Cost Guides · Concrete
Concrete Cost Per Square Foot in 2026: Driveway, Patio, and Slab Prices
Concrete cost per square foot from four real contractors and two ready-mix producers, at 4 inch and 6 inch thickness, so you can price a driveway, patio, or slab from the square footage alone.
In a hurry? Turn a photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds.
How much does concrete cost per square foot in 2026?
Concrete cost per square foot depends on thickness, finish, and whether you want material only or a finished job. A 4 inch broom finish driveway lands at $7 to $12 per square foot installed. A 4 inch patio spreads wider, $5 to $15, because patio labor varies more by region. Add reinforcement at 6 inches and the rate climbs to $10 to $14. The honest answer is a range tied to a job.
What does a 4 inch concrete driveway cost per square foot?
Two local contractors post a dollar figure for their own driveway work.
| Publisher | Basis | Per square foot, installed | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Concrete Contractor (Charlotte, NC) | Broom finish, 4 inch pour | $10 to $12 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| DirtRock Dallas (Terrell, TX) | Standard poured concrete, 4 inch with rebar | $7 to $10 | Sept 5, 2026 |
Blend the two and a 4 inch driveway runs $7 to $12 per square foot installed, matching our own cost to pour a concrete driveway guide. Excavation, base, forms, pour, and finish are all in that number.
What does a 4 inch concrete patio cost per square foot?
Patio pricing spreads wider than driveway pricing. A patio is not load bearing, so each contractor sets its own base depth.
| Publisher | Basis | Per square foot, installed | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking Concrete LLC (Cincinnati, OH) | Plain broom finish patio | $5 to $8 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Ohio Valley Concrete and Hardscapes (West Chester, OH) | Broom finish patio, 4 inch pour | $8 to $15 | Sept 5, 2026 |
Why does a 6 inch slab cost more per square foot than a 4 inch slab?
A 6 inch pour uses 50 percent more concrete than a 4 inch pour. It usually adds wire mesh or rebar. Local Concrete Contractor posts $10 to $14 per square foot for a 6 inch reinforced driveway. Its own 4 inch pour runs $10 to $12. Treat it as single sourced.
Turn a slab photo into an itemized estimate, free →
What is the material-only concrete cost per square foot?
Strip out labor and look at delivered concrete alone. A cubic yard covers 81 square feet at 4 inches, 54 at 6 inches.
| Producer | Per cubic yard | Per sq ft at 4 in | Per sq ft at 6 in | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supreme Concrete (Los Angeles, New York), 3000 PSI | $127.05 | $1.57 | $2.35 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Gehring Construction (Columbus, NE), SG 3000 | $148.00 | $1.83 | $2.74 | Sept 5, 2026, effective Jan 1, 2026 |
Material only runs $1.57 to $1.83 per square foot at 4 inches and $2.35 to $2.74 at 6 inches. Compare that to the $7 to $15 installed range. The gap is labor, base prep, and the contractor’s margin, not the concrete.
How to price a slab from a square foot rate
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Measure the area and pick a thickness
Length times width gives square feet. Use 4 inches for a patio or sidewalk, 6 for anything vehicles cross. Our concrete cubic yard calculators convert the footprint to yards for a supplier quote.
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Match the finish to a posted rate
Broom finish sits at the low end of every table above. Stamped or exposed aggregate finishes run higher.
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Apply the rate and add the ordering allowance
Multiply square footage by the rate, then add 4 to 10 percent per NRMCA CIP 31.
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Add fees and the labor line separately
Short load, mileage, and site access fees are their own line items, apart from material and labor.
What do the crew and fees add on top of the material?
Cement masons earn a $28.87 mean hourly wage, laborers $25.02 (BLS OEWS, May 2025): wages paid, not rates billed. Burden, overhead, and margin ride on top, most of why installed price runs four to eight times the material-only rate. Our contractor hourly labor rates by trade page breaks down how a wage becomes a billed rate.
SimplyWise Cost Estimator for concrete cost per square foot
SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, with editable material, labor, and fee lines. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. It is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.
Keep reading
- Concrete Cost Per Yard.
- Cost to Pour a Concrete Driveway.
- Concrete Cubic Yard Calculators.
- Concrete Contractor Pricing Guide.
Sources
- Local Concrete Contractor, Concrete Driveway Cost, 2026-08-03, captured 2026-09-05.
- DirtRock Dallas, Concrete Driveway Cost in Texas, 2026-02-16, captured 2026-09-05.
- Viking Concrete LLC, Concrete Patio Cost in Cincinnati, captured 2026-09-05.
- Ohio Valley Concrete and Hardscapes, Concrete Patio Cost, captured 2026-09-05.
- Supreme Concrete, price list, captured 2026-09-05.
- Gehring Construction, Ready-Mix Pricing, effective 2026-01-01, captured 2026-09-05.
- NRMCA CIP 31, Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete, captured 2026-09-05.
- BLS OEWS, May 2025 national estimates, 47-2051, 47-2061.
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator on the App Store, 4.8 rating.
Frequently asked questions about concrete cost per square foot
The price
How much does concrete cost per square foot in 2026?
A 4 inch broom finish driveway runs $7 to $12 per square foot installed. A 4 inch patio runs $5 to $15. A 6 inch reinforced driveway is $10 to $14, single sourced.
How much more does a 6 inch slab cost than a 4 inch slab?
About $1 to $2 more per square foot, per Local Concrete Contractor’s own rates. A 6 inch pour uses 50 percent more concrete and usually adds reinforcement.
Patios and driveways
Does a concrete patio cost less per square foot than a driveway?
Not reliably. Posted patio prices ran $5 to $15 per square foot against $7 to $12 for a driveway. Patios are not load bearing, and each contractor sets its own base depth.
Estimating the pour
Can I measure a slab with my phone camera instead of a tape measure?
Tape or wheel an outdoor slab, then enter the dimensions. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns that photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. On a Pro iPhone, the room scan captures measurements with LiDAR.
Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator price concrete by the square foot?
It builds material, labor, and fee lines with a unit, quantity, and price each. A per square foot rate becomes one editable line. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, 7-day free trial.
Turn a concrete cost per square foot rate into a bid that holds margin.
Snap a photo and get an itemized estimate with editable lines. Send a branded quote before you book the crew. Free to try, then $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr after a 7-day trial.