Concrete Cost Calculator
Use this Concrete Cost Calculator to estimate concrete volume, ordering quantity, and material cost. Use local supplier pricing before placing an order.
Concrete Cost Calculator Inputs
The price fields are your planning assumptions. Material estimates exclude tax, labor, pumping, reinforcement, and site preparation.
Concrete Cost Calculator Results
Enter your project dimensions and specifications to see detailed calculations and cost estimates.
About This Concrete Cost Calculator
This Concrete Cost Calculator is a planning tool for estimating the material quantity for common pours before you request a supplier quote. Choose the project shape that best matches the form, enter the finished dimensions and quantity, then review the volume in cubic feet, cubic yards, and cubic meters. The calculator supports slabs, square footings or walls, round columns and holes, circular slabs or tubes, curbs, and stairs.
For a ready-mix order, enter the price your local supplier quoted per cubic yard, plus any delivery or short-load fee. For bagged concrete, select 40 lb, 60 lb, or 80 lb bags and enter the price per bag. The estimate keeps these two purchasing methods separate so a per-yard ready-mix rate is never used as a bag price. Results are intended to help you compare quantities and ask better questions, not replace a mix design, building requirements, or a supplier's final quote.
How the Concrete Estimate Is Calculated
Start with the shape and dimensions
A rectangular slab, footing, or wall uses length x width x thickness. Round holes and columns use the area of the circular base multiplied by depth. Curbs combine the gutter and curb sections, while stairs are calculated from the dimensions of the repeated step profile. Every dimension is converted to feet before the volume formula is applied, so you can mix feet, inches, yards, meters, and centimeters in one project.
Turn volume into an order quantity
The calculated volume is divided by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards. You can add an order overage from 0% to 25% for uneven subgrade, minor spillage, and measurement tolerance. The result is a planning quantity, not an instruction to over-order: ask the supplier whether their batching, minimum-order, and rounding rules affect the quantity you should request.
Concrete Ordering Quick Reference
For a rectangular slab, the table below shows the calculated concrete volume for every 100 square feet of area. Values are derived from area x thickness and converted to cubic yards; they do not include an overage. Add your selected allowance in the calculator after choosing the closest thickness.
| Slab thickness | yd3 per 100 sq ft | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| 3 inches | 0.93 | Light residential flatwork where appropriate |
| 4 inches | 1.23 | Many patios, walkways, and residential slabs |
| 5 inches | 1.54 | Projects that need additional depth |
| 6 inches | 1.85 | Heavier-duty applications when specified |
Thickness and strength should be selected for the actual load, soil, climate, reinforcement, and local code requirements. This quick reference describes volume only; it does not recommend a structural design.
Ready-Mix vs. Bagged Concrete
Ready-mix delivery
Ready-mix is supplied by a concrete truck and is priced by volume. It can suit pours that need continuous placement or are too large to mix comfortably on site. Before ordering, confirm the mix strength, supplier minimum, delivery window, truck access, short-load fee, waiting-time policy, and whether the quoted unit price includes any additives. Enter the supplier's quoted per-yard rate and fee items separately in the calculator.
Bagged concrete
Bagged concrete can be useful for smaller repairs, posts, pads, and locations that a mixer truck cannot reach. The number of bags depends on the bag size: a 40 lb bag yields about 0.30 cubic feet, a 60 lb bag about 0.45 cubic feet, and an 80 lb bag about 0.60 cubic feet. Check the product label, water instructions, mixing capacity, lifting needs, and local store price before purchase.
Before You Order Concrete
Use the calculator result as a concise quantity brief when speaking with a supplier. A complete purchase decision includes more than the volume shown on screen.
- Confirm the required mix strength, slump, air entrainment, fiber, color, or other mix specifications with the person responsible for the project.
- Ask whether the order is subject to a minimum volume, short-load fee, fuel surcharge, environmental fee, taxes, or a delivery-zone charge.
- Verify truck access, placement distance, scheduling, washout requirements, and whether pumping or additional labor will be needed.
