Concrete Slab Cost Calculator

Get an installed-cost estimate for a concrete slab — driveway, patio, garage floor, shed pad, you name it. Enter dimensions, pick reinforcement and finish, and choose your region; we'll show cubic yards of concrete, material cost, and an installed cost range that includes labor and finishing premiums.

What Drives Concrete Slab Cost

• Concrete itself: $130–$180 per cubic yard delivered (more if your truck has a short pour or long-distance haul fee).
• Labor: the biggest variable. Forming, pouring, finishing, and curing typically runs $3–$6 per sq ft in most regions — higher in major metro areas with strong union labor markets.
• Reinforcement: wire mesh adds about $0.30–$0.60 per sq ft; rebar grid adds $1–$2 per sq ft installed.
• Finish: a standard broom finish is included in base labor. Exposed aggregate adds $3–$6 per sq ft; stamped concrete adds $6–$12 per sq ft for the patterns, release powder, and sealers.
• Sub-grade prep: a flat compacted base is critical. If the site needs excavation, gravel base, or vapor barrier, expect $1–$3 per sq ft on top.

How Much Concrete Will I Need?

The volume math is simple: cubic yards = (length × width × thickness ÷ 12) ÷ 27. A 20 × 20 ft slab at 4″ thick comes out to ~4.94 cu yd. Most contractors order 5–10% extra to account for sub-grade irregularities and spillage — use our concrete calculator for a detailed yardage estimate.

How This Calculator Works

This is a two-part estimator: concrete volume and installed price. Volume comes from length × width × thickness, with thickness converted from inches to feet (divide by 12) and the result divided by 27 to land on cubic yards — the unit ready-mix is sold in. Multiplying cubic yards by your ready-mix price gives the raw material cost for the concrete itself.

Installed price works on a per-square-foot basis instead, because labor, forms, and finishing dominate a flatwork bill. The tool starts from a regional base range for a plain broom-finished slab, then adds per-square-foot premiums: about $0.50/sq ft for wire mesh or $1.50 for rebar reinforcement, and $4/sq ft for exposed aggregate or $10 for stamped decorative finish. Those adders are stacked onto both the low and high end of the base range, multiplied by square footage, to give a realistic installed total bracket rather than a single false-precision number.

A Worked Example

A 24×24 ft garage slab, 4 inches thick, national region, with rebar and a broom finish. Area is 576 sq ft. Volume: 576 × (4/12) ÷ 27 = 7.11 cubic yards. At a 2026 ready-mix price of $165/yd that concrete is about $1,173. For installed cost, the national base is $4–$8/sq ft; add $1.50 for rebar and $0 for broom, giving $5.50–$9.50/sq ft. Times 576 sq ft, the installed range is roughly $3,168 to $5,472 — the spread reflecting your local crew rates and site access.

Estimator's tip: The number that surprises homeowners is not the concrete — it is the prep and the pump. On a tight backyard slab with no truck access, a concrete pump can add $1,000 or more before a single yard is placed. When you compare bids, make sure every contractor priced the same sub-base, vapor barrier, and finish, or you are comparing a stripped quote against a complete one.

What Affects Your Slab Cost

• Thickness — going from 4 to 6 inches raises concrete volume by half and often needs thicker edges.
• Reinforcement choice: plain, wire mesh, or rebar each change both strength and per-foot cost.
• Finish: broom is cheapest; exposed aggregate and stamped decorative work add the most labor.
• Region and season — Northeast and West coast pricing runs well above the Southeast.
• Site prep, sub-base gravel, forming, and pump truck access, which can swing the labor side sharply.
• Small-job minimums: many ready-mix suppliers charge short-load fees under about 3 yards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a concrete slab cost in 2026?

For a standard broom-finished slab, expect roughly $4 to $10 per square foot installed depending on region, with reinforcement and decorative finishes adding $0.50 to $10 per square foot on top.

How many cubic yards of concrete for a slab?

Multiply length by width by thickness in feet, then divide by 27. A 10x10 slab at 4 inches is 100 x 0.333 / 27 = 1.23 cubic yards, so you would order 1.25 to 1.5 yards.

Is rebar or wire mesh better for a slab?

Wire mesh controls surface cracking cheaply on light-duty slabs; rebar adds real structural strength for driveways, garages, and anything bearing vehicle loads. The calculator prices both.

Why is the cost shown as a range?

Flatwork labor, forming, finishing, and local market rates vary widely. The low-to-high bracket reflects competitive bids in the same region rather than pretending to a single exact figure.