Flagstone Driveway Renovation

I recently upgraded my basic concrete driveway (full of cracks which naturally happens to any concrete over time) to beautiful flagstone. There was a bit of a learning curve to the install and I want to share my newly acquired knowledge with you in case you are considering a driveway renovation.

It started with a deep desire for a cobblestones to infuse our SoCal driveway with old world charm. Looking at prices the cobblestone started at $15/SF and went to over $20/SF which sounds reasonable, until you factor in the square footage of a driveway. Ours is 1000 SF so we were looking at $17,000 in cobblestones before we even got started which was sadly a budget busting dealbreaker. After visiting a few hardscape supply yards, I realized flagstone was a beautiful and economic choice. It starts at $5/SF and goes to about $12 depending on the type. Some places charge by the pound and some by the ton to make things extra confusing but ours ended up in the $6/SF range.

The breakdown for our 1000 SF area driveway in case you wanted to know the nitty gritty:

Labor - $14k

Rebar and concrete - $2500

Flagstone - this was the trickiest bit. I originally wanted cobblestone but that costs $15-20/SF (ouch) so I chose flagstone that averages $5-11/SF. Some places charge by the ton others by the pound. It’s really confusing. We ended up with flagstone called palomino that was about $7,500.

Sealer - $900

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Total $25k

More than I thought I would spend but not bad I suppose.

The Schedule:

Day 1 - Demolition of entire driveway

Day 2 - Prep for rebar and concrete

Day 3 - Pour fresh concrete base

Day 4 - Deliver and start flagstone install

Day 5 - Install flagstone

Day 6 - Install flagstone

Day 7 - Grout

Day 8 - Grout

Day 9 - Powerwash

Day 10 - Seal

It’s a 10 day job but not all the days were consecutive with weekend breaks as well so keep that in mind. It will be done in closer to 2 weeks or more.

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The end result is an attractive front of house that adds natural warmth and texture. Totally worth it for me in regards to curb appeal and adding natural warmth to our exterior that I see every single day. Multiple times a day. I’m in love.