Concrete Cost Calculator & Price Guide

Concrete is sold two ways. A truck delivers ready-mix by the cubic yard, and home centers sell dry mix by the bag that you blend yourself. Which one costs less depends almost entirely on how much you need.

This page covers the price of the material and of a pour. For a full driveway project, see a dedicated driveway guide. Figures come from LawnStarter, Ergeon, and two retail listings, checked Oct 11, 2026.

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, roughly a cube three feet on each side. The base price changes with strength. Concrete is rated by compressive strength in PSI, and driveways, garage floors, and footings often call for a stronger mix than a walkway or a shed pad.

Delivery and small-order charges can change the final number. Ready-mix trucks carry a full load, so orders under a truckload commonly pick up a short-load fee. Delivery is billed separately in some price lists and rolled in by others, so ask which one your supplier uses.

Multiply length by width by thickness, with all three in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. A slab 10 feet by 10 feet and 4 inches thick works out to 100 square feet times one-third of a foot, which is about 33 cubic feet, or a little over 1 cubic yard.

• Convert inches to feet by dividing by 12 before you multiply.
• Add extra to cover uneven ground, spillage, and forms that settle. Running short mid-pour is a worse problem than ordering a bit too much.
• For round footings, use the formula for a cylinder rather than a box, or ask the supplier to calculate it.
• Many suppliers will check your numbers and recommend an order size when you call.

For small jobs, such as setting a post or patching a step, bagged mix is more practical. You buy it at a home center, add water, and mix by hand or in a mixer.

These are single-store list prices, not national averages. Prices vary by retailer, region, and week, and some stores charge more for specialty mixes. Each bag covers only a small area, so bagged mix adds up fast on a large pour. Mixing dozens of bags by hand is slow and tiring, and the finished slab is harder to keep consistent from one batch to the next.

For a slab, installed pricing is usually quoted per square foot, which includes the material, the forms, the labor, and the finishing. It is the most useful number for comparing contractor bids.

Thickness, site prep, and reinforcement all move the price. The ranges above describe plain gray concrete. Colored, stamped, or exposed-aggregate finishes cost more, and so does a site that needs grading, a gravel base, or demolition first.

Real projects combine the material with the pour. The examples below show what two common slabs cost when a professional does the work.

A shed slab is a modest job. A driveway or garage floor is much bigger, and the extra cost goes into labor, base preparation, and finishing as well as the concrete.

• Strength and mix. Higher-PSI concrete, fiber additives, and special mixes cost more per yard.
• Order size. Small orders can trigger short-load fees.
• Distance. Plants charge more as the truck drives farther.
• Access. If the truck cannot reach the pour site, the crew may need a pump or wheelbarrows, which adds labor.
• Site prep. Grading, excavation, a gravel base, and forms are often priced apart from the concrete.
• Reinforcement. Rebar or wire mesh adds cost but strengthens the slab.
• Weather and season. Hot or cold conditions can call for extra care and sometimes extra products.

Small cracks and surface wear are usually patched with repair products, while heavy settling, deep cracking, or crumbling often points toward replacement. This guide's sources give prices for new work rather than repairs, so get a written quote for patching or resurfacing. A contractor can usually tell on site whether a repair will hold or the slab has to come out.

Two price guides can disagree on the same material because they define the product differently. One may quote standard mix only, while another folds in higher-strength grades.

Local plant pricing, fuel costs, and delivery distance also differ, so a national range is a starting point rather than a quote. Call at least two local suppliers before you decide.

A small job is within reach for a DIYer: a post footing, a step, or a small pad. Larger slabs are a different matter. Once the concrete starts to set, you have limited time to place, level, and finish it, and mistakes are hard to undo. A professional crew brings the right tools and a plan for timing, and can finish the surface so it sheds water. Check local rules too, since some projects need a permit or must meet a frost-depth requirement.