At a glance
- Installed, average
- About $6 / sq ft
- Typical project
- $3,600 – $7,200
- Ready-mix concrete
- $125 – $175 / cu yd
- 80 lb bags per cu yd
- About 45
Patios and walkways are usually 4 inches thick; driveways 4 to 8 inches. Under a cubic yard, bags are usually cheapest. Above that, order a truck.
How much does concrete cost?
A professionally installed concrete slab averages about $6 per square foot, and most homeowners spend $3,600 to $7,200 on a typical patio or slab project, with an average near $5,400. Thin walkways cost less per foot; thick driveways and decorative finishes cost more. Planning a driveway? Try our concrete driveway cost calculator.
If you do the work yourself, the concrete alone costs far less: about $125 to $175 per cubic yard from a ready-mix supplier, or roughly $5 to $8 per 80 lb bag.
Concrete cost by project
| Project | Typical thickness | Installed per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway or sidewalk | 4 in. | $6 – $9 |
| Patio | 4–6 in. | $6 – $9 |
| Driveway | 4–8 in. | $6 – $12 |
| Slab or pad (shed, AC unit) | 4 in. | $4.50 – $8 |
| House foundation slab | 8–10 in. | $12 – $18 |
Concrete cost by size
Typical professionally installed prices with a broom finish, plus how much concrete each size needs at 4 inches thick:
| Size | Patio (4 in.) | Driveway (5 in.) | Concrete to order | 80 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | $750 | $900 | 1.36 cu yd | 62 |
| 12 × 12 ft | $1,100 | $1,300 | 1.96 cu yd | 89 |
| 16 × 16 ft | $1,900 | $2,300 | 3.48 cu yd | 157 |
| 20 × 20 ft | $3,000 | $3,600 | 5.43 cu yd | 245 |
| 24 × 24 ft | $4,300 | $5,200 | 7.82 cu yd | 353 |
| 20 × 30 ft | $4,500 | $5,400 | 8.15 cu yd | 367 |
| 30 × 30 ft | $6,750 | $8,100 | 12.22 cu yd | 550 |
Concrete amounts include 10% extra for spillage and uneven ground. Bags are shown for comparison; above a couple of yards, a truck is far more practical.
How much is a yard of concrete?
Ready-mix concrete typically costs $125 to $175 per cubic yard for a standard mix. Stronger or specialty mixes cost more:
| Mix | Price per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Standard, 3,000 psi | $125 – $170 |
| Higher strength, 4,000 psi | $145 – $195 |
| Fiber-reinforced | $135 – $185 |
| Integral color | $150 – $210 |
On top of the concrete itself, expect a delivery charge of about $75 to $150 per load, and a short-load fee of about $40 to $80 if you order less than 5 cubic yards. Those fees are why very small pours often cost less with bags.
Bags vs ready-mix
- An 80 lb bag yields about 0.60 cu ft, so one cubic yard takes about 45 bags.
- A 60 lb bag yields about 0.45 cu ft, so one cubic yard takes about 60 bags.
- Under about 1 cubic yard, bags usually win: no delivery or short-load fees.
- Above about 1.5 cubic yards, a truck usually wins on price, and it lets you pour the whole slab at once so it cures evenly.
How to calculate how much concrete you need
- Multiply length × width in feet to get square feet.
- Multiply by thickness in inches, then divide by 12 to get cubic feet.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
- Add 10% for spillage and uneven ground.
Decorative finishes and reinforcement
- Broom finish is standard and included in installed prices. It gives a slip-resistant texture.
- Colored concrete adds about $2 to $6 per sq ft.
- Stamped concrete adds about $4 to $6 per sq ft for patterns that mimic stone, brick or wood, for a total of roughly $10 to $18 per sq ft installed.
- Wire mesh adds about $0.20 to $0.35 per sq ft and helps control cracking.
- Rebar adds about $1 to $3 per sq ft and is the stronger choice for driveways and heavy loads.
What affects the cost
- Thickness. Every extra inch adds concrete and labor; going from 4 to 6 inches adds roughly $0.84 per sq ft.
- Site prep. Grading, compacting and a 4-inch gravel base are needed under most slabs. The calculator shows how much gravel to order.
