Concrete Cost Calculator

1. Enter the concrete volume and its unit, and a waste allowance so you order enough.
2. Enter the price per cubic yard from your supplier.
3. Add the fees from your quote: delivery, short-load, weekend, pump and any extras.
4. Optionally enter the slab area to see a cost per square foot. Read the total and the breakdown.

Here is what each result means:

A concrete cost calculator estimates the full price of a ready-mix pour, not just the concrete. It takes the yards you order times the price per yard, then adds the delivery and fees that turn a cheap-looking quote into the real bill.

It is built for anyone budgeting a slab, driveway, footing or foundation. The headline price per yard is only part of the story: short-load fees on small orders, weekend delivery, pump hire and wait-time overtime can add hundreds of dollars. This tool lays those out so your budget matches the invoice. It is an estimate, not a quote.

The cost has two parts: the concrete itself, priced by the cubic yard, and the fees, which are mostly fixed charges per delivery. On a small pour the fixed fees can rival the cost of the concrete.

1. Convert your volume to cubic yards and add the waste allowance.
2. Multiply by the price per yard for the concrete subtotal.
3. Add delivery, short-load, weekend, pump and other fees for the total.
4. Divide by yards for an effective cost per yard, or by area for a cost per square foot.

Suppose you order 5 cubic yards at 160 dollars per yard, with a 10 percent waste allowance and a 120 dollar delivery fee.

Calculation: with waste you order 5.5 yd. Concrete = 5.5 x 160 = 880. Add the 120 delivery and the total is 1,000 dollars, before tax. That is an effective 182 dollars per yard, because the flat delivery is spread over the yards.

On a smaller 2 yard pour with a 180 dollar short-load fee, the fees alone can be close to half the bill, which is why small pours are so much dearer per yard.

Order Size

Price per yard often falls with volume, while fixed fees are spread over more yards, so large pours are cheaper per yard. Small pours carry a short-load fee and a heavy effective cost.

Mix and Strength

Higher-strength mixes, fibre, fast-set and coloured concrete all cost more per yard. Price the mix your job actually needs.

Access and Placement

If the truck cannot reach the pour you pay for a pump or extra labour. Difficult access is one of the biggest swing factors in the final bill.

Timing and Region

Weekend and out-of-hours deliveries cost more, and prices vary widely by region and over time. Always price against a current local quote.

Most cost tools stop at yards times price. The fees below are where real budgets go wrong, so this calculator makes each one a line you can fill in from your quote.

Enter whichever apply. The effective cost per yard then shows how much the fees really add to your headline price.

Budgeting a Project

Turn a volume and a quote into a total you can plan around, with the fees visible.

Comparing Suppliers

Two quotes with the same price per yard can differ by hundreds once fees are added. Compare the totals, not the headline rate.

Deciding Bagged vs Ready-mix

For a small pour, the fees can make ready-mix dearer than bags. Compare the total here against the bagged cost from the concrete calculator.

1. Pricing Only Yards Times Rate

The fees are where budgets blow out. A low price per yard with high fees can cost more than a higher rate with none.

2. Forgetting the Short-load Fee

On small orders this single fee can rival the cost of the concrete. Always include it for pours under about 8 to 10 yards.

3. Leaving Out Waste

Ordering the exact volume risks running short. Add 5 to 10 percent, and remember you pay for what you order, not what you place.

4. Ignoring Access Costs

If a pump or extra labour is needed, it belongs in the budget from the start, not as a surprise on the day.

5. Treating the Estimate as a Quote

Prices and fees vary by supplier, region and date. Use a written quote before you commit.

The arithmetic is exact for the prices and fees you enter; the result is only as good as those figures.

The concrete itself is often around 120 to 200 dollars per cubic yard delivered, but it varies widely by region, mix and date, and fees add more. This tool uses the price and fees you enter, so put in a current local quote for a real figure.

Common ones are a delivery charge, a short-load fee on small orders, weekend or after-hours surcharges, pump hire when the truck cannot reach the pour, and wait-time overtime if the truck is held on site. Each is a line you can fill in here.

A flat fee suppliers add when you order less than a full load, often under 8 to 10 cubic yards. It covers the cost of sending a truck that is not full and can be 100 to 250 dollars, which is why small pours are dear per yard.

Divide the total cost by the slab area in square feet. Enter the area and the calculator shows it. For a 400 square foot slab costing 1,000 dollars, that is 2.50 dollars per square foot before finishing.

For small pours the fees can make ready-mix dearer than bags, while large pours are far cheaper by the yard. Compare the total here against the bagged cost from the concrete calculator before deciding.

No. The total is before sales tax, which varies by location. Add your local tax rate to the figure for the final bill.

Because the flat fees are spread over the yards. A 120 dollar delivery on 5 yards adds 24 dollars to every yard, so the effective cost per yard is higher than the headline rate, especially on small orders.

Order 5 to 10 percent more than the measured volume for spillage and an uneven base. You pay for what you order, so a modest allowance is cheaper than running short and paying a second delivery.

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA; ready-mixed concrete and ordering).
• American Cement Association (Portland Cement Association) (American Cement Association; concrete basics).
• QUIKRETE Concrete Mix product data (QUIKRETE; bagged alternative and coverage).
• QUIKRETE concrete and bag calculator (QUIKRETE; volume and yield method).