New concrete driveways · Toronto and the GTA
Concrete Driveways Toronto
Replacing asphalt, interlock or a failed slab? Built on a compacted base to last 30 years.
Toronto Concrete Repairs removes the old driveway, rebuilds the base, reinforces and pours new concrete with the finish you choose: broom, exposed aggregate, stamped or coloured. Three to five days on site, written warranty, across Toronto and the GTA.
Quick answer
What does a new concrete driveway in Toronto involve?
A new concrete driveway means removing the old surface, excavating and compacting a granular base, forming and reinforcing, then pouring and finishing concrete with control joints so it cracks where we want it to and nowhere else. Toronto Concrete Repairs builds driveways this way across Toronto and the GTA, at about $30 per square foot removed and replaced, with a typical double car driveway landing between $15,000 and $26,000. Most jobs are three to five days on site. If your existing driveway is sound underneath and only the surface has gone, repair or resurfacing costs a fraction of this, and we'll tell you if that's the better call.
Why concrete
Concrete vs asphalt vs interlock in Toronto's climate
Toronto swings from minus 25 in January to plus 35 in August, with 60 or more freeze and thaw cycles a winter and salt on every road. Here's how the three options hold up.
| Factor | Concrete | Asphalt | Interlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | 30 to 50 years | 15 to 20 years | 20 to 30 years |
| Maintenance | Seal every 4 to 5 years | Reseal every 2 to 3 years | Weed control, relevelling |
| Freeze and thaw | Excellent with air entrained mix | Poor | Fair, stones shift |
| Salt resistance | Good when sealed | Poor | Fair |
| Design options | Broom, exposed aggregate, stamped, coloured | Black only | Good |
| Snow removal | Easy, one flat surface | Easy | Harder, uneven joints |
| Upfront cost | Higher than asphalt | Lowest | Highest |
The honest version: asphalt is cheaper on the day and more expensive over the life of the house, because you'll replace it two or three times while a concrete driveway is still going. Interlock looks great until the stones shift, and in this climate they shift. Concrete costs more upfront and then mostly leaves you alone.
Finishes
Concrete driveway types we install in Toronto
Same base, same reinforcement, same pour. The finish is where the look and the price change.
Standard broom finish
About $30 per sq ft, removed and replaced
The most common driveway in Toronto. Excellent grip in wet and icy conditions, hides minor imperfections, ages well. The right call for most homes.
Exposed aggregate
Priced above broom finish
The surface cement is washed back to reveal the stone underneath. Textured, slip resistant, handles salt well. One of the most popular upgrades in the GTA.
Stamped concrete
Priced above broom finish
Patterns pressed into the wet concrete to mimic slate, cobblestone or brick, then coloured and sealed. The look of stone at well under the cost of stone or interlock.
Coloured concrete
Added to any finish
Integral colour mixed through the full depth of the slab, not painted on, so it won't fade or chip. Charcoal, slate, warm earth tones and custom shades.
Heated driveways
Priced per project
In floor heating under the concrete that melts snow and ice on contact. A premium option for people who are done shovelling. Heated driveways in Toronto.
Circular and custom shapes
Priced per project
Curved, circular and custom driveways for properties where a straight rectangle doesn't suit the frontage. Common in Forest Hill, Rosedale, Lawrence Park and the Bridle Path.
The process
How we install a concrete driveway, no shortcuts
Concrete fails from the bottom up. Almost every driveway we tear out failed because of what was, or wasn't, underneath it. So the base gets more attention than the finish.
Site assessment
Soil, drainage, grade, access and the state of the existing driveway. Fixed written quote, and we tell you whether your city needs a permit.
Permits
Where a permit is needed, we handle drawings, submission and approval. We know the rules for each GTA municipality we work in.
Demolition and removal
Old surface broken up, hauled away and disposed of. We inspect the base now, when drainage or soil problems are cheap to fix.
Base preparation
4 to 6 inches of granular base compacted in lifts. This is the step that separates a 40 year driveway from a 5 year one.
Forms, reinforcement, joints
Forms set to finished grade, wire mesh or rebar sized to the load, control joints every 8 to 12 feet so cracking happens in a straight line, not across the slab.
Pour and finish
Air entrained mix poured to 6 inches for residential driveways, sloped away from the house, finished in one continuous pour so there are no cold joints.
Cure and seal
Curing compound applied straight after finishing. After the 28 day cure, the surface is sealed against salt, stains and water.
Handover
Exact dates for walking on it and parking on it, in writing, with photos of what went in underneath.
Timeline: most residential driveways take 3 to 5 days from demolition to finished surface. Walk on it after 24 to 48 hours, drive on it after 7 days, full strength at 28 days. Keep heavy vehicles and sharp turns off it for the first month.
