Concrete cost per square foot
Installed concrete costs $7.18 to $11.97 per square foot on a plain 20x20 ft slab, 4 inches thick with a broom finish. That is $2,874 – $4,789 for the whole job, estimated at national prices. Other projects run higher: the slab foundation example comes to $14.35 – $23.91 per square foot. Compare 7 projects, 4 thicknesses and 4 finishes below, or type a ZIP for local labor rates.
Concrete cost per square foot by project
Each project is priced at the size, thickness and steel its own calculator opens with. National prices. Open a row to change the job.
| Project | Priced as | Per square foot | Installed total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete slab cost calculator | 20x20 ft, 4 in, wire mesh | $7.18 – $11.97 | $2,874 – $4,789 |
| Concrete patio cost calculator | 12x16 ft, 4 in, wire mesh | $8.34 – $13.89 | $1,601 – $2,668 |
| Shed slab cost calculator | 10x12 ft, 4 in, wire mesh | $8.95 – $14.92 | $1,074 – $1,790 |
| Concrete driveway cost calculator | 40x16 ft, 5 in, rebar | $9.74 – $16.23 | $6,234 – $10,390 |
| Garage slab cost calculator | 24x24 ft, 4 in, rebar | $11.51 – $19.19 | $6,631 – $11,051 |
| Slab foundation cost calculator | 30x40 ft, 6 in, rebar | $14.35 – $23.91 | $17,216 – $28,693 |
| Concrete sidewalk cost calculator | 30x4 ft, 4 in, no steel | $9.17 – $15.28 | $1,100 – $1,834 |
Cost per square foot by thickness
The same 20x20 ft slab, broom finish and wire mesh, at each thickness. National prices.
| Thickness | Concrete | Per square foot | Installed total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in slab in the calculator | 4.94 yd³ | $7.18 – $11.97 | $2,874 – $4,789 |
| 5 in slab in the calculator | 6.17 yd³ | $7.76 – $12.93 | $3,102 – $5,171 |
| 6 in slab in the calculator | 7.41 yd³ | $8.33 – $13.88 | $3,331 – $5,552 |
| 8 in slab in the calculator | 9.88 yd³ | $9.47 – $15.79 | $3,789 – $6,315 |
Cost per square foot by finish
That slab at 4 in with each finish. The second column is the change per square foot at the midpoint. National prices.
| Finish | Against broom | Per square foot | Installed total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broom finish in the calculator | base price | $7.18 – $11.97 | $2,874 – $4,789 |
| Smooth finish in the calculator | +$0.44 | $7.52 – $12.53 | $3,007 – $5,011 |
| Stamped finish in the calculator | +$5.02 | $10.95 – $18.25 | $4,380 – $7,300 |
| Exposed aggregate finish in the calculator | +$3.17 | $9.56 – $15.94 | $3,826 – $6,376 |
How much does concrete cost?
Ready-mix on its own is $173.97 a cubic yard for August 2026, our national estimate from NRMCA and BLS figures. It covers the concrete as delivered, not the crew who places and finishes it. The concrete cost per yard page follows it month by month. Poured and finished by a contractor, the 20x20 ft slab comes to $2,874 – $4,789, with $3,831 at the midpoint.
At 4 inches, one cubic yard covers 81 square feet. This slab takes 5.19 yd³ with the 5% we add for waste. The ready-mix line is $1,017 of the bill, $2.54 per square foot before the contractor's markup. The other lines are in the next table.
Cost of concrete installed: what the price covers
The installed price of the 20x20 ft slab is the sum of 8 cost lines, plus the 20% we add for the contractor's overhead and profit. Crew labor is 49% of the cost before that markup.
| Line | Cost | Per square foot |
|---|---|---|
| Site setup, layout and cleanup | $156 | $0.39 |
| Excavate and grade subgrade | $444 | $1.11 |
| Forms, stakes and form release | $274 | $0.68 |
| Compacted crushed-stone base | $439 | $1.10 |
| 6x6 W1.4 welded wire mesh | $236 | $0.59 |
| Ready-mix concrete, 3,500 psi, delivered | $1,017 | $2.54 |
| Place, screed and broom finish | $538 | $1.35 |
| Sawn control joints | $90 | $0.22 |
| Overhead and profit (20%) | $639 | $1.60 |
| Midpoint of the range | $3,831 | $9.58 |
The steel in this slab is wire mesh, $236 before markup or $0.59 a square foot. To count bars, sheets and chairs for your own slab, try the rebar and wire mesh calculator. Tearing out old concrete, a pump truck and permits aren't in these lines. Tear-out is a switch in each calculator.
Average cost of concrete per square foot
We haven't surveyed what homeowners paid, so there is no average of real bills here. The nearest thing is the midpoint of each range: $9.58 per square foot for the 20x20 ft slab, and $9.58 to $19.13 across the 7 project examples in the first table. At national prices a range runs 25% either side of its midpoint. A ZIP inside a metro area with its own wage figure narrows that to 15%.
Cost of poured concrete from a truck or from bags
Every range on this page is ready-mix poured from a truck and finished by a crew. Mixing the 20x20 ft slab yourself takes 245 80-lb bags. With forms, gravel and steel, the materials come to $1,926, 50% of the $3,831 contractor midpoint. The bag price is national, estimated.
Why small jobs cost more per square foot
Two lines in the price don't grow with the slab. Site setup is a flat $156 on every job. Many ready-mix suppliers also charge a short-load fee on small orders. We add $85, estimated, to any order under 4 cubic yards. Over a 10x10 ft pad (1.30 yd³ ordered) these lines add $2.89 to each square foot at the midpoint. Over the 20x20 ft slab (5.19 yd³ ordered) they add $0.47.
| Slab | Concrete ordered | Short-load fee | Setup and fee per sq ft | Per square foot | Installed total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 | 1.30 yd³ | $85 estimated | $2.89 | $9.41 – $15.69 | $941 – $1,569 |
| 12x12 | 1.87 yd³ | $85 estimated | $2.00 | $8.88 – $14.80 | $1,279 – $2,132 |
| 20x20 | 5.19 yd³ | none | $0.47 | $7.18 – $11.97 | $2,874 – $4,789 |
For a size between these, the concrete slab cost calculator takes any length, width and thickness and shows the same lines for your job.