How Much Does Concrete Cost?
Ready-mix concrete runs roughly $120 to $170 per cubic yard for the material alone, and about $140 to $200 per cubic yard delivered once you add trucking. Most homeowners pouring a slab or patio land somewhere in the middle, but the final number depends on your mix, your load size, and where you live.
Here is what actually goes into the price, so your estimate is not a guess.
The parts of a concrete price
Material per cubic yard. This is the concrete itself. A standard 3,000 to 4,000 psi mix sits in the ranges above. Higher strength, fiber, or a fast-set additive pushes it up.
Delivery. Ready-mix companies fold trucking into a delivered per-yard rate or bill it as a flat fee. Expect it either way.
Short-load fee. Order less than the truck minimum, often around 1 cubic yard, and you pay a short-load charge that can run $50 to $150 or more. This is why small pours cost so much per yard, and why bags sometimes win.
Labor and finishing. If a crew forms, pours, and finishes the job, labor is usually the biggest line, often $2 to $8 per square foot on top of material depending on the finish.
You can run your own numbers, fees included, in the concrete cost estimator.
Price per square foot, at a glance
Most people think about a slab in square feet, not yards. As a rough all-in figure for a plain poured slab, plan on about $4 to $8 per square foot installed, and more for stamped, colored, or stained finishes. The concrete cost per square foot guide breaks that down by thickness and finish.
What makes concrete cost more
- Thickness. A 6 inch slab uses 50 percent more concrete than a 4 inch slab over the same area.
- Small jobs. Short-load fees and bag premiums hit little pours hardest.
- Access. If the truck cannot reach the pour, pumping adds cost.
- Finish. Broom finish is cheapest. Stamped and stained cost more in labor and materials.
- Region and season. Prices swing with local cement costs, fuel, and demand.
Bag prices for small jobs
For a project under a cubic yard, bagged concrete is often the cheaper route. An 80 lb bag runs a few dollars and yields about 0.6 cubic feet. Forty of them is a lot of mixing, but for a couple of post footings or a small pad it beats a short-load fee. The concrete cost estimator shows the bag count and cost next to the ready-mix price so you can compare on the spot.
Get a real number for your job
Ranges are useful for a gut check, but your job has its own size, thickness, and local rate. Measure the area, pick your thickness, and run it through the concrete cost estimator. For quantity first, see how much concrete do I need, and for the per-yard breakdown see concrete cost per yard.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yard of concrete cost?
Around $120 to $170 for the material and about $140 to $200 delivered, before labor. Your local ready-mix supplier sets the exact rate, and small orders carry a short-load fee on top.
How much does concrete cost per square foot?
A plain poured slab runs about $4 to $8 per square foot installed. Stamped, colored, or stained finishes cost more because of the extra labor and materials.
Why is a small concrete order so expensive per yard?
Short-load fees. Ready-mix trucks have a minimum, and ordering under it adds a flat charge that spreads across very few yards, so the per-yard price looks high. For tiny jobs, bags often cost less.
Does the price include labor?
Not the per-yard material price. If a crew forms, pours, and finishes the job, add their labor, which is frequently the largest part of the total on a finished slab.