $8,600 | $6,000 | +8% |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 598,260 jobs | $3,650 – $9,250 | $6,450 | +15% |
| Rochester, NY | 494,280 jobs | $3,800 – $9,650 | $6,700 | +21% |
Birmingham labor market for concrete driveway
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 4 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Birmingham is 0.83 times the national level.
For cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051, weighted 50%) the local median is $22.30 an hour, which is 19% below the national $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $18.48 and $27.61 an hour. BLS counts 440 of them working in the area, 8.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 13.3), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $18.45 an hour, 19% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $15.51 and $22.60 an hour. About 4,780 work in the metro. That is 91.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 10%) the local median is $26.12 an hour, which is 9% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.72 and $29.27 an hour. BLS counts 2,070 of them working in the area, 39.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 10%) the local median is $24.23 an hour, which is 17% below the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $22.00 and $28.95 an hour. BLS counts 1,660 of them working in the area, 31.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the cement masons and concrete finishers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($27.61 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $430. At the 25th percentile ($18.48) it shrinks by about $310. The total moves by 7.7% or 5.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 520,290 jobs in the Birmingham area. That makes it the 50th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.33% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $18.48 | $22.30 | $27.61 | $27.41 | 0.81 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $15.51 | $18.45 | $22.60 | $22.66 | 0.81 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $22.72 | $26.12 | $29.27 | $28.78 | 0.91 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $22.00 | $24.23 | $28.95 | $29.12 | 0.83 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.83 | |||||
Related projects, priced for Birmingham
Because every project leans on different trades, Birmingham's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, asphalt driveway runs −7% and paver patio −12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,850 – $6,850 | −7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,300 | −9% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,700 | −10% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $2,950 – $7,100 | −11% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,800 | −12% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,500 | −11% |
Optional extras in Birmingham
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Birmingham by the average of the local wage index (0.83) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.89. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $540 – $1,600 |
| Remove the old driveway | $1,050 – $3,200 |
Cost by quality level and size in Birmingham
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Birmingham wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$3,200 to $5,100
Plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site
Standard
$4,650 to $6,500
5-inch with rebar and saw-cut joints, a border or one color
Premium
$6,050 to $7,950
6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,300 – $2,100 | $1,900 – $2,700 | $2,500 – $3,300 |
| 2-car (20x24), 480 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,100 | $3,700 – $5,250 | $4,850 – $6,400 |
| 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) | $3,200 – $5,100 | $4,650 – $6,500 | $6,050 – $7,950 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $4,800 – $7,600 | $6,900 – $9,700 | $9,000 – $11,800 |
Concrete driveway: what moves the price in Birmingham
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).
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $4,650 to $6,500 for Birmingham, AL is attached.
Detailed concrete driveway report for Birmingham, AL, $9
Multi-page report for Birmingham, AL: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Concrete driveway in Birmingham: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete driveway in Birmingham?
For 600 sq ft, expect $3,200 to $7,950 in the Birmingham area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,650 to $6,500. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for concrete driveway in Birmingham?
About $5.25 to $13 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $180 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $6 to $15.
+Is concrete driveway cheaper in Birmingham or Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $5,400, which is 4% less than Birmingham ($5,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Birmingham?
About 65% at the midpoint, or $3,650 out of $5,550. Materials are 33% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 69%.
+What would 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) cost in Birmingham?
$3,200 to $7,950. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does concrete driveway need a permit in Birmingham?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $180 for fees in the Birmingham area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Birmingham expensive for concrete driveway compared with the rest of Alabama?
Birmingham is 3% above the Alabama statewide estimate ($5,400 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Alabama; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Birmingham?
The BLS median is $22.30 an hour in the Birmingham area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.48 to $27.61.
+What do basic and premium concrete driveway work cost in Birmingham?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,200 to $5,100 and premium work $6,050 to $7,950. Basic means: plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site. Premium means: 6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed.
+When is the best time to pour a concrete driveway in Birmingham?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through June and September through November. September and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add rebar reinforcement" add in Birmingham?
$540 to $1,600 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Concrete driveway near Birmingham
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.