Concrete Cost Per Square Foot
A plain poured concrete slab runs about $4 to $8 per square foot installed. Thickness and finish move that number more than anything else, so a 4 inch broom-finished pad sits near the bottom of the range and a thick, stamped, or colored slab sits well above it.
Square feet is how most people picture a project, but concrete is sold by the cubic yard. This guide bridges the two.
Per square foot by thickness
Thickness is the quiet driver of cost, because you are really buying volume. At the same price per yard, going from 4 inches to 6 inches raises your material cost by half. As a material-only guide for a standard mix:
- 4 inch slab: about $2.00 to $2.75 per square foot in concrete
- 5 inch slab: about $2.50 to $3.40 per square foot
- 6 inch slab: about $3.00 to $4.10 per square foot
Add labor and finishing on top to reach the $4 to $8 installed range.
Per square foot by finish
- Broom finish: cheapest, the default for driveways and pads
- Colored or integral pigment: a small premium over plain
- Stamped concrete: noticeably more in labor and materials, often $12 to $20 per square foot installed
- Stained or polished: varies widely with the process and number of coats
Convert square feet to cubic yards
To price a slab, turn your area and thickness into yards:
- Multiply square feet by thickness in feet (4 inches is 0.333 feet). A 400 square foot patio at 4 inches is 400 x 0.333, or 133.3 cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 to get cubic yards. That is 4.94 yards.
- Add 5 to 10 percent for waste, then multiply by your delivered price per yard.
Already know your area? Drop it straight into the concrete cost estimator and it returns yards, bags, and a total. If you still need the area, the square footage calculator gets you there first.
Why per square foot is only a starting point
Two slabs with the same square footage can cost very different amounts. A thicker slab, a stamped finish, a small pour that triggers a short-load fee, or tricky truck access all change the real number. Use the per square foot figure to sanity-check a bid, then run your exact job through the estimator.
For the other common unit, see concrete cost per yard. For the full price breakdown, see how much does concrete cost.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much is concrete per square foot?
About $4 to $8 per square foot installed for a plain slab. The concrete itself is roughly $2 to $4 per square foot depending on thickness, and labor and finishing make up the rest.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards of concrete?
Multiply the square footage by the thickness in feet, then divide by 27. For example, 400 square feet at 4 inches (0.333 feet) is 133.3 cubic feet, which is 4.94 cubic yards.
Does a thicker slab cost more per square foot?
Yes. Thickness sets how much concrete you buy, so a 6 inch slab costs about 50 percent more in material per square foot than a 4 inch slab over the same area.
How much does stamped concrete cost per square foot?
Usually $12 to $20 per square foot installed, because stamping adds pattern work, release agents, color, and sealing on top of the base pour.