How Much Does Concrete Cost in 2026?
National ranges, concrete + labor, installed flatwork · Pricing data updated · Reviewed annually
Concrete cost comes down to two numbers. Ready-mix material runs about $140–$180 per cubic yard delivered for a standard mix, and installed flatwork runs about $6–$12 per square foot for a 4-inch broom-finish slab on gravel — so a 20×20 (400 sq ft) slab is roughly $2,400 to $4,800. The spread is wide: a large, simple pour in a low-cost metro can drop near $3,950, while a small decorative pad in a high-cost metro can run past $8,400.
Four things set most of the price: the project type, how big the pour is (small pads cost far more per foot), thickness and reinforcement, and where you live. The tables below break it down, and the estimator lets you combine them — then price your exact pour with the free concrete calculator. Pouring a driveway or patio? Those have their own cost guides.
Ready-mix concrete cost per cubic yard
If you're buying the concrete itself (delivered by a ready-mix truck), it's priced per cubic yard by strength (PSI). Delivered within ~15–20 miles of the plant. Anchored to NRMCA’s 2023 benchmark ($160/yd) and 2026 cost-guide ranges; the widely-quoted "$179.89/yd NRMCA" figure is not primary-source verified.
| Mix strength | Delivered / cu yd |
|---|---|
| 3,000 PSI (patios, sheds, walkways) | $130 – $165 |
| 3,500 PSI (general residential) | $135 – $170 |
| 4,000 PSI (garage floors, footings) | $140 – $180 |
| 5,000 PSI (heavy-duty) | $150 – $200 |
| Delivery fee | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short-load / small-load (under a full ~10-yd truck) | $50 – $250 | per yd under minimum — can add $400–$1,200 to a small pour |
| Delivery / fuel surcharge | $20 – $40 | per load, plus ~$3–$10/mile beyond the base radius |
| Saturday / after-hours | $80 – $150 | per load |
Installed slab cost by project type
Installed ranges — concrete plus labor — for a 4-inch broom-finish slab on a standard gravel base, at a ~400 sq ft reference size. Finish, reinforcement, thickness, and site work are layered on in the estimator below.
| Project type | Installed (~400 sq ft) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slab / pad (generic) | $2,400 – $4,800 | Plain slab-on-grade — a floor or general-purpose pad |
| Garage floor | $2,400 – $4,800 | Vehicle-bearing floor — usually 5–6" with rebar |
| Shed / equipment pad | $2,800 – $6,400 | Small pour — the contractor minimum dominates |
| Sidewalk / walkway | $2,800 – $6,000 | Narrow flatwork — more forming per sq ft |
| Basement floor | $2,400 – $4,400 | Interior slab — subgrade, gravel, vapor barrier, 4" pour |
Concrete slab cost by size
The per-square-foot price falls fast as the pour gets bigger — mobilization, forms, and the minimum ready-mix load are near-fixed, so small pads carry a steep premium. Plain 4-inch broom slab, national averages:
| Size | Slab / pad (generic) | Garage floor | Shed / equipment pad | Sidewalk / walkway | Basement floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small (~100 sq ft)~10×10 pad | $900 – $1,800 | $900 – $1,800 | $1,050 – $2,400 | $1,050 – $2,250 | $900 – $1,650 |
| Medium (~400 sq ft)~20×20 — the reference | $2,400 – $4,800 | $2,400 – $4,800 | $2,800 – $6,400 | $2,800 – $6,000 | $2,400 – $4,400 |
| Large (~600 sq ft)~24×25 | $3,250 – $6,500 | $3,250 – $6,500 | $3,800 – $8,650 | $3,800 – $8,100 | $3,250 – $5,950 |
| Extra large (~1,000 sq ft)Big slab / shop floor | $4,900 – $9,850 | $4,900 – $9,850 | $5,750 – $13,100 | $5,750 – $12,300 | $4,900 – $9,000 |
Estimate your concrete project
Combine project type, size, region, and the real-world upgrades. The base is a plain 4-inch broom slab on gravel — toggle a thicker slab, a rebar grid, a decorative finish, excavation, demo of an old slab, a pump truck, or sealing to see what each adds.
