How Much Does Concrete Cost?
Concrete costs about 125 to 175 dollars per cubic yard for ready-mix delivered, or roughly 6 to 12 dollars per square foot installed for a standard 4-inch slab, with a national average near 8 dollars per square foot in 2026. The price you pay depends on whether you buy bags, order ready-mix by the yard, or hire a contractor to pour and finish. Below is the cost broken down per yard, per square foot, and by project, plus a calculator that turns your dimensions into a real estimate.
Key takeaways
- Ready-mix concrete runs about 125 to 175 dollars per cubic yard delivered in 2026, with a national average near 140 to 165 dollars before fees.
- Installed flatwork costs roughly 6 to 12 dollars per square foot for plain gray concrete, of which 3 to 5 dollars is labor.
- Stamped or decorative concrete costs 12 to 25 dollars per square foot, commonly 25 to 100% more than a plain slab.
- A 20 x 20 slab needs about 5.5 cubic yards at 4 inches, roughly 700 to 900 dollars in concrete or 2,400 to 4,800 dollars installed.
- Short-load fees of 50 to 100 dollars apply on orders below the supplier minimum, usually 3 to 5 yards.
How much does concrete cost per cubic yard?
Ready-mix concrete costs about 125 to 175 dollars per cubic yard delivered in 2026 for a standard 3,000 to 4,000 PSI mix, with the national average sitting near 140 to 165 dollars. Concrete is sold by the cubic yard because that is how a mixer truck batches and delivers it.
Mix strength moves the price. A basic 3,000 PSI mix lands at the low end around 120 to 150 dollars per yard, while a 4,000 to 5,000 PSI or fiber-reinforced mix can push past 175 dollars. The Producer Price Index for ready-mix has trended up roughly 4 to 6% a year since 2022, so expect local quotes near the top of that range. For what separates these grades, see the guide to types of concrete.
| Mix strength | Per cubic yard (US) | Per cubic meter | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 PSI (21 MPa) | 120 to 150 dollars | 157 to 196 dollars | Patios, walkways |
| 4,000 PSI (28 MPa) | 140 to 175 dollars | 183 to 229 dollars | Driveways, garage floors |
| 5,000 PSI (35 MPa) | 160 to 200 dollars | 209 to 262 dollars | Heavy load, structural |
Those numbers cover material and delivery only. To turn a slab or footing into a yard count and a cost, enter your dimensions in the concrete calculator and add your local price per yard.
Concrete cost per square foot installed
A standard 4-inch residential slab costs 6 to 12 dollars per square foot installed in most US markets in 2026, with a national average close to 8 dollars per square foot. That installed figure includes the ready-mix, forms, finishing, and basic labor.
Labor is the biggest variable and the part that has climbed fastest. Concrete finishers are in short supply, so plan on 3 to 5 dollars per square foot in labor alone for a plain pour and finish, more in high-cost metros. The mix itself is a smaller and more stable share of the total.
Thickness barely changes the labor but adds concrete. A 6-inch slab uses 50% more concrete than a 4-inch slab while the same crew forms and finishes the same square footage, so the per-square-foot price creeps up rather than jumps.
Concrete cost by project: slab, patio, driveway
The cost of a concrete project scales with surface area and finish. Plain gray flatwork sits at the low end, and decorative work raises it. The table shows typical installed totals for common 2026 projects before regional swings.
| Project | Size | Plain installed | Decorative / stamped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patio | ~288 sq ft | 1,700 to 3,500 dollars | 3,500 to 7,200 dollars |
| Two-car driveway | ~600 sq ft | 3,000 to 6,000 dollars | 6,000 to 11,000 dollars |
| Sidewalk | per sq ft | 6 to 10 dollars | 10 to 18 dollars |
| Garage pad | 24 x 24 ft | 3,500 to 6,900 dollars | n/a |
A driveway carries vehicles, so it is poured 5 to 6 inches thick with rebar or wire mesh and a 4,000 PSI mix, which is why it costs more per square foot than a patio at 4 inches. For a per-yard breakdown aimed at a flat pour, the cost to pour a concrete slab guide walks through the line items.
Stamped and decorative concrete prices
Stamped concrete costs 12 to 25 dollars per square foot installed in 2026, commonly 25 to 100% more than a plain gray slab. The concrete itself is the same price: you are paying for the coloring, the stamps, and the skilled labor.
Pricing tiers by design: a single color with a basic pattern runs about 12 to 15 dollars per square foot, multi-color with a border 15 to 18 dollars, and premium custom work 18 to 25 dollars or more. Per-square-foot rates usually drop on larger jobs because setup and mobilization costs are fixed.
What drives the final cost: fees and region
Beyond the per-yard rate, several add-ons shape the final cost of a concrete project. A standard mixer truck holds 8 to 10 cubic yards, and orders below the supplier minimum of 3 to 5 yards trigger a short-load fee of about 50 to 100 dollars.
Delivery distance matters once you leave the included radius, usually 10 to 20 miles, after which suppliers add roughly 1 to 3 dollars per mile. Saturday or after-hours delivery adds 50 to 100 dollars, and a pump truck, needed when the chute cannot reach the pour, runs 150 to 300 dollars per hour.
Region is the largest swing. Urban markets run 20 to 30% higher than rural areas, the West Coast tops 150 to 200 dollars per yard, and Hawaii and Alaska can run 25 to 75% above the mainland average. The single best move is to reach out to several local ready-mix suppliers for your ZIP code.
Is it cheaper to mix your own concrete or buy it?
For small jobs, mixing your own from raw cement, sand, and gravel is the cheapest material cost, roughly 120 to 150 dollars per cubic yard, but the savings vanish once the project grows. The breakpoint is about one cubic yard.
Pre-mixed bags get expensive fast. One cubic yard takes about 45 bags of 80 lb mix, and at roughly 6 to 7 dollars a bag that is 270 to 315 dollars in bags alone, more than ready-mix delivery for the same yard. Add a mixer rental near 120 dollars a day and the math favors the truck.
So mix your own for fence posts, small repairs, and garden features under about a quarter yard, and order ready-mix for anything over one yard, where a continuous pour and consistent strength matter. To see the bag count and the order-by-the-yard cutoff for your numbers, run them through the concrete calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 20x20 concrete slab cost?
How much does 1000 square feet of concrete cost?
What is poor man's concrete?
Is it cheaper to mix your own concrete or buy it?
How much does a cubic yard of concrete cover?
References
- NRMCA: Ready Mixed Concrete
- Concrete (Wikipedia)
- QUIKRETE Concrete Mix yield (spec sheet)
- ACI 332: Residential Concrete Code