By Muhammad Awais. Prices reviewed October 2026.
Installed concrete cost per square foot runs $6 to $14 for a standard 4 inch slab with a basic finish, with $10 as the typical national figure in the site’s calculator rate set. That rate covers material, forms, placing and finishing on a prepared base. Published data from home cost publishers puts a plain slab lower and narrower, at $5 to $10, and the breakdown below shows where the money goes.
| Concrete work, per sq ft installed | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 4 inch slab, calculator rate | $6 | $10 | $14 |
| Driveway, calculator rate | $8 | $12 | $18 |
| Plain slab, HomeGuide and Forbes Home | $5 | $6 | $10 |
The calculator range is wider because it covers slab thickness and region bands, while the publisher range covers a plain slab at national rates.
Price a slab by its dimensions
The concrete cost calculator applies the calculator rate to any slab, patio, driveway or footing, scales the material share with thickness and adjusts for the region chosen.
Estimated installed cost
$600 to $1,400
Typical $1,000
| Area | 100.0 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Thickness factor | ×1.00 |
| Finish factor | ×1.00 |
| Item | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | $240 | $400 | $560 |
| Labor | $360 | $600 | $840 |
| Total | $600 | $1,000 | $1,400 |
Planning estimate only, not a contractor quote. Prices are United States national ranges, updated October 2026. How these estimates are built
Where the money goes in a square foot
Published breakdowns from HomeGuide and Forbes Home split the price into labor, the slab itself and the extras that a job may or may not include:
| Item, per sq ft | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain slab, installed | $5 | $6 | $10 |
| 4 inch slab, installed | $6 | $7 | $8 |
| 6 inch slab, installed | $8 | $9 | $10 |
| Labor only | $3 | $4 | $5 |
| Mesh, vapor barrier and foam, added | $0.30 | $1.15 | $2 |
| Decorative or stamped finish, installed | $8 | $13.25 | $18.50 |
| Sealing | $1 | $2 | $3 |
The plain slab and decorative rows average both publishers. The thickness rows, the labor line and sealing rest on HomeGuide alone, and the mesh, vapor barrier and foam line comes from Forbes Home. Labor is the largest share, which is why a thicker slab costs less extra than its added concrete would suggest.
Thickness and the price per square foot
The calculator rate is set for a 4 inch slab, and thicker slabs add material while the labor of forming and finishing stays close to the same. On a 20 by 20 foot slab, the calculator gives:
| Thickness | Low per sq ft | Typical per sq ft | High per sq ft | Typical total, 400 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 inch | $6.00 | $10.00 | $14.00 | $4,000 |
| 5 inch | $6.60 | $11.00 | $15.40 | $4,400 |
| 6 inch | $7.20 | $12.00 | $16.80 | $4,800 |
| 8 inch | $8.40 | $14.00 | $19.60 | $5,600 |
Four inches carries foot traffic and patio furniture. Driveways usually go to 5 or 6 inches, and slabs under heavy equipment, a hot tub or an RV pad need 6 inches or more, often with rebar.
Finish choices
A broom or smooth trowel finish is included in the base rate. Decorative work such as stamping, coloring or exposed aggregate takes more labor and materials, and the calculator applies a 1.4 times multiplier for it: the same 400 square foot slab rises to $3,360 to $7,840, with $5,600 typical. The published decorative range of $8 to $18.50 per square foot agrees with that order of cost. Plain patios on their own run $4 to $9.50 per square foot in the concrete patio guide.
Base and reinforcement
A slab is only as flat as the ground under it. Most contractors remove topsoil and organic material, then place and compact several inches of crushed gravel before setting forms. Expansive clay, fill soil or a high water table call for a deeper base, which adds hours of excavation and tons of stone that a basic per square foot price may not cover. Reinforcement is the second variable. Welded wire mesh, a vapor barrier and a foam layer add $0.30 to $2 per square foot in published data, while rebar on a grid costs more again but holds cracked sections level. Fiber added at the batch plant is a lighter option for patios and walks. Interior slabs under living space usually need the vapor barrier to keep ground moisture away from flooring, and garage slabs often get rebar and thickened edges where the walls bear. Asking for each of these items by name is the only way to compare two quotes fairly.
Why small slabs cost more per square foot
Every pour carries fixed costs: the crew’s trip, setting forms, the ready mix truck and its short load fee when the order is small. A 100 square foot pad spreads those costs over few feet, so its price per square foot lands near or above the high end. A large garage floor spreads them thinly and often comes in below typical. Access matters in the same way; a pump truck or a wheelbarrow crew adds a fixed charge before any concrete is placed.
Regional prices
Concrete labor and ready mix both follow local markets. At the typical calculator rate, a 400 square foot slab costs $4,000 nationally, about $5,000 where costs sit 25 percent higher and about $3,400 where they sit 15 percent lower. Rural jobs far from a batch plant can carry delivery charges that push the figure higher still.
Hiring a concrete crew or doing the work
Owners pour small pads, post footings and sidewalk sections with bagged concrete and save most of the labor share. Larger slabs move fast once the truck arrives, and a slab that is overworked, poorly sloped or left without control joints is hard to fix later. Concrete contractors bring forms, power screeds, bull floats and finishing tools, plus the crew size the pour demands, which is why most slabs over a few hundred square feet are hired out.
What a per square foot price excludes
- Removing an old slab, priced in the concrete removal guide.
- Excavation and grading beyond light site preparation.
- Rebar or thickened edges unless the quote names them.
- Pump truck fees where the truck cannot reach the forms.
- Permits and inspections, common for driveways and structural slabs.
- Sealing and any later crack repair.
Concrete quote checklist
- Area, thickness and slope of the finished slab.
- Base preparation: excavation depth, gravel type and compaction.
- Reinforcement: mesh, rebar size and spacing, or fiber.
- Concrete strength, air entrainment for cold climates and any color.
- Finish type and control joint spacing.
- Pump or wheelbarrow access charges.
- Curing method and protection in hot or cold weather.
- The warranty on cracking, settling and scaling.
Cost data note
The headline figure is the site’s calculator rate, the same rate used by every concrete calculator, and it follows the dated rate set on the methodology page. The breakdown table averages HomeGuide and Forbes Home where both priced the item; single source lines name their publisher above. HomeGuide shows no date on its slab page. All ranges reflect October 2026, and the full set is revisited on a 3 month schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What does concrete cost per square foot installed?
The calculator rate set prices a standard 4 inch slab at $6 to $14 per square foot installed, with $10 typical. Published data puts a plain slab at $5 to $10.
Why are there two different per square foot ranges?
The calculator range is wider because it covers slab thickness and region bands, while the publisher range covers a plain slab at national rates.
How much does a 20 by 20 foot concrete slab cost?
At 4 inches with a basic finish, the calculator puts a 400 square foot slab at $2,400 to $5,600, with $4,000 typical.
How much more does a 6 inch slab cost than a 4 inch slab?
On a 400 square foot slab, the typical total is $4,000 at 4 inches and $4,800 at 6 inches, because only the material share grows with thickness.
Does stamped concrete cost more per square foot?
Yes. Decorative and stamped finishes run $8 to $18.50 per square foot in published data, against $5 to $10 for a plain slab.
More on concrete prices
The concrete calculators handle volume, bags and cost. The concrete slab cost guide prices slabs by size and use, the concrete cost per yard guide covers ready mix pricing, and the concrete patio guide compares patio finishes. The guides library holds every cost guide.