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What the upgrades and site work add
Priced against the default — a plain 4-inch slab-on-grade at ~400 sq ft, national average. On a bigger pour or a pricier region each adds proportionally more.
| Upgrade / site factor | What's involved | Adds |
|---|---|---|
| Thicker 5–6" slab | For vehicles or structural loads — ~$0.50–$1.25/sq ft per inch | +$150 – $750 |
| Rebar grid (structural) | #3/#4 rebar for vehicle-bearing or structural slabs (~$0.75–$3/sq ft) | +$200 – $1,450 |
| Decorative finish (stamped / colored / exposed) | A big premium over broom — stamped adds ~$6–$16/sq ft | +$950 – $7,700 |
| Excavation & grading | Dig out and level the site before the base (~$1–$5/sq ft) | +$300 – $3,350 |
| Demo & haul old concrete | Break out and dispose of the existing slab (~$2–$6/sq ft) | +$600 – $4,800 |
| Concrete pump truck | When the truck can't reach the pour (~$350–$1,500) | +$200 – $2,150 |
| Seal the finished slab | Penetrating or film sealer, contractor-applied (~$0.75–$2/sq ft) | +$150 – $1,050 |
Finish cost (over a broom finish)
A standard broom finish is the included baseline. Upgraded finishes add a per-square-foot premium on top (stamped and decorative detail is covered in depth on the patio cost guide):
| Finish | Added / sq ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Broom (standard) | included | The included baseline |
| Smooth / steel-troweled | +$0.25 – $0.50 | — |
| Integral / colored | +$1.00 – $3.00 | — |
| Exposed aggregate | +$2.00 – $4.00 | — |
| Polished (new pour + polish) | +$3.00 – $8.00 | — |
| Stamped / decorative | +$6.00 – $16.00 | Full deep-dive on the patio page |
Reinforcement & base prep
Choose reinforcement by use, not price: fiber or wire mesh for pedestrian slabs; a rebar grid for anything carrying vehicles or structural loads.
| Item | Cost / sq ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber-mesh admixture | $0.10 – $0.75 | Controls shrinkage cracking — NOT a structural steel replacement |
| Wire mesh (6×6) | $0.15 – $0.60 | — |
| #3/#4 rebar grid | $0.75 – $3.00 | Required for vehicle-bearing / structural slabs |
| Gravel / aggregate sub-base | $0.75 – $2.00 | — |
| Vapor barrier (6-mil poly) | $0.10 – $1.00 | — |
| Thickened / turned-down edge | $2.00 – $4.00 | per linear ft of perimeter |
Site work & add-ons
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation & grading | $1.00 – $5.00 | per sq ft (or $500–$2,500 lump) |
| Demolition & removal of old concrete | $2.00 – $6.00 | per sq ft; up to ~$8 with heavy rebar |
| Concrete pump truck | $350 – $1,500 | line vs boom, per job |
| Sealing | $0.40 – $3.00 | per sq ft |
| Control-joint saw-cutting | $2.00 – $7.00 | per linear ft standalone; ~$0.10–$0.25 bundled into a pour |
Footing & foundation concrete cost
Standard residential continuous footing, installed. Wider/deeper frost-line footings cost more. Most homeowners see $700 – $1,500 per footing.
| Footing size | Installed |
|---|---|
| 12" × 6" (light) | $4 – $5/linear ft |
| 16" × 8" (typical) | $7 – $9/linear ft |
| 18" × 8" | $8 – $10/linear ft |
| 24" × 12" (heavy) | $15 – $20/linear ft |
Cost by region
Ready-mix is a local commodity, so haul distance from the batch plant and regional labor move the whole number. The same 400 sq ft slab-on-grade:
| Region | Typical metros | 400 sq ft slab |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-cost metro | Much of the South (TX, FL), Midwest, inland | $1,900 – $3,850 |
| National average | Most metros | $2,400 – $4,800 |
| High-cost metro | Coastal CA, NYC, Northeast, Pacific NW | $3,250 – $6,500 |
Lifespan, cracking & repair
A well-installed residential slab lasts 25–50 years. All concrete develops shrinkage cracks as it cures — hairline cracking is normal, which is why control joints are cut to steer it to hidden lines. Problem cracks come from a weak or uncompacted base, no reinforcement under load, freeze-thaw, roots, or settlement.
Resurface or replace? The 25% rule: if damage covers more than ~25% of the surface, or the slab is actively moving, or the subgrade/drainage has failed, replace it. Otherwise resurface. Resurfacing runs $3.00 – $7.00/sq ft and buys 8–15 years; a full remove-and-replace runs $6.00 – $25.00/sq ft and resets the clock to 25–50 years.
What these ranges don't include
National ranges, concrete + labor, installed flatwork. Base is a 4-inch broom-finish slab on a standard gravel base at a ~400 sq ft reference size in an average metro. Excludes driveways and patios (separate pages), structural foundation/stem walls, and decorative deep-finish systems beyond the toggles below. Ready-mix, footing, and finish detail are reference tables, not part of the flatwork estimate.
