How to use the concrete cost calculator
- Pick the shape and enter its size. Choose slab, footing, wall, round column, square column, round pad, steps or curb and gutter. Type each dimension and choose its unit.
- Enter your prices. Choose how your price is quoted: per cubic yard, per bag or, for a slab or round pad, per square foot. Type the price, then add a delivery fee and other costs if you have them.
- Read the cost. The result shows the total cost and a breakdown, next to the cubic yards to order and the bags in each size.
What is a concrete cost calculator?
A concrete cost calculator is a tool that estimates what the concrete for a job will cost. It finds the volume of the pour in cubic yards, multiplies it by a price, and adds the other costs you enter.
This calculator uses only your prices. It has no built-in price for concrete, delivery or labour, because those prices change from one town and one supplier to the next. It works for eight shapes, so you can price a footing, a wall or a set of steps the same way as a slab.
Features
- Eight shapes: slab, footing, wall, round column, square column, round pad, steps, and curb and gutter
- A price per cubic yard or per bag for every shape, and per square foot for a slab or a round pad
- Separate fields for a delivery fee and other costs, and labour per square foot for a slab or a round pad
- The total cost with a breakdown, and the cost per square foot where the shape has an area
- The cubic yards to order and the bag counts next to the cost
- An adjustable waste allowance and a quantity field for repeated pieces
- A live 3D preview, a PDF of the estimate and a WhatsApp share button
What you can use it for
- Pricing a footing, a wall or a set of steps
- Comparing ready-mix by the yard with bags from a store
- Adding delivery and other costs to a concrete order
- Checking a quote for any shape of pour
How the concrete cost is calculated
| Your price is | Concrete cost |
|---|---|
| Per cubic yard | Cubic yards to order × price per cubic yard |
| Per bag | Number of bags of the chosen size × price per bag |
| Per square foot (slab and round pad) | Area × price per square foot |
Total cost = concrete cost + delivery fee + (labour per square foot × area) + other costs.
The cubic yards to order include the waste allowance. A footing, wall, column, steps or curb has no flat area in this tool, so the price per square foot and the labour field are hidden for those shapes. Put labour for them in other costs.
Worked example with example prices
The prices below are made-up numbers to show the maths. They are not market prices. Replace them with your own quote.
- Slab: 10 ft × 10 ft × 4 in = 33.33 cubic feet = 1.23 cubic yards. With 10% waste: 1.36 cubic yards. Area: 100 square feet.
- Concrete at an example $150 per cubic yard: 1.358 × 150 = $203.70.
- Delivery fee, example $60: $60.00.
- Labour at an example $3 per square foot: 3 × 100 = $300.00.
- Total: 203.70 + 60 + 300 = $563.70, which is $5.64 per square foot.
The same example price on a round column 12 inches across and 8 feet tall: 0.256 cubic yards × 150 = $38.40 of concrete.
Ready-mix or bags: which price to enter
Enter the price the way you will buy the concrete. Ready-mix from a truck is quoted per cubic yard. Pre-mixed concrete from a store is priced per bag. The result lists the bags needed in 40 lb, 50 lb, 60 lb and 80 lb sizes, so you can compare the two ways of buying with your own two prices.
To compare, type your price per cubic yard and note the cost. Then switch the price to per bag, choose the bag size and type the bag price. This site does not say which is cheaper, because that depends on your prices and on any delivery or small-load charge.
What the calculator includes
- The calculator does not add tax.
- Labour per square foot is available only for a slab and a round pad. For other shapes, add labour to other costs.
- Each dimension can be up to 10,000 in its unit, and each price or cost up to 1,000,000. Waste can be 0 to 50%, and steps can number 1 to 50.
- Bag counts use the yields in the Quikrete Concrete Mix data sheet (product 1101, revised October 2022).
Is it private?
Yes. The calculation and the PDF are made in your browser. The sizes and prices you type are not sent to our server and are not saved.
Tips for an accurate estimate
- Use the price your local supplier quotes today; concrete prices change by region and by season.
- Choose the shape that matches your pour, because the volume drives the whole cost.
- Add delivery, labour and tax separately if your quote lists them.
- Compare a bag price and a ready-mix price for the same volume before you decide.
- Download the PDF for each quote so the figures stay together.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
- How much does concrete cost?
- It depends on local prices. Ask a ready-mix supplier for a price per cubic yard, or read the price of a bag at your store, and enter it here to get the cost of your job.
- How do I calculate the cost of concrete?
- Find the volume in cubic yards: multiply the dimensions in feet and divide by 27, then add waste. Multiply the cubic yards by the price per cubic yard, and add delivery and other costs.
- How do I work out the cost of concrete in bags?
- Divide the cubic feet of concrete by the yield of one bag and round up. An 80 lb bag of Quikrete Concrete Mix yields 0.60 cubic feet. Multiply the number of bags by the price per bag.
- Does the cost include delivery and labour?
- Only if you enter them. The delivery fee and other costs are added as you type them. Labour per square foot is added for a slab or a round pad.
- Why is there no price in the calculator?
- Concrete prices differ by region, supplier and order size, and they change over time. A built-in price would be wrong for most people, so the calculator uses the price you were quoted.
- Can I get the cost of a footing or a wall?
- Yes. Choose footing or wall, enter the dimensions and your price per cubic yard or per bag. The total uses the cubic yards for that shape.
Sources
Every figure this calculator uses comes from the published sources below. The formulas are on this page, so any result can be checked by hand.
- Quikrete, Concrete Mix No. 1101: data sheet and product page. Bag yields: 0.30 ft³ (40 lb), 0.375 ft³ (50 lb), 0.45 ft³ (60 lb) and 0.60 ft³ (80 lb); bags per pallet: 80, 56 and 42.
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Report FHWA-HRT-05-057. Normal-weight concrete: 145 lb per cubic foot (1.96 tons per cubic yard).