A concrete bid quoted as one square-foot number hides the two things that decide whether you make money: how much ready-mix you actually need, and the base and reinforcement under it. Break the pour into its real parts and your quote holds up — here is how.
Step 1: Break the pour into components
Instead of one all-in rate, price the job as the parts you buy and do: placement and finishing (your labor), ready-mix concrete, base gravel, reinforcement (wire mesh or rebar), forms, and any pump or demolition. Naming the base and reinforcement is where flatwork bids are won or lost — they drive both cost and slab life.
Step 2: Calculate the concrete and price it by the yard
Ready-mix is sold by the cubic yard, at roughly $160–$195 per yard in 2026. To get yards, multiply area by thickness in feet and divide by 27, then add about 10% for waste. If you are under the truck minimum, add a short-load fee. Pricing concrete the way your supplier bills you keeps the biggest cost accurate.
| Line | Unit | Typical 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Plain flatwork, installed (all-in) | sq ft | $6.50–$10.50 |
| Ready-mix concrete | cubic yard | $160–$195 |
| Placement & finishing (labor) | sq ft | $2.50–$6.50 |
| Gravel / crushed-stone base | sq ft | $0.30–$1.20 |
| Stamped / decorative upcharge | sq ft | $4–$12 |
Step 3: Add base, reinforcement, forms, and disposal
Gravel base, mesh or rebar, forms, and hauling out any demolished slab are all real cost — line them so the customer sees the value and you do not eat them. On tight or hard-to-reach pours, add a pump.
Step 4: Add markup and take a deposit
Your concrete, base, and labor are cost; markup covers overhead and profit on top. Because you pay for material up front, take a deposit — commonly 25–35% — to schedule the pour, with the balance due on completion.
Example: a 600 sq ft driveway at $4.50/sq ft to place and finish ($2,700), 10 cubic yards of ready-mix at $185 ($1,850), and $360 of base is $4,910 of work. With a 12% markup and tax on materials, the quote lands near $5,672 — with about $1,700 as a 30% deposit.
Common pricing mistakes to avoid
- Under-ordering yards — running short mid-pour is far costlier than a little extra.
- Hiding base and rebar — the parts that keep the slab from cracking should be priced, not buried.
- No deposit — you pay for material up front; the customer should fund it.
- Silent on cracking — state that hairline cracking is normal to head off the top callback.
Build the pour from its parts and the number holds. Start your next one in the concrete estimate tool.