- Recheck form dimensions and account for excavation, subgrade variation, and the supplier's preferred order-rounding rule before finalizing the order.
Where to Buy Concrete in the U.S.
Where you buy concrete depends on the calculated quantity, the product you need, and whether a mixer truck can reach the placement area. Use the order quantity from this calculator to start the conversation, then verify the current price, stock, delivery radius, mix specification, and fees directly with the seller. The resources below are official company or industry pages that help you locate an option near your ZIP code.
For ready-mix delivery
For slabs, footings, driveways, and other pours that need a continuous delivery, begin with a local ready-mix producer. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association plant certification resource includes a path to verify certified plants. When you call, provide your project dimensions, estimated cubic yards, preferred mix strength, job address, and requested delivery date. Ask the producer to itemize the per-yard price, minimum order, short-load fee, delivery charge, fuel or environmental surcharge, waiting-time fee, and any weekend or after-hours charges.
For bagged concrete
For small repairs, posts, pads, and sites with limited access, use a brand or retailer locator to check local availability. Sakrete's official Where to Buy tool searches authorized dealers by ZIP code or city. For a specific QUIKRETE product, use the QUIKRETE customer service page to confirm where it is sold. Before buying, match the selected bag size in this calculator to the bag label at the store and confirm the stated yield.
Check local retail availability
Large home-improvement retailers can be useful for comparing bagged mix, sand, gravel, and basic concrete accessories. Search by ZIP code with the official Home Depot Store Locator or Lowe's Store Locator, then check the product page for the selected store. Store listings and online prices can change, so confirm that the exact bag weight and mix type are available before making a trip.
Use supplier quotes to finalize the estimate
This calculator does not sell concrete, process orders, or guarantee product availability. The national price reference and retailer links are provided for planning only. Enter the supplier's current ready-mix quote or the local bag price into the calculator, then include all confirmed delivery and short-load fees before relying on the total. For structural work, confirm the required concrete specification with the project designer, contractor, or local building authority.
Concrete Guides and Project Planning
Use these guides alongside the calculator when you need to confirm a measurement, compare supply options, or prepare a supplier order. Each guide covers a specific planning question and links back to the calculator for the quantity estimate.
Measurement and Quantity
Project Guides
Cost and Ordering
Concrete Cost Calculator US Price Reference
For planning only: Concrete Network lists a nationwide ready-mix range of $160 to $195 or more per cubic yard and reports a 2025 average of $179.95 per cubic yard. Use the prefilled price as a starting point, then replace it with a local supplier quote.
| Reference point | Published amount | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| National ready-mix reference range | $160 to $195+ per yd3 | Use as a broad starting range for a local ready-mix quote. |
| Reported 2025 national average | $179.95 per yd3 | This is the calculator's default ready-mix price assumption. |
| Plain concrete slab, installed | $6.50 to $10.50 per sq ft | Includes materials and labor; do not use as a material-only rate. |
Selected market snapshots
These are published market observations, not nationwide rates or a promise of a current local quote. Some supplier quotes may include delivery or short-load fees, and mix strength, order size, and delivery distance can change the price.
| Market | Average per yd3 | Typical range | Source note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $183 | $170 to $210 | Four suppliers contacted |
| Los Angeles, CA | $182 | $170 to $200 | Supplier quotes |
| Lynchburg, VA | $165 | $150 to $180 | Contractor report |
Material-only examples at $179.95 per yd3
These examples multiply the reported national average by the order quantity. They do not include delivery, short-load fees, tax, pumping, reinforcement, labor, site preparation, or finishing. Add your local quote and entered fees in the calculator for a project-specific estimate.
| Order quantity | Estimated material cost | Not included |
|---|---|---|
| 1 yd3 | $179.95 | Delivery and local fees |
| 3 yd3 | $539.85 | Delivery and local fees |
| 5 yd3 | $899.75 | Delivery and local fees |
| 10 yd3 | $1,799.50 | Delivery and local fees |