Estimate concrete costs by area and thickness — material, labor, and total. Compare DIY vs pro pricing for slabs, patios & driveways.
How to Use This Concrete Cost Calculator
Enter the length and width of your slab in feet — say 20×10 for a patio or 50×12 for a driveway. Choose the thickness: 4 inches is standard for patios and walkways, 6 inches for driveways. Pick your PSI grade: 3,000 for basic flatwork, 4,000 for most residential projects, 5,000 for heavy loads. Toggle rebar and labor on/off — rebar adds structural reinforcement, and labor estimates professional installation at $5/sq ft for standard flatwork. The calculator shows cubic yards needed, total cost with breakdown (material/labor/rebar/delivery), and the cost per square foot for easy comparison.
Concrete Cost Guide: What You'll Really Pay Per Square Foot
Concrete pricing confuses a lot of homeowners because it mixes units: contractors bid by the square foot, suppliers sell by the cubic yard, and bagged mix comes in pounds. Then on top of the concrete itself, you need rebar, forms, a gravel base, and either labor or rental equipment. Here's what everything actually costs.
Cost Per Square Foot by Thickness
| Thickness | Typical Use | Materials Only/Sq Ft | Installed/Sq Ft |
|---|
| 4" | Patio, walkway, shed slab | $2.00-3.00 | $5.00-8.00 |
| 5" | Heavy patio, light driveway | $2.50-3.75 | $6.00-9.00 |
| 6" | Driveway, garage floor | $3.00-4.50 | $8.00-13.00 |
| 8" | Heavy driveway, RV pad | $4.00-6.00 | $10.00-16.00 |
Concrete PSI Grades and When to Upgrade
- 3,000 PSI ($125-150/cy): Standard residential mix. Adequate for patios, walkways, and sidewalks that see foot traffic and light loads. The minimum most ready-mix suppliers will deliver. Strength after 28 days: 3,000 pounds per square inch of compressive strength.
- 4,000 PSI ($135-165/cy): The residential workhorse. Recommended for driveways, garage floors, and any slab that will see vehicle traffic. The 25% strength increase over 3,000 PSI is worth the small cost premium for anywhere a car or truck will park.
- 5,000 PSI ($150-180/cy): For heavy loads and freeze-thaw regions. Use if you park an RV, have a steep approach, or live where road salt and freeze cycles punish concrete. Also standard for commercial flatwork.
Concrete Finish Options and Their Costs
- Broom finish (standard, $0 extra): A textured, slip-resistant surface created by dragging a stiff broom across wet concrete. The standard for outdoor concrete — functional, safe, and included in the base price.
- Stamped concrete (+$5-15/sq ft): Concrete pressed with patterns to mimic stone, brick, tile, or wood. Requires skilled installers and colored release agents. Can transform a plain patio into a high-end look at a fraction of real stone.
- Exposed aggregate (+$5-10/sq ft): The top layer of cement paste is washed away to reveal the decorative stone underneath. Durable and slip-resistant. Popular for pool decks and driveways.
- Polished (+$5-12/sq ft): Grinding and polishing indoor concrete to a glossy, mirror-like finish. Most common for interior floors and retail spaces. Not outdoor-rated.
Ready-Mix vs. Bagged Concrete: The Math
An 80 lb bag of Quikrete yields about 0.6 cubic feet of concrete. To pour a 10×10 patio at 4 inches (1.23 cubic yards = 33.3 cubic feet), you'd need 56 bags at $5-6 each = $280-336. Ready-mix for the same patio costs about 1.25 cy × $150 = $188 plus a short-load fee (usually waived if you combine with a neighbor's order). The bag route is 50-80% more expensive per cubic yard — but you avoid the minimum-order hassle. Rule of thumb: under about 20 bags, buy bags. Over half a yard, call a ready-mix supplier. Our calculator assumes ready-mix pricing but you can mentally substitute bags for small jobs.
Hidden Costs That Catch First-Timers
- Short-load fee ($50-80): Charged when your order is under 3-4 cubic yards. A 10×10 patio is about 1.2 cy — well under the threshold. Combine with a neighbor or batch small pours on the same day to avoid this.
- Pump truck ($200-400 + $3-5/cy): Required if the concrete truck can't back up to the pour site — common for backyard patios, basement floors, and any pour more than about 15 feet from the driveway. Not optional: you cannot wheelbarrow 10+ yards of concrete before it sets.
- Excavation and subgrade prep ($1-2/sq ft): Removing grass/topsoil, compacting the subgrade, and adding a gravel base are typically separate line items not included in the "concrete" quote. Ask explicitly.
- Control joints and saw cuts ($0.50-1.00/linear ft): Grooves cut into the slab to control where it cracks. Often included in labor, but confirm.