The recommended thickness is 4″ to 6″ inches for residential driveways that only lightweight vehicles pass through. For commercial concrete driveways that deal with heavy traffic by garbage trucks, heavy trucks, moving vans, and other heavy vehicles, the recommended thickness is 6″ to 8″.

The combined strength and longevity make concrete a relatively good value for large areas of paving. As a driveway surface, concrete is more expensive than gravel and asphalt, but it is considerably less expensive than a driveway made with brick, cobblestone, or concrete pavers—and it typically outlasts all of these.

Rebar & wire mesh reinforcement Reinforcement won't prevent cracks, but it will help hold them together if they do occur. Concrete reinforcement can be either wire mesh or ½-inch (#4) steel rebar. Use wire mesh for driveways that are 4 to 5 inches thick, and rebar for those that are 5 inches or more.

Once you know the length, width, and thickness of your driveway, you can plug those measurements into a basic formula (length x width x thickness = volume in cubic feet) to get the precise quantity of concrete needed.