How Much Does a Yard of Concrete Cost?

Price per yard by mix strength

Concrete is priced by strength, measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). A patio does not need the same mix as a foundation wall, so you pay for what the job calls for.

Most residential work uses 3,000 to 4,000 PSI. If a contractor or the ready-mix plant recommends a stronger mix for your climate or load, that jump is usually worth it. Cracking and replacement cost far more than the extra $20 or $30 a yard.

The fees that push the total up

The per-yard price is only half the story. Ready-mix suppliers add charges that can quietly add a couple hundred dollars to a small order.

• Short-load fee. Order less than a full truck (around 10 yards) and you pay a small-load charge, usually $40 to $60 per yard under the minimum. On a 2-yard patio pour this fee can rival the cost of the concrete itself.
• Delivery distance. Most plants include delivery within about 20 miles. Past that, expect $9.50 to $15 per extra mile.
• Weekend delivery. Saturday pours often add $50 to $100.
• Fuel surcharge. Many suppliers tack on a $20 to $50 charge per load that moves with diesel prices.
• Waiting time. If the truck sits on site past its allotted unload window (often 5 to 7 minutes per yard), you get billed for the extra minutes.

The takeaway: small jobs cost more per yard than big ones. If your project is close to a full truckload, you are getting the best value on the concrete. If it is tiny, the fees are where the money goes.

What a yard actually covers

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet of concrete. At a standard 4-inch thickness, a yard covers about 80 square feet. Go thicker and it covers less: roughly 65 square feet at 5 inches, and 54 square feet at 6 inches.

That is why almost nobody orders "a yard." They measure the slab, work out the volume, and order to that number plus a little cushion for spillage and uneven ground. Ten percent extra is a sensible buffer. Running short mid-pour and waiting on a second truck is a headache worth paying to avoid.

Real project costs

Here is what the per-yard price looks like once you attach it to common projects. These figures use a $155 per yard mix and assume a short-load fee on the smaller pours.

These cover the concrete only. If you are hiring a crew to form, pour, and finish, labor typically doubles or triples the total. A poured slab installed by a contractor usually runs $6 to $12 per square foot all in, depending on finish and site conditions.

Buying by the bag instead

For very small jobs, bagged concrete from a hardware store can pencil out. But it adds up fast. An 80-pound bag yields about 0.6 cubic feet, so it takes 45 bags to make a single cubic yard. At $5 to $6 a bag that is $225 to $270 per yard, more than a delivered truck charges, and a lot of mixing by hand.

The rule of thumb: under about half a yard, bags win on convenience. Above a yard, a ready-mix truck wins on both cost and your back.

Work out your own number

Prices swing by region, season, and how far you are from the plant, so the smartest move is to calculate the volume for your exact project and get a quote against that number. Measure your length, width, and depth, run it through the concrete calculator, and you will know how many yards to ask for before you ever call a supplier.