Key takeaways
- Split the driveway into rectangles, flared sections and curves, measure each in feet, and add them up.
- Average the two widths of a flared apron before multiplying by its depth, and measure to the curb.
- At $0.0715 per square foot, anything under about 1,050 square feet pays the $75 minimum.
- Google Earth’s Measure tool reports area from satellite imagery; check one width with a tape.
On this page
Why does square footage decide a snow quote?
Because area is what a truck is clearing. Macomb Lawn & Snow Solutions publishes its rate: $0.0715 per square foot per visit with a $75 minimum, so a visit costs your square footage times the rate, or $75, whichever is higher. Companies that do not publish a rate are still pricing mostly the same thing, and a measured number lets you check any quote against the pavement it covers.
What do you need to measure a driveway?
- A 100-foot tape or a measuring wheel. A wheel reads feet as you roll it, which is easier if you are working alone.
- Paper and a pencil. Sketch the driveway from above first, and write each measurement on the sketch.
- Or a satellite tool. Google Earth on a computer has a Measure tool that reports area. Google Maps measures distance only, which helps with lengths and widths but will not add up an area for you.
Work in feet and round to the nearest half foot. For a snow quote, nobody needs more precision than that.
How do you measure each part of the driveway?
Split the driveway into simple shapes, measure each one, and add them up.
| Shape | Where you find it | How to calculate | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | The main run of most drives | Length × width | 20 ft × 36 ft = 720 sq ft |
| L-shape | A turn to a side-entry garage or a parking pad | Two rectangles that do not overlap | 12 × 40 = 480, plus 24 × 22 = 528: 1,008 sq ft |
| Flared apron | The street end, wider at the curb | Average the two widths, then × depth | (18 + 26) ÷ 2 × 8 = 176 sq ft |
| Curved drive | A drive that bends, or a circle drive | Length along the middle of the curve × width | 70 ft × 12 ft = 840 sq ft |
| Round turnaround | A circle at the top or side of the drive | 3.14 × radius × radius | 10 ft radius: about 314 sq ft |
| Half-round turnaround | A rounded bump-out | Half the circle | 10 ft radius: about 157 sq ft |
| Walk or path | The front walk or the mailbox path | Length × width | 4 ft × 30 ft = 120 sq ft |
The radius is half the distance across a circle. Measure across at the widest point and halve it.
How do you measure on Google Earth?
- Open Google Earth on a computer and search your address.
- Choose the Measure tool. Google says it switches the map to a top-down view.
- Click each corner of the pavement in turn, then click the first point again to close the shape.
- Read the area on the right and change the unit to square feet.
Google notes that its measurements do not account for elevation. On a driveway that barely matters: even a steep 10 percent grade adds only about half a percent of surface. Trees, shadows and parked cars matter more, because they hide the edge. Check one width with a tape, and make sure the image shows the driveway as it is now, not before last summer's widening.
What do people forget, or count twice?
- The apron. The strip between the sidewalk and the street is part of the driveway, and it is where the road plow leaves its ridge. Measure to the curb, not to the sidewalk.
- Overlaps. On an L-shape, measuring the long leg all the way to the garage and then the full turn counts the corner twice. On a 12-foot-wide leg, that corner can be 144 square feet.
- The sidewalk crossing. Where the public sidewalk crosses the drive, count those squares once, in the driveway or in the sidewalk, not both.
- Lawn strips and the garage floor. Measure pavement only, from the garage door out to the curb.
- The extras. List the front walk, the mailbox path, porch steps and the public sidewalk separately. The calculator adds about 120 square feet for a front walk, 200 for sidewalk frontage, 60 for porch and steps, and 300 for a second drive or RV pad.
What will your measurement cost per visit?
Multiply your total by $0.0715. If the answer is under $75, the visit is $75. That minimum binds on anything under about 1,050 square feet, which is why most one- and two-car driveways pay exactly $75:
- A 400-square-foot one-car drive: $28.60 at the rate, so it pays the $75 minimum.
- The 1,008-square-foot L-shape above: $72.07, still under the line. It pays $75.
- A three-car drive with a flared apron and a half-round turnaround: 32 × 30 = 960, plus (32 + 40) ÷ 2 × 8 = 288, plus 157, for 1,405 square feet. That is $100.46 a visit.
- A 1,600-square-foot three-car drive with a turnaround: $114.40 a visit.
So precision matters only near or above the line. Under about 1,050 square feet, a 50-square-foot error changes nothing. Above it, each 100 square feet adds about $7.15 a visit.
Sanity-check your total against the calculator's typical sizes: about 400 square feet for a one-car drive, 720 for a two-car, 950 for an extended two-car, 1,150 for a three-car wide drive and 1,600 for three cars with a turnaround. Then price it on the snow calculator: pick the closest size, or the larger one if you fall between two, and add the extras. Snow pricing explains the rate, and what snow removal costs in Macomb County compares it with the county range and seasonal contracts.
Sources
- Google Earth Help: measure distances and areas in Google Earth — the Measure tool closes a shape and reports its area
- Google Maps Help: measure distance between points — distance only, not area
Written by the Macomb Lawn & Snow Solutions team in Macomb Township, Michigan. We plow and salt homes and businesses across all 26 Macomb County communities, November 15 to April 15. Published October 5, 2026. About us · How we research these guides · How our dispatch works