Concrete Slab Cost Calculator
Estimate total installed cost for a concrete slab, combining material cost per cubic yard with labor cost per square foot.
How this calculator works
This combines two costs: material (cubic yards of concrete from the standard slab-volume formula, times your price per cubic yard) and labor (your slab’s area times a per-square-foot labor rate). Both price fields are editable placeholders you should replace with real supplier and contractor quotes.
Formula: Cubic yards = (Length ft × Width ft × Depth ft) ÷ 27. Total cost = (Cubic yards × Price/yd³) + (Area sq ft × Labor rate/sq ft).
Worked example
A 10 ft × 10 ft (100 sq ft) slab at 4 inches, $150/yd³ material, $6/sq ft labor:
- Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft
- Cubic yards: (10 × 10 × 0.333) ÷ 27 ≈ 1.23 yd³
- Material cost: 1.235 × $150 ≈ $185.19
- Labor cost: 100 × $6 = $600.00
- Total estimated cost: $785.19
Cost reference (at default rates)
| Slab size | Estimated total cost |
|---|---|
| 10 ft × 10 ft | ~$785 |
| 12 ft × 12 ft | ~$1,131 |
| 16 ft × 20 ft | ~$2,513 |
How to measure your area
Measure the full slab footprint in feet, using the finished dimensions you want poured. If the slab has an irregular shape (an L-shaped patio, for example), split it into rectangles, sum the areas, and enter a combined width against the total length — or run the calculator once per section and add the totals.
Frequently asked questions
What's included in this concrete slab cost estimate?
Material cost (cubic yards of ready-mix concrete × price per yard) plus labor cost (slab area × labor rate per square foot). It doesn't include excavation, gravel base, rebar or wire mesh, control-joint cutting, or permits — those are separate line items to add on top.
Is $6 per square foot a realistic labor rate?
It's a national placeholder, not a quote. Concrete labor rates vary widely by region, crew, finish type, and site access — get local contractor quotes and edit the labor rate field to match before relying on the total.
How is this different from the plain concrete slab calculator?
The concrete slab calculator stops at cubic yards and material cost. This calculator adds a labor line (area × labor rate) on top, giving a rough installed-cost total rather than just a material order quantity.
Why does the cost scale faster than the area?
Labor cost scales directly with square footage, while material cost scales with volume (area × depth), so as a slab gets larger both costs grow — there's no fixed-cost portion in this simplified model, unlike a real quote which often has a mobilization or minimum charge.
Should I get extra concrete ordered for this project?
This calculator doesn't add waste automatically, since ready-mix is typically ordered to a specific volume from the supplier. Many contractors still round up to the nearest quarter or half yard to avoid a costly partial second truck.
Estimates only. Verify quantities with your supplier before purchasing.