Slab 1
Advanced options
Affects labor most, materials less.
$125–$175 delivered in 2026.
$3–$5 typical, $6–$8 for hard access.
This concrete slab cost calculator builds a line-by-line estimate — base, forms, reinforcement, concrete, labor and finish — rather than multiplying square feet by one rate. That gives you something you can actually hold a contractor’s bid against.
The short answer
A concrete slab costs $6 to $12 per square foot installed in 2026, with a national average near $8 for a standard 4 inch residential slab. A 20 × 20 ft patio runs about $2,400 – $4,800.
Materials account for $3–$7 per square foot and labor $3–$8, with labor typically 45–55% of the total. Ready-mix concrete itself is $125–$175 per cubic yard delivered.
On this page
How to use this concrete slab cost calculator
Pick your project type, enter the dimensions, and the calculator returns a total with a full line-item breakdown. Four project types set sensible thickness defaults:
- Patio / path — 4 inches, wire mesh, broom finish
- Garage / shed — 5 inches for vehicle loads
- Driveway — 5 inches, usually rebar
- Foundation — 4 inch plate, though real foundations need engineered footings
The toggle in the header switches between Contractor and DIY. DIY removes the labor line, adds equipment rental, and shows you what you’d save against hiring out.
Under Advanced options, four settings move the number a lot: your regional market, reinforcement type, finish, and site conditions. Set those honestly — a sloped lot with no truck access genuinely costs more, and pretending otherwise just gives you an estimate that doesn’t match the bids you receive.
Where the money actually goes
This is the part single-rate calculators hide. A typical 20 × 20 ft slab at 4 inches in an average-cost market breaks down roughly like this:
| Line item | Cost | Per ft² | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete, 5.5 yd³ delivered | $853 | $2.13 | 27% |
| Placement and finishing labor | $1,600 | $4.00 | 51% |
| Compacted gravel base | $300 | $0.75 | 10% |
| Forms, 80 lf | $200 | $0.50 | 6% |
| Welded wire mesh | $140 | $0.35 | 4% |
| Vapor barrier | $60 | $0.15 | 2% |
| Total | $3,153 | $7.88 | 100% |
Two things stand out. Labor is the biggest single line, at roughly half the job — concrete finishers are in short supply in most markets and rates have risen faster than material costs. And the concrete itself is only about a quarter of what you pay, which is why shopping harder on ready-mix price barely moves the total.
Concrete slab cost by size
Standard 4 inch slab, wire mesh, broom finish, average-cost market, good access.
| Slab size | Area | Concrete | Typical cost | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft shed pad | 100 ft² | 1.5 yd³ | $860 | $600–$1,200 |
| 12 × 12 ft patio | 144 ft² | 2.0 yd³ | $1,180 | $870–$1,730 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 320 ft² | 4.5 yd³ | $2,540 | $1,920–$3,840 |
| 20 × 20 ft 2-car pad | 400 ft² | 5.5 yd³ | $3,150 | $2,400–$4,800 |
| 24 × 24 ft garage | 576 ft² | 8 yd³ | $4,500 | $3,460–$6,910 |
| 12 × 60 ft driveway (5 in) | 720 ft² | 12.25 yd³ | $6,040 | $4,320–$8,640 |
| 30 × 30 ft | 900 ft² | 12.25 yd³ | $6,920 | $5,400–$10,800 |
| 40 × 50 ft shop | 2,000 ft² | 27.25 yd³ | $15,170 | $12,000–$24,000 |
Notice that per-square-foot cost falls slightly as slabs get bigger. Mobilization, forms and the crew’s setup time are largely fixed, so they spread over more area. Very small pours run the opposite way — under about 2 cubic yards, short-load fees push the per-foot cost up.
How thickness and PSI change the price
Each extra inch of thickness adds roughly $0.50 per square foot — that’s the extra concrete, not extra labor, since placing a 5 inch slab takes about as long as a 4 inch one.
| Thickness | Concrete per 100 ft² | Added cost per ft² | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 inches | 1.24 yd³ | baseline | Patios, walkways, shed floors |
| 5 inches | 1.54 yd³ | +$0.50 | Garage floors, driveways |
| 6 inches | 1.85 yd³ | +$1.00 | RV pads, heavy vehicles |
| 8 inches | 2.47 yd³ | +$2.00 | Shop floors with equipment |
PSI moves the price less than people expect — typically $5–$15 per cubic yard between grades, which on a 400 ft² slab is $30–$80 total. Going from 3,000 to 4,000 PSI is one of the cheapest upgrades available. In freeze-thaw climates, air entrainment matters more than extra strength and usually costs little.
