Concrete Driveway Contractors in San Marcos, TX
Most driveway calls in San Marcos start the same way: a crack that keeps opening, a panel that dropped at the garage, or a drive that is simply too narrow for two cars. Some of those need a new driveway. Some need one section cut out. We'll tell you which.
Concrete Driveway Replacement or Repair: Which One Your Drive Needs
A driveway fix is enough when…
- Cracks in the driveway are narrow, stable and not offset (one side isn't higher than the other).
- One or two panels have settled, usually where a downspout or sprinkler soaks the clay.
- The surface is worn but the slab underneath is sound.
Cracked driveway repair can mean routing and sealing cracks or cutting out a single panel and pouring it back with dowels into its neighbors. Smaller jobs like steps and cracks are covered on our concrete repair page.
Driveway replacement makes sense when…
- Panels are broken into pieces across most of the drive, not just at joints.
- The drive tilts water toward the garage or the house.
- You're changing the layout anyway: widening, adding a parking pad, or reworking the approach.
Patching a driveway that is failing everywhere costs you twice. When the base has gone soft, new concrete on old base cracks along the same lines.
City of San Marcos Driveway Approach Rules
The approach is the part between the street and your property line, and it sits in the city's right-of-way. The city publishes exactly how it wants that part built (standard detail 433S-A-SM), and those numbers are worth knowing even for the private section of your drive.
| Thickness and concrete | 6 inches, Class A, 3,000 psi |
|---|---|
| Steel | #3 bars on chairs at mid-depth, no more than 18 inches apart both ways |
| Base | 2 inches of compacted sand |
| Width at the approach | 10 ft minimum, 18 ft maximum |
| Apron slope | 15% maximum |
| Joints | Control joint down the center; ¾-inch redwood expansion joint at the property line |
| Placement | Not inside the curb return of an intersection; at least 10 ft from a curb inlet; no water meter boxes or wastewater cleanouts in the driveway |
The permit: an Access Driveway Permit from Planning & Development Services (630 E. Hopkins St., 512-805-2630). The residential filing fee is $108 plus a $15 technology fee, it is filed online through MGO Connect, and city inspectors check the work. The plan has to show width, pavement type and location relative to property lines.
Sources: Access Driveway Permit application, detail 433S-A-SM, detail 433S-AR-SM.
Two cases sit outside the city process. A drive onto a state highway inside city limits (Ranch Road 12, SH 80 or SH 123, for example) also needs TxDOT's Form 1058 permit through the local district, and TxDOT inspects it. A drive onto a county road outside city limits is a Hays County matter, so we check with the county for those.
A meter box sitting where you want the new drive is a common surprise. The city doesn't allow it inside the driveway, so moving it has to be part of the plan and the price.
Concrete Driveway Installation, Step by Step
Tear-out and haul-off
Hold 10–15% in reserveOld concrete or asphalt is broken out and trucked away. This is where surprises live: roots under the slab, old trash fill, a buried cleanout.
Subgrade on clay or rock
Topsoil and anything organic comes out. On the Blackland clay side we look at how dry and cracked the clay is; clay that's poured over while bone-dry swells back under the new slab when it rains. On the west side, limestone close to the surface can mean cutting rock to get the grade right.
Base and compaction
Base material goes in and is compacted in lifts, then the grade is set so water leaves the garage door and runs to the street.
Forms and rebar on chairs
City inspects the approachRebar on chairs, not lying in the dirt. Steel that sits on the ground at the pour does nothing.
Pour and broom finish
Summer: first lightA broom finish is standard for traction. Control joints are tooled or saw-cut the same day so panels stay close to square.
Cure, then traffic
Curing compound right after finishing. People can walk on it within a day or two; cars wait longer, and we write the date on your job sheet.
Concrete Driveway Cost per Square Foot
We don't publish our own driveway price list, because the same 600 square feet costs different money on flat clay and on a limestone slope. These are the published ranges we'd point you to so you can check any bid, ours included:
| What's being priced | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New driveway, installed (national) | $8–$20 per sq ft | HomeAdvisor, June 2026 |
| Plain broom-finish drive (national) | $6–$8 per sq ft | HomeAdvisor, June 2026 |
| Driveway in San Antonio, reinforced | $6–$11 per sq ft | HomeBlue, 2024 |
| Breaking out and hauling old concrete | $2–$6 per sq ft; a typical drive $1,000–$2,500 | HomeAdvisor, June 2026 |
| City approach permit (residential) | $108 + $15 technology fee | City of San Marcos |
What pushes a San Marcos drive toward the top of the range: removing old concrete, importing base on soft clay, cutting rock on the west side, a long approach with a steep apron, and decorative finishes. What keeps it down: a simple rectangle, good access for the truck, and reusing a sound base.
The cost to remove and replace a concrete driveway is mostly those first two lines added together. The cost to replace an asphalt driveway with concrete runs about the same, because the asphalt and its base usually both come out.
Links: HomeAdvisor driveway cost, HomeAdvisor removal cost, HomeBlue San Antonio.
Concrete Driveway Finishes, Staining and Additions
Broom finish: the default for traction
It grips in rain, hides tire marks and needs no sealer. On a drive that slopes down to the street, it is still the safest surface we pour.
Exposed aggregate and pressed patterns
They look richer and cost more. Exposed aggregate keeps its grip on a slope; a stamped texture with glossy sealer can get slick. Both are covered on the stamped concrete page, including how they behave on a sloped drive.
Staining a concrete driveway after the fact
Stain can even out a patchwork of old and new sections, but it won't hide cracks. Do it once the concrete has cured, and seal it afterward.
A concrete driveway addition: third-car strip, trailer pad, turnaround
Additions are usually doweled into the existing slab so the two don't drift apart. On a recharge zone lot, check the impervious cover math first: the city's Development Code caps total pavement plus roof on a Recharge Zone site at 40% for lots of 3 acres or less. The impervious cover calculator on our patio page works for drives too.
Looking for something besides a driveway? Our San Marcos concrete contractor page lists everything else we pour.
Driveway Questions We Hear in San Marcos
How wide can I make the driveway where it meets the street?
For a house (a Type I approach, up to six off-street parking spaces), the city's standard detail allows 10 feet minimum and 18 feet maximum at the approach. The drive can flare wider once it is on your property, subject to your HOA and impervious cover limits.
Will a driveway addition match my old concrete?
Not exactly, and anyone who promises a perfect match is guessing. New concrete starts lighter and weathers toward the old color over a few years. A clean saw-cut line or a deliberate border makes the difference look planned.
Should I seal a new concrete driveway?
A plain broom-finish drive does fine without sealer. Sealing is worth it on stained or decorative concrete, and on drives where oil drips or pool chemicals are an issue. Wait until the concrete has cured before sealing.
Is it worth replacing an asphalt driveway with concrete?
Often, if you plan to stay. The asphalt has to be removed and hauled, and the base under it usually needs rework for concrete, so the first cost is higher than repaving. In exchange you get a surface that does not soften in August heat.
What about a crushed concrete or pervious driveway?
Crushed concrete is recycled concrete gravel. It is cheap and drains well but ruts, tracks and needs topping up. Pervious concrete lets water through, which is attractive on the aquifer recharge zone, but ask the city whether it counts against your impervious cover cap before you design around it. We have not seen that confirmed in writing.
Tell us about your driveway
Rough size, what's there now (concrete, asphalt, gravel), and whether you're widening it. We'll set up a time to measure.