The right material here is the one that copes with soft ground, standing water and long, hot summers. These are the choices people ask about most.
The dollar figures on this page are national ranges that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from New Orleans Concrete Solutions. What you pay in New Orleans depends on local labor and material prices, how a truck reaches the pour, and what the soil under the slab needs. Last checked October 2026.
Concrete or asphalt for a driveway?
Concrete suits most New Orleans homes better. Asphalt costs $5 to $12 or more per square foot nationally against $6 to $15 for concrete, so the saving is small. Asphalt softens in our summer heat, ruts under parked wheels, and needs resealing. It does flex, which helps a little on moving ground. Concrete stays cooler in a light color, lasts longer and takes steel to hold it together.
Poured concrete or pavers?
Pavers have one real advantage on sinking ground: they can be lifted and relaid. When a section settles, you take up the pavers, add base and put them back. Pavers on an open base also let rain soak in, which the city encourages. They cost $10 to $17 per square foot nationally for a patio, and weeds and ants like the joints. Poured concrete is one solid surface, costs less in a plain finish and is easier to keep clean.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
For cars, 4 inches is the usual minimum on good ground. On New Orleans soil we suggest 5 to 6 inches, and 6 or more where trucks, boats or campers park. The part crossing the public right of way follows the city standard, which is at least 6 inches. Thickness adds strength quickly, but it does not replace a compacted base.
Do I need rebar or wire mesh?
Here, yes. Rebar or wire mesh does not stop concrete from cracking. It keeps cracked pieces locked together and level, and on settling soil that is the whole point. Bars tied in a grid and held up on supports work better than mesh that ends up lying on the dirt. Fiber in the mix helps with early surface cracks but is no substitute for steel.
What PSI concrete do I need?
A 3,000 to 4,000 psi mix covers most home flatwork. The city's driveway standard for work in the right of way calls for 4,000 psi at 28 days, and we think that is a sound target for a whole driveway. A denser mix also resists water better, which protects the steel inside it in a damp climate. Adding water on site to make it easier to place weakens it.
Is stamped concrete worth it?
Stamped concrete is worth it when you want the look of brick or flagstone on a patio or courtyard and accept the upkeep. It costs $8 to $19 per square foot nationally and needs resealing to keep its color. Think twice on ground that moves a lot. A crack shows more on a pattern, and a replaced section never matches the old color exactly.
Should I seal my new concrete, and when? How often does concrete need sealing?
Sealing is optional for plain broom-finished concrete and needed for stamped and colored work. Wait about 28 days so the slab has cured, then pick a dry spell, which takes patience here. A breathable penetrating sealer is the safer type in New Orleans, because film sealers trap ground moisture and turn white.
Plan on every 2 to 3 years for decorative concrete in full sun, and every few years for plain concrete if you seal it at all. The test is simple. Sprinkle water on it. If the water soaks in and darkens the surface, it is time. Cleaning and sealing costs $1 to $3 per square foot nationally.
Broom finish or smooth finish? What finish is best for a steep driveway?
Broom finish outdoors, every time. It rains hard and often here, and shaded concrete grows a slick film of algae. A smooth trowel finish is for garages and indoor floors. Around pools and on steps we use a broom or a light textured finish for grip.
Steep driveways are rare in New Orleans, but some homes have a sharp ramp down to a basement-level garage or up to a raised slab. For those, use a heavy broom finish pulled across the slope, or grooves cut across it, so tires and shoes grip when it is wet. The bottom of a ramp that runs down needs a trench drain, because water will collect there.
What does a hot tub pad need?
A hot tub pad has to be flat, strong and unlikely to settle on one side. A filled spa with people in it can weigh more than two tons. We suggest at least 6 inches of concrete with a grid of rebar on a well compacted base, sized a little bigger than the tub. Check the maker's instructions and plan the electrical conduit before the pour.
I want a shop slab for a vehicle lift or heavy equipment. What changes?
A slab for a vehicle lift or heavy equipment is designed around the anchor bolts and point loads. Lift makers publish a minimum thickness and concrete strength for each model, and those numbers must be met under the posts. On soft New Orleans soil an engineer may add thickened pads or piles below the posts. Tell us the lift model before we quote, not after.
Do I need gravel under a slab? Do I need a vapor barrier?
You need a firm, compacted base under a slab, and here that often means more than a thin layer of gravel under it. Soft or organic soil is dug out first. Then compacted sand, crushed limestone or recycled crushed concrete goes in, sometimes over a geotextile fabric that stops the stone from sinking into the mud. The base spreads the load and gives water a path out.
Under any slab that will be indoors or enclosed, yes. A vapor barrier is a sheet of heavy plastic under the concrete that blocks ground moisture, and New Orleans has a water table close to the surface. Without it, floor coverings lift, paint peels and stored things mildew. Open driveways and patios do not need one.
My pad has to take delivery trucks. How should it be built?
A pad for delivery trucks or a garbage truck should be at least 6 to 8 inches thick with rebar, on a deeper compacted base, with joints laid out for the wheel paths. The city's heavy-duty driveway standard is 8 inches. A slab poured for cars will break under regular truck loads, usually at the corners and edges first.
My pool deck is worn. Resurface, pavers or new concrete?
Resurface the pool deck if the slab is level and solid. Nationally that costs $3 to $6 per square foot, and a light textured coating stays cooler under bare feet. Choose pavers if parts of the deck keep sinking, since they can be reset. Pour new concrete when the deck is cracked through and tilting. Whatever you pick, it must slope away from the pool and have grip when wet.
My patio will be poured against the house. What goes in between?
An isolation joint goes between them. It is a strip of compressible material, about half an inch thick, set against the house before the pour. It lets the patio move without pushing on the foundation or cracking against it. This matters more than usual in New Orleans, because houses on piles stay put while yard slabs sink. The joint is sealed on top to keep water out.
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