How much does a concrete driveway cost in Los Angeles?
LA guides put plain concrete driveways at $12 to $16 per square foot installed and stamped work at $15 to $25 - real LA pricing, above national averages, reflecting local labor and code specs. A typical 600-square-foot two-car driveway lands around $7,000 to $10,000 in plain broom finish, more with decorative work.
Driveways anchor a big share of our concrete work, our driveway contractor page puts concrete, pavers and brick side by side, and quotes come from measuring the actual approach. Here is where the money goes in this market, and the two comparisons worth making before you pour.
The LA numbers, and what is inside them
| Driveway spec | 2026 LA range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain broom finish | $12 - $16 / sq ft | The honest baseline |
| Stamped or decorative | $15 - $25 / sq ft | Pattern and color work |
| 400 sq ft (single-wide) | ~$4,800 - $6,400 plain | Small-lot city driveways |
| 600 sq ft (two-car) | ~$7,200 - $9,600 plain | The common project |
| Demo of existing drive | Additional line | Old slab out first |
| Right-of-way permit (approach, curb cut) | $336 basic A-Permit fee plus surcharges and inspection | The slab itself is exempt from a building permit |
The permit side has its own guide: driveway permit rules in Los Angeles.
The spec matters as much as the price. A driveway at grade on private land needs no LADBS building permit, so the spec lives in the bid: slab thickness, control joints and reinforcement. At the curb, the city’s apron spec is Class 520-C-2500 concrete, a 2,500 psi class, at least 4 inches thick in R-1 and R-2 zones. Those are the difference between a driveway and a future patch schedule, and a bid should state them - the cheapest pour in the neighborhood is usually thin somewhere you cannot see.
Why LA driveways crack, and how good ones manage it
Concrete cracks; the craft is deciding where. LA’s expansive clay moves with the seasons, and slabs respond - so honest driveway construction controls the cracking: proper base, correct thickness, reinforcement, and control joints cut on schedule so movement lands invisibly in straight lines instead of wandering across the middle. Hillside approaches add their own physics, with grades and transitions that punish thin work. When cracks have already opened on a sound drive, concrete crack and section repair is often the smaller job than a new pour.
That is also the setup for the real LA comparison: pavers cost more upfront - guides run them $15 to $30 per square foot - and then flex with the clay instead of cracking, with unit-by-unit repairs and documented ten-year savings on our soils. Concrete wins the entry price and clean modern looks; pavers win the decades. We install both, which is why our comparison comes without a thumb on the scale.
The masonry-shop difference on a driveway
A concrete outfit pours gray; a masonry outfit builds the front of your house. The projects we love pair the slab with brick ribbons, borders and aprons that tie the driveway to the architecture, stone or brick pilasters at the entry, and steps and walls that make the approach one composition. Full brick driveways - herringbone and basket-weave - remain the flagship version, priced like the craftwork they are and remembered by every visitor who parks on one.
Those accents are also the honest upgrade path: a plain structural pour now, designed so borders and pilasters can join later without rework.
Pricing your actual driveway
Measure the approach, note demo and slope, decide plain versus decorative honestly, and have it walked. Our written quotes separate demo, base, slab spec, finish and any masonry accents - free, specific, and built to the written spec whether or not anyone is checking. Call (424) 653-0453 or start at the contact page.