Concrete vs Asphalt, Pavers and Gravel: 2026 Cost Compared
When Baraboo, Wisconsin opened bids in March 2026, 4-inch asphalt came in at $6.85 and $7.84 a square foot and 4-inch concrete at $6.75 to $9.50, from different contractors in the same month. For a home job, a 20×20 concrete patio runs $2,180 to $5,620 in our cost model (October 2026). Gravel is cheapest; we found no primary price for pavers.
Concrete vs Asphalt vs Pavers vs Gravel: What Each Costs
| Surface | Price | Source | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete patio, 20×20, 4 in, mesh | $2,180 to $5,620 | Our cost model | Installed: concrete, delivery, 4-inch stone base, mesh, forms, crew, overhead |
| Concrete driveway, 20×24, 4 in, mesh | $2,590 to $6,520 | Our cost model | As the patio, with 4,000 PSI concrete |
| Concrete sidewalk, 4 in | $6.75 to $9.50 / sq ft | Baraboo, WI bids, 4 bidders | Municipal unit price, 6,700 sq ft item; the tab does not say whether removal is included |
| Concrete sidewalk, 6 in | $7.00 to $11.96 / sq ft | Baraboo, WI bids, 4 bidders | Same proposal, 400 sq ft item |
| Asphalt surface, 2 in | $3.92 and $4.50 / sq ft | Baraboo, WI bids, 2 bidders | Patching contract, 3,000 sq ft item; sawcutting and base prep are separate items |
| Asphalt surface, 3 in | $5.88 and $6.00 / sq ft | Baraboo, WI bids, 2 bidders | Patching contract, 3,000 sq ft item; sawcutting and base prep are separate items |
| Asphalt surface, 4 in | $6.85 and $7.84 / sq ft | Baraboo, WI bids, 2 bidders | Patching contract, 3,000 sq ft item; sawcutting and base prep are separate items; laid as two 2-inch lifts |
| Gravel, 6 in compacted | $0.98 to $1.66 / sq ft | Four crusher-run price lists | Stone only; delivery, grading, fabric, edging and compaction extra |
| Brick or concrete pavers | Not priced | No primary source found | Get a quote stating the paver, base depth and edge restraint |
The Baraboo prices are what contractors bid the city on 26 March 2026, on items of 400 to 6,700 sq ft. A homeowner’s single job carries setup and travel that a city program spreads over thousands of feet, so expect a home quote above these unit prices. Their value here is that asphalt and concrete were bid in the same city in the same month.
Concrete vs Asphalt Driveway: What to Compare
- Thickness for thickness. Compare a 4-inch asphalt quote with a 4-inch concrete quote. In Baraboo’s bids the 4-inch asphalt item was laid as two 2-inch lifts.
- The base. Both need a compacted stone base. Ask each contractor how deep, and whether it is in the price.
- Upkeep. Asphalt is usually sealed and crack-filled through its life; plain concrete is usually left alone apart from joint and crack sealing. Ask each contractor what they recommend and what it costs, since we have no published price for either.
- Tear-out. Removing an old driveway is its own line. Our removal and replacement page prices it from public bids.
Full concrete driveway prices by size: concrete driveway cost.
Concrete vs Pavers for a Patio
| If you care most about | Concrete | Pavers |
|---|---|---|
| A price you can check | Priced from published inputs: $2,180 to $5,620 for 20×20 | Quote only; ask for the paver and base spelled out |
| Repairs | A broken section is cut out and repoured; the patch shows | Individual pavers lift and reset |
| Looks | Broom finish; stamped and stained cost more (see stamped concrete) | Choice of shape, colour and pattern |
| Weeds | None through a slab; only at joints and edges | Joints need filling sand and upkeep |
Concrete patio prices by size: concrete patio cost.
Gravel: the Cheapest Surface, Priced as Stone
For a 6-inch compacted gravel surface our model orders a fifth more loose stone than the finished volume. At $44.00 to $74.75 a cubic yard of crusher run from D & L Supply, JMJ Companies, Golden Landscaping Supply, Yard Works Landscape Supply, the stone is $0.98 to $1.66 per square foot. Delivery, grading, fabric, edging and compaction are extra and we have no published price for them. Gravel needs topping up and regrading; it is not a slab and does not suit a garage floor.
