Concrete driveway cost in St. Cloud, MN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $3,900 – $9,950
- Per sq ft
- $6.40 – $16.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +8%
- US $6,450
- Rank of 300 metros
- #70
- 1 = most expensive
A concrete driveway in St. Cloud, MN usually costs $3,900 to $9,950 for 600 sq ft. That works out to about $6.40 to $16.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $500 more. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median of $29.37 an hour in the St. Cloud area, 7% above the US median of $27.41.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in St. Cloud, MN, standard level
$5,700 to $8,150
About $9.40 to $13.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 72% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,600 | $2,000 |
| Labor | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $140 |
| Total | $5,700 | $8,150 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in St. Cloud, MN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,300 | $1,800 | $2,300 | 26% |
| Labor | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 | 72% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $110 | $180 | 2% |
| Total | $3,900 | $6,950 | $9,950 | 100% |
Where the St. Cloud price comes from
Labor is 72% of the midpoint bill here, against 69% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is cement masons and concrete finishers (50%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (10%), carpenters (10%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In St. Cloud the blended ratio comes out at 1.14.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. St. Cloud is at 95.4 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,900 nationally becomes $1,800 here (midpoint, 600 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 87.6: $45 to $180.
Is St. Cloud cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Minneapolis is the priciest of the group at $7,800. Fargo is the cheapest at $6,400.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MNthis page | $3,900 – $9,950 | $6,950 | |
| Minneapolis, MN70 miles | $4,350 – $11,200 | $7,800 | +12% |
| Fargo, ND150 miles | $3,600 – $9,200 | $6,400 | −8% |
| Rochester, MN155 miles | $4,150 – $10,700 | $7,450 | +7% |
| Duluth, MN155 miles | $4,100 – $10,600 | $7,350 | +6% |
| Eau Claire, WI160 miles | $3,850 – $9,900 | $6,850 | −1% |
| Minnesota (statewide) | $4,100 – $10,600 | $7,350 | +6% |
| United States | $3,650 – $9,200 | $6,450 | −7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, St. Cloud ranks #70 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, St. Cloud is 6% below the Minnesota figure.
Elsewhere in Minnesota
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $4,350 – $11,200 | $7,800 | +12% |
| Duluth, MN | 124,710 jobs | $4,100 – $10,600 | $7,350 | +6% |
| Rochester, MN | 122,980 jobs | $4,150 – $10,700 | $7,450 | +7% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is St. Cloud against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign, IL | 105,500 jobs | $4,200 – $11,000 | $7,600 | +10% |
| Gainesville, GA | 103,870 jobs | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | −21% |
| Hagerstown, MD | 107,170 jobs | $3,300 – $8,250 | $5,750 | −17% |
| Charleston, WV | 103,450 jobs | $3,600 – $9,100 | $6,350 | −8% |
What local crews earn in St. Cloud
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 St. Cloud the blend is 1.14.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $29.37 an hour, 7% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $24.16 and $35.70 an hour. About 140 work in the metro. That is 13.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 13.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $27.80 an hour, which is 23% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.11 and $36.92 an hour. BLS counts 1,470 of them working in the area, 141.5 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 $38.24 an hour, 33% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $30.11 and $47.30 an hour. About 700 work in the metro. That is 67.4 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 $29.14 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.37 and $36.78 an hour. About 570 work in the metro. That is 54.8 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 $510 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $420. That is a swing of roughly 6.1% to 7.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
St. Cloud has 103,920 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 197th 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% | $24.16 | $29.37 | $35.70 | $27.41 | 1.07 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $23.11 | $27.80 | $36.92 | $22.66 | 1.23 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $30.11 | $38.24 | $47.30 | $28.78 | 1.33 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $23.37 | $29.14 | $36.78 | $29.12 | 1.00 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.14 | |||||
Why two St. Cloud quotes can differ
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).
Extras that change the St. Cloud total
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.05 for St. Cloud, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.14) and goods price index (0.95). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $630 – $1,900 |
| Remove the old driveway | $1,250 – $3,750 |
Cost by quality level and size in St. Cloud
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to St. Cloud. 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
$3,900 to $6,300
Plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site
Standard
$5,700 to $8,150
5-inch with rebar and saw-cut joints, a border or one color
Premium
$7,550 to $9,950
6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,600 – $2,600 | $2,350 – $3,350 | $3,100 – $4,100 |
| 2-car (20x24), 480 sq ft | $3,100 – $5,050 | $4,600 – $6,550 | $6,050 – $8,000 |
| 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) | $3,900 – $6,300 | $5,700 – $8,150 | $7,550 – $9,950 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $5,800 – $9,450 | $8,500 – $12,100 | $11,200 – $14,900 |
St. Cloud 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, St Cloud Rgnl 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 St. Cloud are May through September: 5 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, April, October, November and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below.
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.
St. Cloud gets about 28 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 48 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.0 inches in August). Inside the workable window, July and September are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.0 inches. The station averages about 9 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 | 21 | 3 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 26 | 7 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Mar | 39 | 20 | 1.6 | Cold |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 2.6 | Cold |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 56 | 36 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Nov | 39 | 23 | 1.4 | Cold |
| Dec | 26 | 10 | 0.9 | Cold |
What nearby projects cost in St. Cloud
Jobs that often go together with concrete driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same St. Cloud wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (+13%) and concrete slab lowest (+3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,250 – $8,100 | +8% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,800 – $11,300 | +11% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,300 | +3% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,350 – $8,300 | +4% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,400 – $6,150 | +13% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,200 | +4% |
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 $5,700 to $8,150 for St. Cloud, MN is attached.
Detailed concrete driveway report for St. Cloud, MN, $9
The report lays out the concrete driveway numbers for St. Cloud, MN line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. 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 St. Cloud: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete driveway in St. Cloud?
For 600 sq ft, expect $3,900 to $9,950 in the St. Cloud area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,700 to $8,150. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for concrete driveway in St. Cloud?
About $6.40 to $16.50 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 St. Cloud or Minneapolis?
Minneapolis is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $7,800, which is 12% more than St. Cloud ($6,950). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in St. Cloud?
About 72% at the midpoint, or $5,000 out of $6,950. Materials are 26% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 69%.
+What would 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) cost in St. Cloud?
$3,900 to $9,950. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does concrete driveway need a permit in St. Cloud?
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 St. Cloud area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is St. Cloud expensive for concrete driveway compared with the rest of Minnesota?
St. Cloud is 6% below the Minnesota statewide estimate ($7,350 at the midpoint). We cover 4 metros in Minnesota; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in St. Cloud?
The BLS median is $29.37 an hour in the St. Cloud area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $24.16 to $35.70.
+What do basic and premium concrete driveway work cost in St. Cloud?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,900 to $6,300 and premium work $7,550 to $9,950. 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 St. Cloud?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are May through September. July and September 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 St. Cloud?
$630 to $1,900 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Concrete driveway near St. Cloud
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.