For a driveway in the inland East Bay, concrete is usually the long-term choice, asphalt is cheaper to put down and pavers are the easiest to adjust later. The rest of this page covers the choices inside a concrete job.
The dollar figures on this page are national ranges that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from us. What you pay in Concord depends on local labor and material prices, access to the site and the clay under the slab. Last checked October 2026.
Concrete or asphalt for a driveway?
Concrete for most houses. National figures put an asphalt driveway at $5 to $12 or more per square foot and $2,000 to $4,800 for a 20x20, against $6 to $15 per square foot for concrete. Asphalt softens in hot weather, needs seal coats and wears out sooner. Concrete stays hard in a Concord summer and reflects more heat. Asphalt can make sense for a very long drive where cost per foot rules.
Poured concrete or pavers?
Pavers cost $10 to $17 per square foot installed for a patio by national figures, or $3,800 to $6,800 for a 20x20. Their advantage on clay is that a section that has moved can be lifted and relaid. Their drawbacks are weeds, ants and edges that creep. Poured concrete is one solid surface with less upkeep, but a cracked slab cannot be reset. Near large trees and over utility lines, pavers are often the better fit.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
Four inches is the usual minimum for cars. We suggest five or six inches where a pickup with a trailer, an RV or a delivery truck will use the driveway, and at the approach where vehicles turn in. Thickness only works on a firm base, so the compacted rock under the slab counts as much as the extra inch.
Do I need rebar or wire mesh? What PSI concrete do I need?
On Concord clay we recommend steel in driveways and most patios. Rebar or wire mesh does not stop cracks. It holds them closed and keeps the two sides level. Rebar on supports is easier to keep in the middle of the slab than mesh, which tends to get walked down to the bottom. For strength, 2,500 PSI is the code minimum for many slabs and 3,000 to 4,000 PSI is common for driveways. Structural work uses the PSI on the plans.
Is stamped concrete worth it?
It is worth it if looks matter to you and you accept resealing every few years. Stamped concrete costs more than plain and gives a stone or brick look in a single slab. It is not worth it if you want a surface you never have to think about. Many people stamp a border or the front walk and leave the main driveway in a broom finish.
Should I seal new concrete, and how often does it need sealing?
Plain broom-finished concrete here does not strictly need a sealer, since we have no deicing salt and little frost. If you want to seal new concrete to resist oil and stains, wait about a month for it to cure. Decorative concrete should always be sealed. How often depends on sun and traffic. Every two to three years is a common interval for a sealed driveway or stamped patio. Nationally, cleaning and sealing is $1 to $3 per square foot, or $575 to $1,700 for a two-car driveway.
Broom finish or smooth finish? What finish for a steep driveway?
Use a broom finish outdoors. The fine ridges give grip in the rain. A smooth trowel finish belongs in garages and indoor floors, where it is easy to sweep. On a steep driveway, as on the hillside streets of east Concord and Clayton, ask for a coarse broom finish pulled across the slope, or grooves, so tires and shoes hold in wet weather.
What does a hot tub pad need?
A hot tub pad needs to be flat, thick enough and on firm ground. A filled spa with people in it weighs several thousand pounds. Follow the tub maker's sheet. That normally means at least four inches of reinforced concrete on compacted base, dead level, with the electrical conduit placed before the pour. The spa's wiring needs its own permit.
What does a shop slab need for a vehicle lift, heavy equipment or delivery trucks?
It needs to be designed for the point loads. A vehicle lift puts its whole load through a few anchor bolts, and lift makers state a minimum slab thickness and concrete strength for each model. Heavy equipment and racking may need thickened footings under the slab. A pad that takes a delivery truck or a garbage truck should be thicker than a home driveway, with more steel and a strong base, because one loaded axle does more damage than years of car traffic.
Do I need gravel under a slab, and do I need a vapor barrier?
On clay, yes to gravel under the slab. A layer of compacted crushed rock gives even support and keeps the concrete off soil that swells. A vapor barrier is a plastic sheet under an indoor slab that stops ground moisture from rising. Use one under any floor that will be enclosed, coated or covered with flooring. Driveways and open patios do not need it.
My pool deck is worn. Resurface, pavers or new poured concrete?
Go by the condition of the slab. A pool deck that is level and only rough or stained can be resurfaced, at $3 to $6 per square foot nationally, with a cool, textured coating. A deck that has tilted toward the pool or pulled away from the coping should be replaced. Pavers are a good choice if you want access to plumbing later. Whatever you choose, the finish must grip when wet and the joint at the coping must stay flexible.
A patio is being poured against the house. What goes between them?
An isolation joint, often sold as expansion joint material. It is a compressible strip set against the foundation, steps and posts before the pour, so the patio and the house can move separately as the clay changes. The patio should also finish below the door threshold and the weep screed of the stucco, and slope away from the wall.
The real number for your job comes from a free visit, where we measure and look at the ground. Call (925) 690-1468 or text a photo of the area.