How much does a concrete driveway or slab cost in Bend?

Why there is no single price per square foot

Online calculators give a number per square foot, but two driveways of the same size in Bend can cost very different amounts. One sits on a flat lot with good native soil and an open approach from the street. The other needs old concrete broken out, a slope cut back, a deeper gravel base and a new driveway approach in the public right of way. The concrete is only one line in the bid.

This guide walks through what actually moves the number, so you can compare bids on equal terms and know what questions to ask. When you are ready for a real figure, send RCC the address and a few photos.

Size and thickness

Area is the obvious driver, but thickness matters almost as much because concrete is priced by volume. ConcreteNetwork.com puts the baseline for a residential driveway that carries passenger vehicles at a minimum of 4 inches, and suggests 5 or 6 inches where trucks or large RVs will park. The Tennessee Concrete Association's summary of ACI 332, the American Concrete Institute's residential concrete code, lists a minimum of 3.5 inches. Going from 4 to 5 inches adds a quarter more concrete to the same footprint.

Reinforcement is tied to thickness. ConcreteNetwork.com suggests wire mesh for driveways 4 to 5 inches thick and rebar for those 5 inches or thicker. See driveway thickness and rebar basics for more.

Excavation and the base

What is under the slab often decides how long it lasts. Contractors typically place a well graded, compacted gravel subbase, and the ACI 332 summary calls for a properly prepared and compacted subgrade. If the existing ground is soft, uneven, full of roots or sloped toward the house, more digging and more base material go into the job.

Tear out is part of this. Breaking up and hauling away an old driveway or patio takes equipment time and disposal. RCC does its own excavation, so base prep and removal are priced by the same crew that pours.

The concrete mix

Central Oregon freezes and thaws all winter, and that drives the mix. The ACI 332 summary for driveways lists 4,500 psi compressive strength at 28 days, air entrainment around 6 percent, and a maximum water to cementitious materials ratio of 0.45. The Concrete in Practice sheet on scaling says severe exposures call for 6 to 7 percent air and 4,000 psi when deicers are used. Air entrained, higher strength concrete is worth it here, and it is part of the price.

Season and winter protection

Concrete can be poured in Bend in winter, but it needs protection. Under ACI 306R-16, cold weather concreting applies when the air temperature falls, or is expected to fall, below 40 degrees F, and fresh concrete must be kept from freezing until it reaches about 500 psi. Insulating blankets, heated enclosures, accelerating admixtures and keeping ice and snow off the subgrade all add labor and material. Our guide on pouring concrete in winter in Bend explains what changes.

Permits and work at the street

A driveway on private property is often exempt from a building permit, but the piece where it meets the street usually is not. In Bend, building or changing a driveway approach, curb or sidewalk requires a city right-of-way permit under Bend City Code 3.40.005. Outside city limits, Deschutes County requires a driveway access permit whenever a driveway connects to a county road. Permit fees, and the extra standards that come with right-of-way work, belong in the bid. See permit rules for driveways and slabs.

Questions that keep bids comparable

When a contractor walks your site, a few questions make the bids easy to compare: How thick will the slab be, and why? What reinforcement, and how will it be held up in the slab during the pour? How deep is the gravel base, and will it be compacted? What strength and air content is the concrete ordered at? Where will the joints go, and when will they be cut? Who pulls any permit, and is the fee included? What happens if the pour date lands on a freezing week?

Clear answers to those questions are a good sign. Vague ones usually mean something has been left out of the number.

Access, finish and the rest

If a concrete truck cannot reach the forms, the concrete has to be pumped or moved another way, which adds equipment. Joint layout, finish texture and curing also take time. The Concrete in Practice sheet on joints recommends saw cutting within 4 to 12 hours after finishing, and proper curing is on the ACI 332 checklist.

When you compare bids, line them up driver by driver: thickness, reinforcement, base depth, mix specification, removal, winter protection and permits. A low number that leaves one of those out is not a lower price for the same driveway.