What different finishes cost
| Finish | Added per ft² | Installed total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broom finish | included | $6–$12 | The standard. Textured, non-slip, durable |
| Smooth troweled | +$0.50 | $7–$13 | Interior only — slippery when wet |
| Integral color | +$2 | $8–$14 | Color runs through the slab, won’t wear off |
| Exposed aggregate | +$3 | $9–$16 | Good grip, hides staining |
| Polished | +$5 | $11–$18 | Multi-stage grinding, interior floors |
| Stamped / decorative | +$8 | $15–$30 | Needs a skilled crew; requires periodic sealing |
Sealing is a separate ongoing cost at roughly $1–$3 per square foot, and decorative finishes generally need resealing every two to three years. Factor that in before choosing stamped over broom — the finish premium is the smaller half of the lifetime difference.
Why the same slab costs different amounts
Regional variation is real and it’s mostly labor. Identical scopes routinely differ by 40% between markets, and that gap is not material pricing — ready-mix moves relatively little across the country.
| Market | Typical installed | 20 × 20 slab |
|---|---|---|
| Low cost — rural South, Midwest | $5–$8 / ft² | ~$2,700 |
| Average US market | $6–$12 / ft² | ~$3,150 |
| High cost — metro coastal | $9–$15 / ft² | ~$3,690 |
| Very high — CA, NY, Seattle | $12–$18 / ft² | ~$4,120 |
The calculator applies your regional setting mostly to labor and only partially to materials, which is how the difference actually behaves. A $2,800 patio in Tennessee is $4,200–$5,600 in California for the same specification.
DIY versus hiring a contractor
Under 2 yd³
DIY is realistic
A shed pad or small patio. You can mix bags or take a short load, and one or two people can place and finish it within working time.
2–5 yd³
Possible with help
You need three or four people minimum and everything staged before the truck arrives. Finishing skill is the limiting factor, not muscle.
Over 5 yd³
Hire it out
Beyond this, a crew places faster than concrete sets. A botched finish cannot be fixed later — you’d be breaking it out and starting again.
DIY removes the labor line, which is around half the job, but you take on the risk. Screeding, floating and timing the trowel work are skills, and poor finishing and curing is what causes cracking and surface dusting. Equipment rental — mixer, plate compactor, screed, float, edger — runs $200–$400 for a weekend.
Standard mix gives you roughly 60–90 minutes of working time, less in heat. Suppliers allow about 5–7 minutes per cubic yard on site before charging standby. Everything — forms, base, reinforcement, tools, people — has to be ready before the truck arrives. This is where DIY concrete jobs go wrong far more often than on the mixing.
How to read a concrete bid
Use the calculator’s line-item output next to any quote you receive. A complete bid should specify, in writing:
- Excavation depth and what happens to the spoil
- Compacted gravel base — depth and material type
- Vapor barrier — thickness in mils, if applicable
- Forms set and stripped
- Reinforcement — type, size and spacing
- Concrete — cubic yards, PSI, and air entrainment if relevant
- Placement and finishing — including which finish
- Control joints — spacing and how they’re cut
- Cleanup and haul-away
Anything meaningfully below $5.50 per square foot for standard work usually means something has been left out — thin site prep, no reinforcement, or a minimal finish. Anything above about $13 outside high-cost coastal markets is worth putting out for competitive bids. Neither is proof of a problem, but both are worth a direct question.
Costs people forget
| Item | Typical cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete pump | $800–$1,500 / day | Truck can’t reach the pour |
| Short-load fee | $60–$150 | Orders under about 4 yd³ |
| Saturday delivery | $50–$150 | Most suppliers surcharge weekends |
| Standby time | $1–$3 / minute | Truck waiting beyond the allowance |
| Excavation and haul-away | $1–$3 / ft² | Digging out to depth on a sloped lot |
| Permit | $50–$500 | Often required for driveways and foundations |
| Tree or stump removal | $300–$2,000 | Anything in the footprint |
| Sealing | $1–$3 / ft² | Recommended for decorative finishes |
Where you can and can’t save
Worth doing: excavation and base prep yourself if you have the time and a compactor — that’s $1–$2 per square foot of labor you can take on without much risk. Choosing broom finish over decorative. Scheduling on a weekday. Combining separate pours into one delivery to avoid multiple short-load fees.
