Concrete driveway cost in Baton Rouge, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $3,500 – $8,850
- Per sq ft
- $5.75 – $14.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −4%
- US $6,450
- Rank of 300 metros
- #165
- 1 = most expensive
A concrete driveway in Baton Rouge, LA usually costs $3,500 to $8,850 for 600 sq ft. That works out to about $5.75 to $14.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $250 less. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median of $29.45 an hour in the Baton Rouge area, 7% above the US median of $27.41.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Baton Rouge, LA, standard level
$5,100 to $7,250
About $8.35 to $12 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 69% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,600 | $1,950 |
| Labor | $3,450 | $5,150 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $140 |
| Total | $5,100 | $7,250 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Baton Rouge, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,300 | $1,750 | $2,250 | 29% |
| Labor | $2,150 | $4,300 | $6,400 | 69% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $180 | 2% |
| Total | $3,500 | $6,150 | $8,850 | 100% |
Why Baton Rouge prices look the way they do
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 $29.45 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Baton Rouge is 0.97 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 69% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Baton Rouge is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,900 nationally becomes $1,750 here (midpoint, 600 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 90.8: $45 to $180.
Add-ons priced for Baton Rouge
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.95 for Baton Rouge, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.97) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $570 – $1,700 |
| Remove the old driveway | $1,150 – $3,450 |
Why two Baton Rouge quotes can differ
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.
What local crews earn in Baton Rouge
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 4 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Baton Rouge the blend is 0.97.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $29.45 an hour, 7% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $21.79 and $35.01 an hour. About 250 work in the metro. That is 6.1 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 $18.58 an hour, which is 18% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.59 and $22.72 an hour. BLS counts 6,300 of them working in the area, 153.8 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 $27.99 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $23.59 and $31.00 an hour. About 2,260 work in the metro. That is 55.2 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 $26.75 an hour, 8% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.20 and $29.27 an hour. About 3,490 work in the metro. That is 85.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (cement masons and concrete finishers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $450 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $620. That is a swing of roughly 10.0% to 7.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Baton Rouge has 409,690 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 60th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $21.79 | $29.45 | $35.01 | $27.41 | 1.07 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.59 | $18.58 | $22.72 | $22.66 | 0.82 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $23.59 | $27.99 | $31.00 | $28.78 | 0.97 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $23.20 | $26.75 | $29.27 | $29.12 | 0.92 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Is Baton Rouge cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Baton Rouge. Hattiesburg is the lowest at about $5,350 (midpoint, 600 sq ft), 120 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LAthis page | $3,500 – $8,850 | $6,150 | |
| Lafayette, LA70 miles | $3,300 – $8,250 | $5,750 | −7% |
| Slidell, LA70 miles | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,600 | −9% |
| Houma, LA85 miles | $3,150 – $7,900 | $5,550 | −10% |
| Alexandria, LA100 miles | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | −11% |
| Hattiesburg, MS120 miles | $3,100 – $7,600 | $5,350 | −14% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $3,200 – $8,000 | $5,600 | −9% |
| United States | $3,650 – $9,200 | $6,450 | +4% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Baton Rouge ranks #165 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Baton Rouge is 10% above the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $3,250 – $8,050 | $5,650 | −9% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $3,300 – $8,250 | $5,750 | −7% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $3,150 – $7,900 | $5,550 | −10% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $3,300 – $8,200 | $5,750 | −7% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,600 | −9% |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $3,050 – $7,450 | $5,250 | −15% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Baton Rouge against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $3,300 – $8,200 | $5,750 | −7% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $3,950 – $10,300 | $7,100 | +15% |
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $3,350 – $8,350 | $5,850 | −5% |
| Albuquerque, NM | 404,700 jobs | $3,350 – $8,350 | $5,850 | −6% |
Planning more than one job in Baton Rouge?
Jobs that often go together with concrete driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Baton Rouge wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, asphalt driveway comes out highest (−3%) and paver patio lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,950 – $7,250 | −3% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,350 | −8% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,350 – $4,950 | −5% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,650 | −4% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,800 | −5% |
Baton Rouge: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Baton Rouge. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft to 3-car (900 sq ft).
Basic
$3,500 to $5,650
Plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site
Standard
$5,100 to $7,250
5-inch with rebar and saw-cut joints, a border or one color
Premium
$6,700 to $8,850
6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,450 – $2,300 | $2,100 – $3,000 | $2,750 – $3,650 |
| 2-car (20x24), 480 sq ft | $2,800 – $4,550 | $4,100 – $5,800 | $5,400 – $7,100 |
| 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) | $3,500 – $5,650 | $5,100 – $7,250 | $6,700 – $8,850 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $5,200 – $8,400 | $7,600 – $10,800 | $10,000 – $13,200 |
Baton Rouge weather and the concrete driveway calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Baton Rouge Ryan Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For pouring concrete, the comfortable months in Baton Rouge are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in June, July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
Baton Rouge gets about 62 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, June and August (6.5 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and November are the driest, at 4.4 and 3.9 inches. The station averages about 96 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 42 | 6.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 67 | 45 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 51 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Apr | 79 | 57 | 5.1 | Workable |
| May | 86 | 65 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 72 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 5.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 6.4 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 81 | 58 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 71 | 48 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 5.3 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
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Concrete driveway in Baton Rouge: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete driveway in Baton Rouge?
For 600 sq ft, expect $3,500 to $8,850 in the Baton Rouge area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,100 to $7,250. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for concrete driveway in Baton Rouge?
About $5.75 to $14.50 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 Baton Rouge or Lafayette?
Lafayette is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $5,750, which is 7% less than Baton Rouge ($6,150). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Baton Rouge?
About 69% at the midpoint, or $4,300 out of $6,150. Materials are 29% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 69%.
+What would 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) cost in Baton Rouge?
$3,500 to $8,850. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does concrete driveway need a permit in Baton Rouge?
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 Baton Rouge area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Baton Rouge expensive for concrete driveway compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Baton Rouge is 10% above the Louisiana statewide estimate ($5,600 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Baton Rouge?
The BLS median is $29.45 an hour in the Baton Rouge area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.79 to $35.01.
+What do basic and premium concrete driveway work cost in Baton Rouge?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,500 to $5,650 and premium work $6,700 to $8,850. 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 Baton Rouge?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. September and November 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 Baton Rouge?
$570 to $1,700 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Concrete driveway near Baton Rouge
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.