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A concrete driveway lasts between 25 and 30 years on average, and that's only with proper maintenance. The longevity of a concrete driveway also depends on the method and quality of installation, as well as your local climate. If your driveway gets a lot of wear and tear from several vehicles—especially heavy ones like trucks and RVs—your driveway will last less than the typical 25- to 30-year lifespan.

The cost of asphalt driveway repair is usually similar to the cost of average concrete driveway repairs, but maintaining asphalt tends to be less expensive on a per-instance basis. For example, resurfacing asphalt costs about $1 less per square foot, but it doesn’t last as long as concrete and will need more frequent repairs. An asphalt driveway lasts 20 to 25 years, but a well-maintained concrete driveway can last twice as long, so the maintenance costs and timeline even out.

Concrete can take up to 28 days to completely harden, depending on the type and its water content. But it dries enough for foot traffic in 24 to 48 hours. If you're curious about how long it takes concrete to dry entirely, the answer is more complex, so always check with the specific mixture instructions before adding heavy machinery or driving on new concrete.

Pervious concrete should be between 4 and 8 inches thick to drain water properly. Surfaces like parking lots and driveways should be at least 6 inches thick to accommodate the weight of vehicles, while patios and walkways may be poured between 4 and 6 inches thick. There’s no standard for pervious concrete thickness, but in most cases, the more weight the surface will need to hold, the thicker it should be.