Concrete driveway cost in Rhode Island
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (600 sq ft)
- $3,900 – $9,950
- Per sq ft
- $6.40 – $16
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +8%
- US $6,450
- Metros covered
- 1
Across Rhode Island, a concrete driveway costs about $3,900 to $9,950 for 600 sq ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 8% above the US figure of $6,450. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median $30.26 an hour in Rhode Island (US: $27.41).
Rhode Island has one metro in our dataset, Providence, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Estimate your concrete driveway cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Rhode Island (statewide), standard level
$5,700 to $8,150
About $9.35 to $13.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 72% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,650 | $2,050 |
| Labor | $3,950 | $5,950 |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $160 |
| Total | $5,700 | $8,150 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Rhode Island
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,350 | $1,850 | $2,350 | 27% |
| Labor | $2,500 | $4,950 | $7,400 | 72% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $130 | $200 | 2% |
| Total | $3,900 | $6,900 | $9,950 | 100% |
Concrete driveway: what moves the price in Rhode Island
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.
Related projects, priced for Rhode Island
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Rhode Island wages and prices. Against national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (+12%) and concrete slab lowest (+4%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,800 | +5% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,650 – $10,800 | +6% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,400 | +4% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,400 – $8,400 | +5% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,350 – $6,150 | +12% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,300 – $4,250 | +5% |
Quality levels and sizes in Rhode Island
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Rhode Island wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
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
$7,500 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 | $7,500 – $9,950 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $5,800 – $9,400 | $8,500 – $12,100 | $11,200 – $14,800 |
How Rhode Island compares with nearby states
Rhode Island ranks 14 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. Rhode Island sits at $6,900. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 50 miles away | $4,100 – $10,600 | $7,350 | +6% |
| Connecticut | 80 miles away | $3,900 – $9,950 | $6,900 | level |
| New Hampshire | 90 miles away | $3,650 – $9,150 | $6,400 | −8% |
| New York | 160 miles away | $4,150 – $10,500 | $7,350 | +6% |
| Maine | 170 miles away | $3,550 – $9,000 | $6,300 | −9% |
Weather windows across Rhode Island
Season matters for concrete driveway. For each Rhode Island metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for pouring concrete.
Providence has 6 comfortable months (May through October), with about 48 inches of precipitation a year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | 22 | 84 | 48 | 6: May through October |
Optional extras in Rhode Island
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Rhode Island by the average of the local wage index (1.12) and goods index (0.97), a factor of 1.05. 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 | $630 – $1,900 |
| Remove the old driveway | $1,250 – $3,750 |
Concrete driveway cost by metro in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has one metro in our dataset, Providence, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence, RI | $3,950 – $10,100 | $7,050 | +2% |
Rhode Island labor market for concrete driveway
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 4 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.12 for Rhode Island.
For cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051, weighted 50%) the local median is $30.26 an hour, which is 10% above the national $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $28.69 and $35.39 an hour. BLS counts 250 of them working in the state, 5.0 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 $27.52 an hour, 21% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.51 and $37.25 an hour. About 2,110 work in the state. That is 42.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 10%) the local median is $30.58 an hour, which is 6% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.65 and $40.30 an hour. BLS counts 970 of them working in the state, 19.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 10%) the local median is $29.25 an hour, which is in line with the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $25.14 and $36.42 an hour. BLS counts 2,580 of them working in the state, 51.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for cement masons and concrete finishers ($35.39 an hour) would add about $410 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($28.69) would take off about $130. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 501,340 jobs across Rhode Island (May 2025), which is 0.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $28.69 | $30.26 | $35.39 | $27.41 | 1.10 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $22.51 | $27.52 | $37.25 | $22.66 | 1.21 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $29.65 | $30.58 | $40.30 | $28.78 | 1.06 | state |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $25.14 | $29.25 | $36.42 | $29.12 | 1.00 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.12 | |||||
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 Rhode Island is attached.
Take this estimate with you: PDF report, $9
Multi-page report for Rhode Island: 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 Rhode Island: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete driveway in Rhode Island?
$3,900 to $9,950 for 600 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Rhode Island can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Rhode Island is cheapest for concrete driveway?
Providence at about $7,050 (midpoint, 600 sq ft).
+Is concrete driveway cheaper in Rhode Island than the US average?
It is 8% more expensive: $6,900 against $6,450 for 600 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Rhode Island?
About 72% ($4,950). Materials are 27%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.12x the national wage level.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Rhode Island?
The BLS statewide median is $30.26 an hour, against $27.41 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.69 to $35.39.
+Where does Rhode Island rank for concrete driveway costs?
14th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $6,900 for 600 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium concrete driveway work cost in Rhode Island?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,900 to $6,300 and premium work $7,500 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.
+Does the season matter for concrete driveway in Rhode Island?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Rhode Island metros we cover, Providence has the most comfortable months (6 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 Rhode Island?
$630 to $1,900 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Concrete driveway by city in Rhode Island
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.