- Removal of old concrete. Breaking up and hauling away an old slab costs about $2 to $6 per sq ft, more with rebar.
- Access. If the truck can't reach the pour, a pump or wheelbarrows add time and cost.
- Location. Installed prices range from about $5.30 per sq ft in parts of Texas to $8.50 in California.
Worked example
A 12 × 12 ft patio, 4 inches thick, with wire mesh, done yourself with a ready-mix truck at average prices:
- Volume: 12 × 12 × 4 ÷ 12 = 48 cu ft, or 1.78 cu yd.
- Order with 10% extra: 1.96 cu yd, rounded up to 2 cu yd.
- Concrete: 2 × $125 to $175 = $250 to $350.
- Delivery $75 to $150, plus a $40 to $80 short-load fee.
- Wire mesh: 144 sq ft × $0.20 to $0.35 = $29 to $50.
- Total: about $395 to $630 in materials, versus about $895 to $1,350 professionally installed.
How to save on concrete
- Get at least three quotes that list thickness, psi, reinforcement, base prep and finish.
- Order the right amount. Running short mid-pour leaves a weak cold joint, and a second delivery costs another fee.
- Combine small jobs into one pour to avoid paying short-load fees twice.
- Skip decorative finishes on areas nobody sees, such as shed pads and side walkways.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 10x10 concrete slab cost?
A 4-inch 10x10 slab (100 sq ft) typically costs about $600 to $900 professionally installed. Doing it yourself with about 62 bags of 80 lb concrete costs roughly $310 to $500 in concrete.
How many bags of concrete do I need for a 10x10 slab?
A 10x10 slab 4 inches thick needs about 33.3 cubic feet of concrete. With 10% extra, that is about 62 bags of 80 lb concrete or 82 bags of 60 lb concrete.
How much is a yard of concrete?
Ready-mix concrete typically costs about $125 to $175 per cubic yard. Delivery usually adds $75 to $150 per load, and many suppliers add a short-load fee of about $40 to $80 for orders under 5 cubic yards.
Is it cheaper to mix your own concrete?
For very small jobs under about a cubic yard, bags are usually cheaper because there are no delivery or short-load fees. For larger pours, a ready-mix truck usually costs less per yard and saves hours of mixing.
How thick should a concrete patio or driveway be?
Walkways and patios are usually 4 inches thick. Driveways are typically 4 to 8 inches, with thicker slabs for heavy vehicles.
How much does a 20x20 concrete slab cost?
A 4-inch 20x20 slab (400 sq ft) typically costs about $2,400 to $3,600 professionally installed as a patio, and needs about 5.4 cubic yards of concrete including 10% extra.
How we calculate
Installed prices per square foot by project come from HomeAdvisor's 2026 concrete slab data, with slab and pad pricing blended with LawnStarter and Inch Calculator. Ready-mix prices by mix, delivery and short-load fees come from CostInsightHub's 2026 guide and Inch Calculator. Bag yields follow the manufacturer's stated yield of about 0.60 cu ft per 80 lb bag; bag prices reflect typical retail prices. Decorative finish add-ons are the difference between standard and decorative prices published by LawnStarter and CostInsightHub; reinforcement costs come from Inch Calculator and LawnStarter, and removal costs from Lawn Love.
Some inputs are our own planning assumptions, stated so you can judge them: extra thickness adds about $0.42 per sq ft per inch (half of the published 4-to-6-inch upgrade), the cost-of-living setting moves prices by −10% or +15%, ready-mix is rounded up to the nearest quarter yard, and gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard. The "typical" price is the midpoint of the range.
This is an estimate, not a quote. Real prices depend on your site, access, soil and local labor and material prices. Always get written quotes before you hire, and check whether your city requires a permit.
Sources
- HomeAdvisor: Concrete slab cost (updated June 2026)
- CostInsightHub: How much does concrete cost per yard? (April 2026)
- Inch Calculator: Cost to install a concrete slab
- LawnStarter: How much does a concrete slab cost? (2024)
- Lawn Love: Concrete removal cost (October 2026)
- Quikrete 80 lb Concrete Mix product details (yield)