How much does a concrete driveway cost in Summerville?
2026 prices per square foot and per driveway for the Summerville area, what the apron adds on a Town, county or state road, what makes a $7 foot an $11 foot, and what a real written quote should include — from a company that prices after it's measured.
The short answer
A plain broom-finish, reinforced concrete driveway in the Summerville area runs $7 to $11 per square foot installed in 2026 — the Charleston-market surveys put unreinforced at $6 to $10 and reinforced at $7 to $11, and on this ground we don't pour unreinforced. A typical two-car driveway, 24 by 40 feet (960 square feet), is roughly $6,500 to $10,900; a single-car 12 by 40 is $3,400 to $5,300; a long drive to a house on acreage in Ridgeville is priced by the hundred feet. Tearing out the old driveway adds $1.20 to $1.90 a square foot. The apron is its own line and depends on whose road it is: $1,200 to $2,800 to replace one on a Town curb-and-gutter street (plus the $25 encroachment permit), $2,500 to $5,500 for a culvert-pipe apron on a county or SCDOT swale road (permit free). Stamped concrete is $10 to $17 a foot; pervious, which the Town doesn't count toward lot coverage, $12 to $18.
Prices by job
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Broom-finish driveway, 4 in, reinforced | $7 – $11 per sq ft | On compacted stone over fabric |
| Two-car driveway, 24×40 | $6,500 – $10,900 | 960 sq ft |
| Single-car driveway, 12×40 | $3,400 – $5,300 | 480 sq ft |
| Tear-out of the old driveway | $1.20 – $1.90 per sq ft | Recycled as base where possible |
| Six-inch section at the parking area | + $1.50 – $2.50 per sq ft | Trucks, boats, RVs |
| Apron replacement, Town curb-and-gutter street | $1,200 – $2,800 | + $25 Town encroachment permit |
| Culvert-pipe apron, county or SCDOT swale road | $2,500 – $5,500 | Pipe, end sections; permit free |
| Stamped or colored upgrade | + $4 – $8 per sq ft | $10–$17 total |
| Pervious concrete section | $12 – $18 per sq ft | Excluded from lot coverage |
| Foam lifting instead (sound slab, sunk at the garage) | $600 – $2,000 | A third of replacement |
What moves the number
- The ground. On the sand ridge downtown, four inches of stone under the slab is enough. On the Rains, Coxville and Lynchburg soils with water a foot down in winter, it's six inches over fabric, and soft spots get dug out. On the Mouzon-Brookman-Wahee clays, more steel. The soil survey decides a dollar a foot.
- Thickness and steel. Four inches reinforced is the standard; six at the parking area for a truck, boat or RV. The builder's three and a half inches unreinforced is what you're replacing, and it isn't on our price list.
- Whose road. A Town street with curb and gutter is a simple apron and a $25 permit. A Dorchester or Berkeley County swale road, or a SCDOT route like 17-A, 78, 642 or 165, means a culvert pipe sized for the ditch, set at the invert, with poured end sections — free permit, more concrete and more work.
- Access. A ready-mix truck that can chute directly into the forms is the cheap case. A back-yard pour that needs a pump or a buggy adds $400 to $900.
- Finish. Broom is the base price. A smooth border, exposed aggregate, color or a stamped pattern adds per foot.
- Coverage. If the Town's 30 percent cap means part of the driveway has to be pervious, that section costs more per foot — and it's what makes the permit possible.
- HOA. Nexton, Cane Bay, Carnes Crossroads and the rest specify width and finish; matching the street rarely costs extra, but the drawing and the ARB wait are part of the schedule.
What a real quote includes
A written, itemized price good for 30 days: the square footage measured, the tear-out, the base depth and material, the thickness and reinforcement, the finish, the joints, the apron and its pipe, the permit for whichever authority owns the road and its fee, the coverage math on the plot plan, the HOA drawing, and the certificate of insurance and the LLR registration. If a quote is a number per foot on a business card, the base is a guess and the apron permit is your problem — and the Town will not issue a building permit on a county or state road without it.
Common questions
Why is the apron a separate price?
Because it's in somebody else's right-of-way, under their permit and their spec. On a swale road it includes a culvert pipe and end sections. We price it on its own line so you can see it, and so the permit is handled before the pour.
Is reinforcement really necessary?
On this ground, yes. Wire or rebar doesn't prevent cracks, it holds them closed and keeps the panels level on soil that heaves and settles. It's a dollar a foot that saves the driveway.
Can I save money by keeping the old apron?
If it's sound and permitted, yes — we tie the new driveway in at an expansion joint. If the pipe under it is crushed, the county will want it replaced, and it's cheaper to do it with the driveway.
Do you charge to look at it?
No. The estimate is free. A written condition report for a sale or an HOA is a small flat fee, credited toward the work.
Related: Concrete driveways · Builder driveway replacement · Aprons & permits · Permit guide