Concrete driveway cost in Syracuse, NY

What local crews earn in Syracuse

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 Syracuse the blend is 1.06.

Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $29.59 an hour, 8% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $23.59 and $36.60 an hour. About 220 work in the metro. That is 7.3 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 $23.64 an hour, which is 4% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.52 and $34.90 an hour. BLS counts 1,660 of them working in the area, 55.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 10% of the weighting: a median of $30.68 an hour, 7% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.67 and $50.65 an hour. About 700 work in the metro. That is 23.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.

Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $29.93 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $24.13 and $36.26 an hour. About 1,490 work in the metro. That is 49.6 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 $560 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $480. That is a swing of roughly 7.2% to 8.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.

Syracuse has 300,130 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 85th by size among the 300 metros on this site.

Extras that change the Syracuse total

Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.03 for Syracuse, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.06) and goods price index (1.00). The estimator above can add them to your total.

Syracuse 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, Syracuse Hancock Intl 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 Syracuse are May through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, April, 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.

Syracuse gets about 40 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 128 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and October (3.9 inches in October). Inside the workable window, May and September are the driest, at 3.4 and 3.4 inches. The station averages about 10 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.

Syracuse: what basic, standard and premium work costs

The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Syracuse. 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).

How Syracuse compares

Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Albany is the priciest of the group at $7,000. Scranton is the cheapest at $6,500.

Out of the 300 metros we cover, Syracuse ranks #100 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Syracuse is 9% below the New York figure.

Elsewhere in New York

Metros of a similar size

Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Syracuse against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.

What nearby projects cost in Syracuse

Jobs that often go together with concrete driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Syracuse wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (+5%) and concrete slab lowest (+2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.

Specs and site conditions that change a Syracuse bid

• 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.

• 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.