Real jobs
Before & after: driveways we've replaced
Driveway replacement, base rebuilt
Mississauga
New driveway, broom finish
Toronto
Permits
Do you need a permit for a concrete driveway in Toronto?
Inside the City of Toronto, usually yes if you're changing the footprint, widening, or creating a new connection to the road allowance. A like for like replacement in the same footprint often doesn't. Maximum width, setback from the property line and permeable surface rules apply depending on your zone.
Every GTA municipality has its own rules. Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville and Brampton each handle it differently. We tell you during the assessment whether your project needs one, and we handle the process where it does.
What we handle for you
Reviews
What homeowners say about their new driveways
★★★★★ 4.8 · 100+ Google reviews · As seen on CTV's Marilyn Denis Show
★★★★★
Up to the high expectations
They removed our existing concrete driveway and did a remarkable job installing the new one. It was apparent from the start that they were very knowledgeable, and we were pleased their work was very much up to the high expectations we had from all the positive online reviews.
★★★★★
Driveway replacement, done well
Thank you for a job well done. The guys did a fantastic job replacing our concrete driveway in Toronto. Highly recommend this company for any concrete work.
★★★★★
Invoiced at the quoted price
They spent time assessing and quoting the job and did the work as quoted. The work was done in the time estimated, they did a good job cleaning up, and the job was invoiced at the quoted price. I would gladly recommend them and would use them again.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: concrete driveways in Toronto
About $30 per square foot to remove the old driveway and pour a new broom finish one, which puts a typical double car driveway between $15,000 and $26,000 before HST. That includes demolition, disposal, base preparation, reinforcement, the pour, finishing and cleanup. Exposed aggregate, stamped and coloured finishes are priced above that, and heated driveways are quoted per project. Text three photos or book a site visit and you'll have a written figure for your driveway within one business day.
30 to 50 years when it's built properly: 4 to 6 inches of compacted granular base, 6 inch concrete, control joints in the right places, and a seal every 4 to 5 years against salt and freeze and thaw. We've replaced driveways poured in the 1970s. We build every new one to go at least that long.
Most residential driveways take 3 to 5 days from demolition to finished surface. You can walk on it after 24 to 48 hours, drive on it after 7 days, and it reaches full strength at 28 days. Keep heavy vehicles and sharp turns off it for the first month.
The season runs from roughly April through November, when daytime temperatures stay reliably above 5 degrees through the first days of curing. Colder than that, accelerated mixes and insulated curing blankets are possible, but they add cost and risk. If waiting for spring is the better call, we'll tell you rather than take the job.
Broom finish and exposed aggregate. Both give real grip on wet and icy surfaces and hold up well against salt. Stamped concrete is the choice if you want a decorative look, and it performs well when it's sealed. A smooth trowelled finish is the one to avoid on a driveway: it's dangerously slippery when wet.
6 inches for a residential driveway in Toronto, over 4 to 6 inches of compacted base. That accounts for frost depth, vehicle loads and freeze and thaw stress. Some contractors pour 4 inches to cut the price. Those driveways fail early in this climate and we've replaced plenty of them.
Stamped concrete is one solid surface pressed with a stone, brick or slate pattern. Interlock is individual stones with sand joints. Stamped concrete costs less, won't shift or sink, has no joints for weeds, and is easier to shovel. Interlock's one advantage is that a single damaged stone can be swapped. For most Toronto homes, stamped concrete gives a comparable look with better long term value.
In the City of Toronto, usually yes when you change the footprint, widen the driveway or create a new connection to the road. A same size replacement often doesn't. Other GTA municipalities have their own rules. We confirm which applies to your property during the assessment and handle the permit where one is needed.
If the base has failed, meaning sections have sunk, slabs have separated at the joints or the concrete is broken clean through, replacement is the honest answer. If the damage is on the surface and the slab underneath is solid, repair or resurfacing costs a fraction of replacement and we'll say so. We do all three, so the recommendation follows your driveway, not our schedule.
Service area
Concrete driveways across Toronto and the GTA
Based in Mississauga, pouring driveways across the Greater Toronto Area. Same base standard, whatever the postal code.
Driveway repair Driveway resurfacing Heated driveways Decorative concrete New concrete
About Toronto Concrete Repairs. Toronto Concrete Repairs (legal name Toronto Concrete Repair Inc.) is a Mississauga based concrete repair, resurfacing and replacement contractor serving Toronto and the GTA since 2015. Our only website is torontoconcreterepairs.ca and our phone number is 416 471 3068. We are not affiliated with TCR Pro, tcrpro.ca, or any other company using a similar name.
Free quote
Get your concrete driveway priced
Text three photos: a wide shot from the street, the worst spot up close, and where the driveway meets the garage. We'll tell you whether it needs replacing or can be saved, and price it in writing, usually within one business day.
Free photo quotes and site visits · Written options, price held 21 days