Not worth cutting: the gravel base, reinforcement, slab thickness, or finishing labor. Every one of those is what stops the slab cracking, and a cracked slab is not repairable in any satisfying way — you break it out and pour again. Saving $200 on mesh to risk a $3,000 slab is poor arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete slab cost per square foot?
$6 to $12 per square foot installed in 2026, with a national average near $8 for a standard 4 inch residential slab. Low-cost markets run $5–$8 and high-cost coastal markets $12–$18. Decorative finishes reach $15–$30.
How much does a 20 × 20 concrete slab cost?
About $3,150 in an average-cost market, within a typical range of $2,400 to $4,800. That’s 400 square feet needing roughly 5.5 cubic yards of concrete. A stamped finish on the same slab pushes it toward $6,400.
How much does a 24 × 24 garage slab cost?
Roughly $4,500 for a 576 square foot slab at 4 inches, within a range of about $3,460 to $6,910. At 5 inches with rebar — more appropriate for a garage — add about $500.
How much of a slab cost is labor?
Typically 45–55% of the installed price, at $3–$5 per square foot for a straightforward pour with good access, rising to $6–$8 for sloped lots, hand wheelbarrowing or decorative finishes. Concrete finishers are in short supply in most markets, which has pushed labor rates up faster than materials.
How much does a cubic yard of concrete cost in 2026?
$125 to $175 per cubic yard delivered for standard 3,000–4,000 PSI mix, with a national average near $155. That’s supply only — it excludes pump hire, short-load fees, weekend surcharges and standby time.
Is it cheaper to pour a slab yourself?
Yes on paper — removing the labor line cuts roughly 40–50% off. But finishing is a genuine skill, the working time is 60–90 minutes, and poor screeding or curing is what causes cracking. DIY makes sense under about 2 cubic yards. Above 5 yards, hire a crew.
How much does a stamped concrete patio cost?
$15 to $30 per square foot installed, against $6–$12 for a broom finish. The stamping itself adds around $8 per square foot in materials and skilled labor. Budget for resealing every two to three years at $1–$3 per square foot.
Why are concrete quotes so different from each other?
Usually scope, not markup. Bids vary on base depth, reinforcement type, slab thickness, finish quality and whether excavation and haul-away are included. Ask every bidder for the same written line items and the differences usually become obvious.
Does a thicker slab cost much more?
About $0.50 per square foot per extra inch — that’s concrete only, since labor barely changes. Going from 4 to 5 inches on a 400 square foot slab is around $200, which is cheap insurance if vehicles will use it.
Do I need a permit for a concrete slab?
Often, particularly for driveways, foundations and anything near a property line or public right of way. Permits typically run $50 to $500. Check with your local building department before pouring — retroactive approval is far more expensive than the permit.
What’s included in a concrete slab quote?
A complete quote should list excavation to depth, compacted gravel base, vapor barrier, forms set and stripped, reinforcement type and spacing, concrete cubic yards and PSI, placement and finishing, control joints, and cleanup. A single total with no scope breakdown is worth questioning.
How accurate is this concrete slab cost calculator?
It builds a line-item estimate from 2026 US pricing data and lands within published national ranges at every project size. It’s a budgeting and bid-checking tool, not a quote. Actual pricing depends on your site, your market and the contractor’s schedule — always get at least three written bids.
Sources and method
- 2026 US cost data compiled from multiple national cost-estimating and contractor pricing sources; ranges reflect the consensus across them rather than any single figure
- Model output cross-checked against published project totals at 100, 400, 720 and 900 square feet and falls within the published range at each
- ACI 332 — Residential concrete construction code, for scope items a complete bid should cover
- Labor share and regional variation figures reflect published contractor survey data
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How this concrete slab cost calculator works out its numbers
Rather than applying a single dollars-per-square-foot rate, the calculator prices each component separately: concrete volume at your ready-mix rate with a 10% waste allowance rounded to the quarter yard; gravel base and vapor barrier per square foot; forms per linear foot of perimeter; reinforcement per square foot by type; labor per square foot adjusted for site conditions; and a finish upcharge. Regional setting is applied in full to labor and partially to materials, which reflects how the difference actually behaves — ready-mix prices vary far less across the country than labor rates do.
The model was calibrated against 2026 national pricing and produces $7.88 per square foot for a standard 20 × 20 ft slab, against a published national average of $8. Output falls within published ranges at 100, 400, 720 and 900 square feet.
This is a budgeting and bid-checking tool, not a quote. Construction pricing moves with material markets, labor availability and season, and site-specific conditions can change a number substantially. Always obtain at least three written bids with itemised scope before committing to a project of this size.