How We Price a Slab
Every installed price on this site comes from one model: published ready-mix and materials prices, plus crew hours priced at Bureau of Labor Statistics wages, plus overhead and margin. The low figure uses the lowest published input and our lowest assumption at every step; the high figure uses the highest. The crew hours, overage and margin are our own estimates, not published figures, and are listed below so you can check them against your quote. Worked example: a 20 x 20 ft patio (4-inch, 3,000 PSI, wire mesh, broom finish, 4-inch stone base).
| Line | Low | Typical | High | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix concrete | $659 | $754 | $896 | 4.94 cu yd plus 5 to 10% overage, at published per-yard prices |
| Delivery and small-load charges | $0 | $35 | $419 | Per-truck charges from the same price lists (10 yd per truck) |
| Crushed-stone base | $261 | $325 | $443 | 4 in compacted crusher run |
| Reinforcement | $96 | $96 | $96 | 6x6 10-gauge mesh panels, lapped |
| Form lumber | $30 | $45 | $61 | Perimeter boards, shared across reuses |
| Crew labour | $770 | $1,332 | $2,101 | Crew hours x BLS wages x employer costs |
| Overhead and margin | $363 | $776 | $1,606 | 20% to 40% on direct cost |
| Installed total | $2,180 | $3,360 | $5,620 | Rounded to the nearest $10 |
Not included: excavation and soil haul-off, removing an old slab, permits, pumping, decorative finishes and sealing. Totals are national; the calculators’ state option swaps in that state’s BLS wages and leaves concrete and materials at the published lists.
Published inputs (read 13 October 2026)
- Ready-mix, per cubic yard: 3,000 PSI $127.05 to $165.00, 4,000 PSI $132.00 to $175.00, from Supreme Concrete (Los Angeles, CA), Minimix Concrete (Pequannock, NJ), Gehring Construction & Ready-Mix (Columbus, NE, list dated 2026-01-01), Scenic City Ready Mix (Tennessee, list dated 2024-08-03).
- Small orders and trucks: short-load charge $50 under 4 yd (Gehring) or $100 at 5 yd or less, plus $100 more at 2 yd or less (Scenic City); per truck, no charge within 20 miles (Gehring), a $35 surcharge (Scenic City), or $363.88 Zone A delivery plus a $55 environmental fee (Supreme).
- Crushed-stone base: $44.00 to $74.75 per cubic yard from D & L Supply (Central New York, $44.00/yd), JMJ Companies (Lynchburg, VA, $39.50/ton), Golden Landscaping Supply (Cumming, GA, $50.00/ton), Yard Works Landscape Supply (Fort Mill, SC, $74.75/yd); per-ton prices converted at 2,450 lb per yard.
- Steel, forms, poly: #4 rebar 20 ft $8.99, 6x6 10-gauge mesh 4x8 panel $6.99, 2x6x12 $14.32, 2x4x16 $12.13, 6-mil poly 8 ft 4 in x 100 ft $59.99, rebar chair $0.33 (Menards online prices; Home Depot and Lowe’s pages could not be read that day). That works out to $0.24 per sq ft for mesh and $0.74 per sq ft for a rebar grid, materials only.
- Wages: BLS OEWS 47-2051 cement masons (May 2025) 25th percentile $22.60, median $27.41, 75th $32.15 an hour; 47-2061 construction laborers $18.57, $22.66, $28.72. Employer costs from BLS ECEC June 2026, construction industry ($51.96 total compensation per $36.13 of wages, x1.44): a crew hour costs $29.60 to $43.77.
Our assumptions (estimates, not published figures)
- Crew: half cement masons, half laborers.
- Setup per job: 8 to 16 crew hours (layout, stripping, cleanup).
- Per 100 sq ft: 4-inch 4 to 7 crew hours, 6-inch 5 to 8.5, 8-inch 6 to 10; add 0.5 to 1 for mesh or 1.5 to 2.5 for rebar.
- Concrete overage 5% to 10%; base stone ordered at 1.2x its compacted volume; form boards charged at half to all of their price.
- Overhead and margin 20% to 40% of direct cost.
- 6-inch and thicker slabs use 4,000 PSI mix; thinner slabs 3,000 PSI.
Sources: BLS OEWS 47-2051 cement masons (May 2025), BLS OEWS 47-2061 construction laborers (May 2025), BLS ECEC, construction (June 2026), ready-mix price lists from Supreme Concrete, Minimix Concrete, Gehring Construction & Ready-Mix, Scenic City Ready Mix, crusher-run prices from D & L Supply, JMJ Companies, Golden Landscaping Supply, Yard Works Landscape Supply, Menards mesh, rebar, lumber and poly prices, City of Baraboo, WI 2026 public works bid tabulation (26 March 2026). All read 13 and 14 October 2026. Crew hours, overage, overhead and margin are our estimates and are listed in the method above.