- Driveways and patios (see the driveway and patio cost pages)
- Structural foundations, stem walls, and retaining walls
- Decorative overlay / staining systems beyond the finish toggle
- Permit fees (jurisdiction-dependent)
- Radiant-heat tubing or under-slab insulation (add ~$1.50–$3/sq ft)
- Extensive drainage or waterproofing on basement slabs
Where these numbers come from
Ranges reconcile national published data — HomeGuide, Angi, Fixr, Forbes Home, LawnStarter, and Homewyse installed medians; Concrete Network and the NRMCA benchmarking survey for ready-mix; and BLS producer- price and wage data — bracketed by roughly ±35–45% to absorb regional, mix-strength, and scope variation. The often-quoted "$179.89/yd NRMCA" figure isn't primary-source verified, so material is anchored to the $140–$195/yd delivered range instead. Every flatwork figure is rounded to the nearest $50, with a contractor-minimum floor for tiny pours. The model is reviewed annually; this page was last computed from data updated . Get three itemized bids on identical scope — most price disagreements are scope, not rate.
Price your exact pour
The free concrete calculator turns your slab or footing dimensions into cubic yards and the number of ready-mix or bagged loads you need — so you can check a quote against a real quantity. No signup.
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Don't forget disposal in the budget
A project this size usually needs a rolloff dumpster, and rental plus overage fees are a real line item. See the right container size and what disposal typically adds to the budget.
Plan the disposal line item →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does concrete cost in 2026?
Two numbers matter. Ready-mix material runs about $140–$180 per cubic yard delivered for a standard 3,000–4,000 PSI mix (small orders add a short-load fee of $50–$250/yd). Installed flatwork runs about $6–$12 per square foot for a standard 4-inch broom-finish slab on gravel — so a 20×20 (400 sq ft) slab is roughly $2,400 to $4,800. Size your pour with the free concrete calculator.
How much does a cubic yard of concrete cost?
A cubic yard of ready-mix, delivered within about 15–20 miles of the plant, runs roughly $130–$165 for 3,000 PSI up to $150–$200 for 5,000 PSI. Watch the fees on small orders: a short-load charge of $50–$250 per yard under a full ~10-yard truck, plus fuel/mileage and weekend surcharges, can raise the effective per-yard price 20–50%. Always ask for the all-in delivered price.
How much does a concrete slab cost per square foot?
About $6–$12 per square foot installed for a plain 4-inch broom-finish slab on a gravel base (concrete + labor). Small pads cost more per square foot — a 10×10 can run $12–$18/sq ft because mobilization, forms, and the minimum ready-mix load are near-fixed. Big pours are cheaper per foot: a 1,000 sq ft slab drops toward $6.6/sq ft.
Should I use bagged concrete or ready-mix?
Bagged concrete runs ~$270–$290 per equivalent yard once you buy 45–60 bags. It wins only for very small pours: under ~1 cu yd bags are cheaper; over ~1.5 cu yd ready-mix wins even with a short-load fee. For 3–4 yd, a volumetric (metered) truck avoids the short-load fee at ~15–25% more per yd. For reference, a cubic yard is ≈45 × 80-lb bags or ≈60 × 60-lb bags per cubic yard.
How much does a garage floor slab cost?
A 2-car garage floor (about 400–576 sq ft) typically runs $2,750 to $7,250 — because it carries vehicle loads it's usually poured 5–6 inches thick with a rebar grid, which is included in that figure. A plain 4-inch slab of the same size is less; the thickness and steel are what a vehicle-bearing floor needs.
What does it cost to remove old concrete first?
Demolition, break-out, and haul-off of an existing slab runs about $2–$6 per square foot (up to ~$8 with heavy rebar or difficult disposal). On a typical slab that adds roughly $600–$4,800. If you're replacing a slab rather than pouring on bare ground, budget removal as its own line item.
Why do concrete quotes vary so much?
Most of the spread is scope, not rate: base depth, reinforcement type and spacing, vapor barrier, finish, the control-joint plan, and site access. Region matters too — ready-mix is a local commodity, so haul distance from the batch plant and local labor push prices from about 20% below the national average in the South and Midwest to 20–40% above in coastal California and the Northeast. National ranges, concrete + labor, installed flatwork. Base is a 4-inch broom-finish slab on a standard gravel base at a ~400 sq ft reference size in an average metro. Excludes driveways and patios (separate pages), structural foundation/stem walls, and decorative deep-finish systems beyond the toggles below. Ready-mix, footing, and finish detail are reference tables, not part of the flatwork estimate.