How Much Does a New Driveway Cost? An Informative Guide

If you want to spruce up the curb appeal of your home, a new driveway will make a major difference. A gravel driveway can bring a return on investment as high as 70%.

To see that kind of return, you should be prepared to make an investment in a new driveway. How much does a new driveway cost? Keep reading to find out.

How Much Does a New Driveway Cost?

According to HomeAdvisor, the average new driveway is $4247. If you look more closely at the numbers, you’ll see that the averages range anywhere between $2 and $15 per square foot.

Why is there such a wide range of costs for a driveway? There are a number of factors that are involved in the costs. The main factors are your location, the size of the driveway, and the materials used. Gravel brings a high return on investment because it costs less than other materials. It’s not as attractive as asphalt or pavers.

Tips for a New Driveway Installation

A driveway installation makes a difference in how your home looks. Imagine driving up to your home and you see a brand new, slick driveway. It’s better than seeing a driveway with cracks all over and weeds popping up through the cracks. You want your home to look appealing, especially if you plan to sell it.

Here are some tips to help you have a perfect driveway installation.

Know What Lies Beneath Your Driveway

Think of the ground underneath your driveway like subflooring. You need to have a material that supports the driveway. Installing an asphalt driveway over a sandy soil will result in a driveway that will give way and crack over time.

That’s because the ground underneath will shift and move. Your driveway will move with it. The best driveway installations begin with a solid foundation. The ground needs to be packed so it can support the material above it. It also needs to be level, especially if you’re installing asphalt, concrete, or pavers.

Choose the Right Time to Install a New Driveway

Speaking of the ground underneath the driveway, you have to install your driveway in the right conditions. Planning a driveway installation when it normally rains can create a poor installation.  The moisture will get into the ground underneath the driveway and get trapped. That will hurt the integrity of the driveway.

Winter is also a bad time to install a driveway because the ground could be frozen when the driveway is installed. That will also compromise your installation. The best time to install will be in the summer when there’s less moisture in the air and the ground doesn’t stand a chance of freezing.

Understand the Benefits and Drawbacks of Different Materials

You learned that the material used to install the driveway will have a big impact on the overall cost of the project. Cost shouldn’t be the only factor that you use to determine the material. You should make your decision based on the look that you want and the climate in your area.

A gravel driveway can be good from a cost perspective, but you’ll want to think twice about having it installed if your area gets a lot of snow. You’ll have a hard time clearing the driveway with a snowblower.

What about getting a concrete or cement driveway? A concrete driveway is a popular choice because it’s easy to maintain and very durable. You might think that concrete and cement the same thing, but they’re not. The concrete driveway cost is affordable and in the middle range of the materials listed and concrete driveways are attractive, upping your home’s curb appeal. If you go with concrete, you may look at cement vs concrete.

Brick or concrete pavers are the most expensive option for your driveway. Money homeowners feel that they’re the most attractive. On the downside, they do require more maintenance because the pavers can shift and move. Weeds can also come up, which can ruin the attractiveness of the driveway.

Choose a Good Driveway Installation Contractor

You could install your driveway yourself. Should you? Probably not, unless you plan to install a gravel driveway. With a gravel driveway, you can always add more gravel where the sub-grade isn’t level. You can easily cover your errors.

Planning to use another type of driveway material? There is a lot that can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. Not only that, but you don’t own the equipment required to install a driveway. An asphalt driveway would require an asphalt roller among other things.

You could end up having to hire a driveway contractor to clean up your mess and redo your work. You’re better off having it done right the first time by hiring a contractor. Before you work with just anyone, you need to check their contractor’s license and insurance. That will protect you just in case the job doesn’t go well.

How Much Is a New Driveway?

A new driveway can make a difference in the look and feel of your home. How much does a new driveway cost?

It depends on the materials you use, your location, and the size of your driveway. If you want your new driveway project to go smoothly, you should make it a priority to hire a driveway installation contractor. They’ll help you choose the right material for the job and install it right the first time. All you’ll have to do is maintain it.

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