Concrete driveway cost in Eau Claire, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (600 sq ft)
- $3,850 – $9,900
- Per sq ft
- $6.35 – $16
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +7%
- US $6,450
- Rank of 300 metros
- #74
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a concrete driveway in the Eau Claire area: $3,850 to $9,900 for 600 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 7% higher than the US figure. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median of $29.33 an hour in the Eau Claire area, 7% above the US median of $27.41.
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Estimated cost for 600 sq ft in Eau Claire, WI, standard level
$5,650 to $8,100
About $9.30 to $13 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 73% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,600 | $1,950 |
| Labor | $4,000 | $5,950 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $140 |
| Total | $5,650 | $8,100 |
Cost breakdown for 600 sq ft in Eau Claire, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,300 | $1,750 | $2,250 | 26% |
| Labor | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,450 | 73% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $120 | $190 | 2% |
| Total | $3,850 | $6,850 | $9,900 | 100% |
Why Eau Claire 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 $29.33 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Eau Claire is 1.13 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 73% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Eau Claire is at 93.8 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 92.8: $45 to $190.
Planning more than one job in Eau Claire?
Jobs that often go together with concrete driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Eau Claire wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (+10%) and concrete slab lowest (+2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,200 – $8,000 | +7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,750 – $11,100 | +9% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,250 | +2% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,350 – $8,250 | +3% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,300 – $6,000 | +10% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,200 | +4% |
Eau Claire: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Eau Claire. 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
$3,850 to $6,250
Plain gray, 4-inch broom finish, flat site
Standard
$5,650 to $8,100
5-inch with rebar and saw-cut joints, a border or one color
Premium
$7,500 to $9,900
6-inch for heavy vehicles, stamped or colored, grading needed
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $1,550 – $2,550 | $2,300 – $3,300 | $3,050 – $4,050 |
| 2-car (20x24), 480 sq ft | $3,100 – $5,050 | $4,550 – $6,500 | $6,000 – $7,950 |
| 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) | $3,850 – $6,250 | $5,650 – $8,100 | $7,500 – $9,900 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $5,750 – $9,350 | $8,450 – $12,100 | $11,200 – $14,800 |
Eau Claire against nearby metros and the rest of Wisconsin
Same job, same size (600 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Minneapolis is the priciest of the group at $7,800. Wausau is the cheapest at $6,800.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire, WIthis page | $3,850 – $9,900 | $6,850 | |
| Wausau, WI75 miles | $3,800 – $9,800 | $6,800 | −1% |
| Rochester, MN85 miles | $4,150 – $10,700 | $7,450 | +8% |
| La Crosse, WI85 miles | $3,850 – $9,850 | $6,850 | level |
| Minneapolis, MN100 miles | $4,350 – $11,200 | $7,800 | +13% |
| Oshkosh, WI140 miles | $4,100 – $10,700 | $7,400 | +7% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $3,900 – $10,000 | $6,950 | +1% |
| United States | $3,650 – $9,200 | $6,450 | −7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Eau Claire ranks #74 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Eau Claire is 1% below the Wisconsin figure.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $4,150 – $10,800 | $7,450 | +8% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $3,950 – $10,300 | $7,100 | +4% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $3,850 – $9,950 | $6,900 | +1% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $4,050 – $10,500 | $7,300 | +6% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $4,100 – $10,700 | $7,400 | +7% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $3,850 – $9,850 | $6,850 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Eau Claire against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne, AL | 87,120 jobs | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | −21% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $3,200 – $7,950 | $5,550 | −19% |
| Joplin, MO | 87,190 jobs | $3,500 – $8,900 | $6,200 | −10% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $3,850 – $9,850 | $6,850 | level |
Add-ons priced for Eau Claire
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.03 for Eau Claire, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.13) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $620 – $1,850 |
| Remove the old driveway | $1,250 – $3,700 |
The best months for concrete driveway in Eau Claire
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire 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.
Eau Claire gets about 33 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 55 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.8 inches in June). Inside the workable window, July and September are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.6 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.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 6 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 28 | 9 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 2.0 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 3.1 | Cold |
| May | 70 | 45 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 2.5 | Cold |
| Nov | 42 | 25 | 1.8 | Cold |
| Dec | 29 | 13 | 1.4 | Cold |
Specs and site conditions that change a Eau Claire bid
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).
Who does the work: Eau Claire trade wages
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 Eau Claire the blend is 1.13.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $29.33 an hour, 7% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $23.80 and $36.87 an hour. About 210 work in the metro. That is 24.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 13.3 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $28.00 an hour, which is 24% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.33 and $36.35 an hour. BLS counts 640 of them working in the area, 74.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 10% of the weighting: a median of $36.53 an hour, 27% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.77 and $45.13 an hour. About 260 work in the metro. That is 30.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $28.41 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.39 and $38.28 an hour. About 360 work in the metro. That is 41.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (cement masons and concrete finishers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $610 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $440. That is a swing of roughly 6.5% to 8.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Eau Claire has 86,060 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 226th 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% | $23.80 | $29.33 | $36.87 | $27.41 | 1.07 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $22.33 | $28.00 | $36.35 | $22.66 | 1.24 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $29.77 | $36.53 | $45.13 | $28.78 | 1.27 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $23.39 | $28.41 | $38.28 | $29.12 | 0.98 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.13 | |||||
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 $5,650 to $8,100 for Eau Claire, WI is attached.
Detailed concrete driveway report for Eau Claire, WI, $9
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Concrete driveway in Eau Claire: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete driveway in Eau Claire?
For 600 sq ft, expect $3,850 to $9,900 in the Eau Claire area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,650 to $8,100. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for concrete driveway in Eau Claire?
About $6.35 to $16 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $190 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $6 to $15.
+Is concrete driveway cheaper in Eau Claire or Wausau?
Wausau is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 600 sq ft there is $6,800, which is 1% less than Eau Claire ($6,850). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Eau Claire?
About 73% at the midpoint, or $5,000 out of $6,850. Materials are 26% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 69%.
+What would 2-car + apron (600 sq ft) cost in Eau Claire?
$3,850 to $9,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does concrete driveway need a permit in Eau Claire?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $190 for fees in the Eau Claire area (our national range of $50 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Eau Claire expensive for concrete driveway compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Eau Claire is 1% below the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($6,950 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Eau Claire?
The BLS median is $29.33 an hour in the Eau Claire area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.80 to $36.87.
+What do basic and premium concrete driveway work cost in Eau Claire?
For 600 sq ft, basic work runs $3,850 to $6,250 and premium work $7,500 to $9,900. 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 Eau Claire?
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 Eau Claire?
$620 to $1,850 for 600 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Concrete driveway near Eau Claire
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.