Concrete Cost Calculator
Ballpark the cost of a concrete pour from volume or slab size—ready-mix by the cubic yard or premix bags—with optional delivery, pump, and labor allowances.
FAQ for this calculator
- What is a typical price per cubic yard?
- U.S. ready-mix often lands near $130–$180/yd³ for standard 3000–4000 PSI mixes, but metro area, fuel surcharges, and short-load fees swing quotes. Always use your supplier’s number.
- When are bags cheaper than a truck?
- Very small pours (post holes, pads under ~1 yd³) sometimes favor bags once minimum truck charges apply. This tool lets you flip modes and compare.
- Does this include rebar, forms, or finishing?
- No—only concrete material plus the fees you enter. Add labor markup or use separate estimates for reinforcement and finish work.
- How do I get volume for columns or stairs?
- Use our Concrete Calculator for shape-specific yardage, then switch to Enter volume here with that cubic-yard figure.
How to use the Concrete cost calculator
This estimator multiplies concrete volume (with waste) by your unit price, then adds flat delivery, pump, and optional labor markup lines.
- Choose From slab size to enter length × width × thickness, or Enter volume if you already know cubic yards from another takeoff.
- Select Ready-mix truck and enter $/yd³ from your plant quote, or Bags and enter $/bag for small pours.
- Add waste % (often 5–10%), delivery fee, pump fee if needed, and an optional labor/markup percentage.
- Tap Estimate cost for material, fees, and total. Use our Concrete Calculator for complex shapes if you need yardage first.
When to use this calculator
- Driveway or patio slab budgeting before calling ready-mix suppliers.
- Compare bagged mix vs short-load truck pricing for small projects under ~1 yd³.
- Foundation pour planning when you have a quote per cubic yard plus known delivery minimums.
- Quick sensitivity checks—raise waste or pump fee to see total move before bid day.
Examples & walkthrough
- 10 ft × 10 ft × 4 in slab, 5% waste, ready-mix at $165/yd³, $150 delivery → about $365 total material + delivery (≈1.30 yd³ with waste).
- Same pour in bag mode at $6.50/bag → calculator counts ~59 bags and compares bag spend to truck pricing.
- Enter 3 yd³ directly with $140/yd³, $200 delivery, and 15% labor markup to model a contractor-installed quote.